I like to get up early to exercise.

At 5:00 AM to be specific, at least three days per week.

I have a set routine to get up and get out the door as quickly as possible.

I’m an adult now.  No time to be a kid.

I have important work to do.

My multi-vitamins washed down with Emergen-C and a Keurig Coffee k-cup help the cause.

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I assume you have a morning routine too.

Probably one that is a lot more challenging than mine.

If it involves getting kids started in the morning, you deserve a daily award (as does my wife Eve).

Whatever the drill, you’ve made it a habit.

And that’s a good thing.

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What was missing in my quick morning routine was prayer.

Sure, I’d make up for it later in the day.

When I find time of course.

Some days I would find time.

Other days, I’d get so busy with “more important stuff”.

 (Featured images by Vasile Tomoiagă,  Steve Evans, via Compfight)

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A Message from Willow Creek

I don’t remember the exact sermon from author and pastor Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Community Church.

(I regularly catch his weekly podcast message as part of my daily commute.)

But Bill shared a habit that changed his life.

He starts his day on his knees in prayer.

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Starting a Healthy Habit

For the past month, I have been doing the same.

The moment I roll out of bed.

I focus on the Lord’s Prayer.

But in my own words so it doesn’t read like a memorized script.

Most significantly, I pray for wisdom.

A daily dose of it.

I’m now seeing and hearing things throughout the day that I’ve never recognized before.

Starting the Day on My Knees.

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Get wisdom, get understanding; 

do not forget my words or turn away from them.

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

(Proverbs 4:5 – 6)

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I hope you are seeking wisdom as well.

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What habits do you recommend for daily prayer and wisdom?

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Typically, I would frame the criteria in the form of a question.

You may have as well.

In the spirit of absolute honesty, here are ten of my most common questions:

1. Is the weekly sermon inspiring (or does it put me to sleep)?

2. How close is the church to home (so we’re not late)?

3. Does the music appeal to me?

4. Are my kids learning anything here about the Bible (because it’s the church’s responsibility)?

5.  Are there small groups my age to talk about Christianity (where I don’t feel like a complete idiot)?

6. Is there a church softball team I can play on?

7. Are there opportunities to volunteer that are not outside my comfort zone or country?

8. Do they have good coffee on Sunday and good dinners on Wednesday?

9. Do I have to be baptized (again) to join the church?

10. Does the worship style not make me feel completely uncomfortable?

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Three observations about this list…

1. I failed to question if the Gospel Truth (as explained by the Apostle Paul) was spoken at the church.

2. Everything I questioned was selfishly about ME. I was taking zero responsibility for anyone else.

3. I failed to ask one fundamental question to build the church body.

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The unspoken question is one that now serves as my basis for selecting a church.

That question is…

Am I inviting other people to join the same church body?

(Or I am keeping my church life silent because I designed a fortress around myself?)

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Am I inviting people the Lord has placed in my path?

Beautiful brothers and sisters who are:

Black, White, Asian, Indian, Latino, …

Gay or Straight.

Single, Married, or Divorced.

Parents or Childless.

PhDs or GEDs.

Laborers or Office Dwellers.

Rich or Poor.

Addicts and Criminals.

Sinners (that would be all of us).

….

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”

(Romans 12:5)

…

If I’m not inviting other people to church, it’s time to select another church home.

That’s my new criteria.

…

(Featured images  by Thomas Hawk, TheeErin via Compfight)

…

What are your experience and criteria for selecting a church home?

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In the post, I made the argument that Sunday morning was the most stressful morning of the week:

Get the kids showered, dressed, and fed at the same time (not to mention Mom and Dad).

Then load them into the minivan with smiles on their faces, knowing we were once again 10 minutes late to Sunday School.

(My wife deserved a medal just for getting us into the church parking lot at any hour).

The problem wasn’t simply religion, it was us.

If anything goes wrong (and it always did), the stress level exploded at everyone.

We placed so much emphasis about going to church at a set day and time, we stopped being the church.

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Since that time, we’ve been back to church on Sunday mornings primarily for fellowship and prayer reasons.

And then away from church again.

Beyond the important reasons outlined in the original post, Sundays were (dare I say it) busy with other activities.

Some families have soccer leagues for their kids.

We have riding competitions.

Almost every other Sunday morning.

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So I finally asked two basic questions:

1. Why do we have to experience corporate worship as a family on Sunday morning?

The answer: We don’t.

(The Sabbath is actually Saturday, as I recall)

Next basic question:

2. Are there any weekly church gatherings on Saturday evenings in our current community?

(The Lutheran Church in Charlottesville we were married at in 1995 had Saturday services and we loved it)

The answer: Two.

1. The ROC

2. Hope Church

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(I assume there are other options for Protestants, but these two Gatherings consistently and exclusively surfaced in conversations around town.)

Coincidentally, I believe The ROC and Hope Church are two of the fastest growing Churches not only in Central Virginia, but also in the United States.

There are a number of reasons for a church’s growth, but consider how many millions of people work or have other family activities on Sunday mornings and never have the opportunity to go to a house of worship.

Hmm…  sounds like a wake up call for today’s traditional churches.

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We’re now visiting Hope Church (which is a little closer to our home and familiar style-wise (I did grow up Lutheran, after all).  I have heard a lot about the powerful city ministry of The ROC though.

And so far family worship is, in a word…

Inspiring.

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The setting is welcoming.

The message is consistent with the Apostle Paul’s explanation of the Gospel.

And a strong church I feel is one that makes your heart feel uncomfortable, not comfortable.

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We still scramble to get out the door on time, but we have all afternoon to worry about such details.

We now make it a family date night in His Name.

I like the sound of that.

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I pray you continue to search and find God in your community as well.

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What has been your experience with going to church outside of Sunday morning?

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In my next blog post, I will share my thoughts on How to Select a Place of Worship (I’ve discovered it all comes down to the answer to just one question).

New Blog URL:  http://standandinspire.com

(The Full Time Christianity blog is on break as I launch this new site)

The purpose of this new blog is to promote communication habits that help you inspire others every day.

Areas of focus for this blog are Family, Community, Workplace, and Technology.

My intention is to offer short posts that are memorable and actionable.

New blog posts will be announced to blog subscribers via email on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings.

(As always, readers can unsubscribe at any time)

As I launch this new blog to be of greater service to you, I will likely stumble out of the gate.

I am tremendously grateful for your patience and feedback.

For your consideration and reference, here is a link to the first Stand & Inspire blog post called The Value of a Smile.

It would be an honor to connect with you on the Stand & Inspire platform as well.

In Christ,

Brent Peterson

I have to admit this year has been exhausting.

Not just physically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

I’ve tried to maintain a healthy balance, but I do not feel I’ve stuck with enough good habits.

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I reserve the weekends, especially Sundays, to “catch up” on sleep and general rest.

I now remember how little margin there is in that approach.

The past two Sundays were not restful.

In addition to the challenge of getting out the door to church (which I argue, in this other post, is the most stressful morning of the week), I finished a lot of outdoor painting.

I felt productive, but Monday morning came like a train wreck.

As did Tuesday.

And the work week wasn’t even half over.

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Do others feel the same way?

Do you plan to get extra rest, but then you don’t find time?

Like me, you then work through the exhaustion with extra caffeine.

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I’ve come to realize the older I get, the more I value rest.

Granted, I have always needed daily and weekly rest.

We all do. At any age.

It’s just that I lacked the wisdom about its value in my younger years.

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When I’m not well rested, I lose mental sharpness.

I then make subtle choices that, taken together, lead me in the wrong direction throughout the week.

Now, I know why.

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I’ve discovered the Bible is full of examples and messages about rest.

^“So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,  for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11)

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True wisdom indeed.

I think it’s time for some rest now, so I can be a better person tomorrow.

Here’s to your rest too!

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What advice do you have about restful habits?

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The white section of the bus was full and the bus driver ordered her to give up her seat to a white passenger.

On this day, Rosa Parks was tired of giving in.

In her autobiography, My Story, she wrote:

“People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

She was arrested and put in prison.

On this day, December 1, Rosa Parks ignited the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Right Movement.

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Rosa Parks was not the first African American to refuse to give up her seat in the segregated south.

She was not even the first to do so in Montgomery, Alabama.

Rosa Parks, however, was well connected.

She was the secretary of the local chapter of the NAACP (in fact the first woman at the chapter).

She was active in her church and her community.

Rosa Parks also worked numerous jobs, including that of a seamstress in a local department store (where she was fired for her “activism”).

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Rosa Parks was connected to leaders in her community that were both black and white.

She was well known and respected.

On the day of her trial, 35,000 leaflets were distributed to initiate the bus boycott.

The boycott was a success.

The next day a 26-year old pastor in town from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church was elected by a group of 18 people to lead the organized civil rights efforts.

The pastor’s name was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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On this day, honor Rosa Parks.

Give up your seat wherever you may be.

If you are white, give up your seat to someone of color.

If you are young, give up your seat to someone older than you.

If you are a man, give up your seat to a woman.

If you see a mother with a child, give up your seat.

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On this day, ignite something great by your simple act of love.

If you don’t get a chance to do so on this day, there will be an opportunity for you right around the corner.

Seize the moment.

Rosa Parks did so to stop an injustice.

By sitting down, she stood up for others.

She ignited something powerful and necessary.

On this day.

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“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

(John 13:35)

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What is your personal experience or advice?

*

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The next day it was downgraded to a tropical depression as it crossed North Carolina with sustained winds of 45 mph. Gaston dumped up to 6 inches of rain on NC.

As the storm tracked northward into Virginia, it strengthened and my town became the epicenter.

The Richmond area received close to 12 inches of rain that afternoon.

We drove in it.

We had nothing left in the kitchen for dinner, and my wife’s car was ready for pickup at the service station.

I told my wife, “It’s just rain. Let’s go get something to eat.”

So we loaded the kids into their car seats to head down Route 1.

The rain got harder, but I kept going.

I figured I got this far.

I was young and I was careless.

I certainly wasn’t responsible.

It became the most terrifying drive of my life.

Flash floods crossed the road like I’ve never seen before.

We reached our first destination (Chick Fil-A) which was wiser than I was because it closed early.

We crossed the street to the service station with the brave service manager waiting inside.

He simply said, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

I quickly picked up the keys and my wife and I heading back home (now in separate cars) into the perfect storm.

By the grace of God, I reconciled, we made it back home safely.

To this day, I am still haunted by the sound of waves splashing against the vehicle.

My wife cried the whole way home, rightfully concerned for the safety of our young children.

I’ll never forget what she said when we pulled into the garage, “We could have had waffles for dinner.”

The next day we heard the news.

9 people in our town had been killed.

2,000 parked vehicles were flooded-out.

Some streets in Central Virginia collapsed (the picture above was taken in Richmond the day after the Gaston flash floods).

Total damage was estimated at $130 million.

My message to you.

Images of natural forces like Hurricane Sandy here in 2012 or the Tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 are absolutely haunting and brought back these personal memories.

I cannot begin to comprehend the magnitude of  theses catastrophes, and it is not fair for me to compare the damage of Gaston to these emergencies.

My message today isn’t to tell you not to take risks.

I strongly encourage you to act boldly toward your dreams.

My message to you is simply this:

Act wisely.

If the risk far outweighs the reward (as it did in my case in 2004), don’t do it.

God may have a plan for your life, but we are expected to make wise choices to stay on the right path.

Or in my case, the road. Literally.

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I don’t know why specific natural disasters happen on earth.

I do know we live in a very fragile and broken world.

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^“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15-16

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If you’re about to do something really careless, remember the waffles.

What is your experience or advice?

*

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The experimenters were administering an electrical current whenever the rats entered part of its cage.

Instead of fleeing from that part of the cage, the rats enjoyed the electrical stimulation.

Once a lever was installed to offer a self stimulation, the rats effectively pleasured themselves to death.

They ignored foot and water, and pressed the lever as many as 2,000 times an hour.

Later research would reveal that the brain’s pleasure center, nucleus accumbens, leads specifically to a constant “wanting” to obtain the stimulation.

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Almost 60 years later, it seems millions of people (with personal access to online and media activity) are seeking that same level of stimulation every day.

For males, it appears to be a dangerous mix of spectator/fantasy sports, video gaming, and pornography.

For females, it is the insatiable stimulation of digital conversations, perhaps through Texting, Facebook, and Pinterest.

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As a recovering Crackberry (and now iPhone) addict and avid sports fan, I can relate.

How about you?

How long can you without checking your email or text messages?  How about Facebook or Twitter?  Or Sports Center highlights?

A week?

How about an entire day?

Just an hour?

If these modern examples don’t apply to you, I’m sure there are many people within your close network that you would describe as pleasure addicted to television or the internet.

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Why We Pleasure Ourselves to Death

I’m no scientist or theologian, so take my opinion for what’s it worth.

But my theory is simply this…

Millions of people (and yes, Christians) are seeking constant stimulation because they have stopped seeking God.

As for why they have stopped seeking God…

Maybe it is due to a perceived lack of response.

Or they have been led by false teachings on how to experience God.

Or simply they are so easily distracted.

I know I’ve experienced all of the above.

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Whatever your situation is, I pray you do not fall victim to the same fate as the rats.

The Apostle Paul knew the only escape:

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”

(Romans 13:14)

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What are your thoughts about seeking constant pleasure or stimulation?

What advice you have for seeking God instead?

*

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My trusty old Pontiac now has 166,000 miles on it.

It still runs (most of the time), but it’s showing its age.

For example, it overheats if caught in traffic (forcing me to jump off at the nearest exist just to keep the car moving).

I make it a game to make it to work without the car overheating.

Interstate 95 in Virginia usually puts up a good fight.

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The fact that I even have a car places me in elite status worldwide.

There are approximately 600 million vehicles in the world today. Of those about 240 million are found in the United States.

Considering there are 6.76 billion people in the world, roughly 9% of the world’s population have a vehicle.

That number is overstated when you consider how many people (especially Americans) own more than one vehicle.

Simply stated, over 90% of the world does not have access to their own automotive transportation.

(Source: wiki answers)

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There is no question Americans are blessed (or should I say cursed) with an obscene about of abundance.

We are the model for consumption.

And, for millions of Americans, the most visible symbol of our property on a daily basis is our vehicle.

We travel to work in it.

We take it to the mall.

We park it at the gym.

We maneuver it through the drive thru for coffee or dinner.

And our vehicles transport us to church.

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A biblical case could be made for Christians to not “own” a vehicle at all if it involves financing or leasing it.

However, I’m here to ask today…

How much is too much?

For example, should Christians drive luxury SUVs?

(That question is triggered by the photo herein that I snapped in a dealership lot in Virginia).

I’m sure the irony of the license plate is not lost on you either.

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As an American who does not live directly in a city and have access to public transportation, my vehicle does serve a purpose almost every day.

For the record though, I’m not in the market for a Cadillac or anything comparable in terms of luxury and price tag.

I do find it tasteless to promote a love for Jesus on the back of a $70K Escalade.

(For additional thought, I wrote a blog post on whether Christians should identify themselves on their vehicles.. aka the Jesus Fish)

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I feel humbled and embarrassed to even have this conversation about vehicles.

I also recognize that less than 5% of the world’s population have their own computer and internet access.

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It’s unfortunate so many “Christians” (myself included) regularly confuse the rewards of God’s Kingdom with the rewards of the World:

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.

(Hebrews 11:6)

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What example do you feel Christians should be setting with their possessions?

*

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1. Where I was working when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center

2. What a beautiful day it was in Central Virginia

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We All Remember Where We Were

I was working as a consultant for SunTrust Bank in Richmond, Virginia.

My wife called me at the office.

The phones were ringing at every desk.

By the time we congregated around a small television in the cafeteria, the South Tower was in flames.

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Thirty-five minutes later, American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

The attack in Virginia occurred precisely 100 miles north of where we were located.

At 10:03 am, Flight 93 en route to Washington DC crashed in Shanksville, PA.

In light of the events, we were all sent home for the day.

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It was a Beautiful Day

Summers in Central Virginia are hazy, hot, and humid.

For three months, the heat index is near 100 by day and around 80 by night.

When the second week of September arrives, the humidity goes out to sea.

The sky turns blue again, and mornings are a treasure.

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9/11/01 was one of those beautiful early autumn days.

I wanted to spend the day outdoors.

And tragically, I got that wish.

So I washed the car.

And walked the dog.

And did yard work.

I didn’t know what I was supposed to do.

I felt helpless and worthless sitting in front of the television with the terrorist attacks replayed over and over.

Why were so many innocent people already dead?

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The Purpose of this Blog Post

I’m not here to tell you to live today like it could be your last.

You already know that.

Car accidents alone kill 40,000 Americans every year.

That’s one death every 13 minutes.

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But laundry needs to be done.

Dishes have to be rinsed.

Another email awaits at work.

Let’s be honest…

We rarely get the chance to live life without fear or responsibilities.

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So as we pass another Sept 11 Anniversary and you step outside, tell yourself…

It’s a Beautiful Day.

Look up at the clouds and smile.

That alone is something to treasure and give thanks to God.

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^“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

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What is your personal experience of September 11th?

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