September 23, 2007

Letting Go – Issues

I hope that your journey of letting go has been as fruitful for you as it has been for me.  I have personally found peace and true light and power in focusing on my spirit and letting go of the flesh. I have been able to disconnect myself from everything around me that causes pain. In a world of darkness, I have become light.

Today, I want to discuss the destruction of issues.  Everybody has them. They are everywhere and they are a cancer infecting the human race. How and where do issues originate and why are they damaging? That’s simple. Issues originate in the mind and in the flesh.  They are rooted in judgment, sprouted in discontent, and given full bloom in turmoil and conflict. Once you begin to judge anything, you open the floodgates for issues.  Nobody wins and the light found only in peace has now become darkness.

There are 2 ways to destroy issues:

1)      Stop Judging. Stop judging your life. Stop judging situations. Stop judging people. Quite labeling things or people as good or bad, right or wrong. Stop judging events or situations. Jesus warned us that if we judge than we will create an atmosphere of judgment on ourselves. In effect, our own judging will be the very judge against us. And by the way, he put no conditions on that. The only way to truly judge anything is in hindsight and slow patient observation, and, even then, you can’t truly judge, because you don’t have the perspective of God. People who judge create negativity, division, and weigh others down with heavy burdens the minute that judgment is passed and communicated as an issue.  Unwise decisions are often a product of judgment.

2)      Communication. The only form of acceptable communication of judgment is with the person you are judging. This means that you cannot in any way acceptably communicate your judgment of a child of God with someone else in advance.  As stated before, you bring a heavy burden upon the 3rd party, and bring more of God’s children into the issue than is necessary. This is how gossip starts. What you’ve done, without realizing it, is ask someone else to now judge and have an issue with the person you have judged yourself.  What have you accomplished? Sometimes we bring others into our issues, because we’re looking for “wisdom”, because we believe that someone is more “experienced” or “professional” than we are. This is a lie. The only way to gain wisdom is to confront the one you have an issue with. Wisdom is not gained by being right or wrong, but through understanding and mutual peace and seeking the spirit of God.

Next time you are confronted with an issue internally or with another consider the following:

·         Breathe deeply and immediately accept the situation. Do not resist it. Doing so breeds frustration.

·         Refrain from labeling it as a problem. Things that happen in our life are merely life-situations. They become problems only when we mentally label them as such. Problems are results of judgment.

·         Refrain from comparing the situation to any other previous situation or perceived future situation. You cannot change the past and there is no assurance that there will even be a future. Treat each situation as a totally unique situation separate and apart from anything else.

·         Do not judge, evaluate and analyze the situation. This often leads to confusion, frustration and brings too many outside factors into the situation. Treat the situation point blank and if it needs any counter action at all then simply act. Most answers to situations in life come instinctively and are generally proven right.

·         Bring as few people, if any, into the situation. Do not make your judgments and issues everyone else’s judgments and issues.  This only creates more pain and conflict.

This is the true path to inner peace. As with anything else, you have to Let Go.

 

 

Letting Go – Labels

If I asked you to identify yourself or someone else, what would you say? What description, terms, or adjectives would you use to identify yourself? Have you ever truly asked the question, who am I?

As you consider the idea of letting go, I want you to consider letting go of labels in your life. This is quite possibly one of the most difficult challenges for most people. People’s identities are wrapped up in external labels and titles. The key word here is external. Many people like to attach themselves to labels and external identities, because, as I stated before, we like to attach ourselves to issues and pain. Think about it: When I mention the words below what thoughts immediately comes to your mind?

democrat, republican,  american, iraqi, conservative, liberal, denomination, feminist, catholic, protestant, environmentalist, traditional, progressive, communist, special interest, buddhist, hippie, redneck, auburn tiger, florida gator, black, white, man, woman,

What images or feelings do these labels conjure up? Disgust? Pride? Issues? Prejudice? Security? Right? Wrong? Why is this? Because external labels, images, and titles are often associated with conflict which produces pain. Our minds are constantly fixated on pain. I’m not saying that these things are inherently evil, per say. Being a fan of the Florida Gators or being American is not harmful. What is harmful, however, is when that attachment to a team, a nation, a label, becomes the fabric of your mind and body, and produces inner conflict towards others. The conflict often happens when we choose to polarize, categorize, and ostracize those around us whose labels do not fit ours. No one likes to be labeled, but we often find ourselves labeling others while at the same time labeling ourselves. This way we can feel “secure” in our identity. All these identities are exterior. They are attached to the physical, not the spiritual. They often cause division, stir up arguments, give us a false and temporary sense of security, bring needless issues into our lives, create prejudice and judgment, and keep us from being in harmony with our fellow man. Can you imagine the healthy relationships that you could develop with those around you and a sense of unity that you could have with others without the burden of labels?

You have to let go. The whole point of letting go is to shed all the layers of garbage in your life brought on by your attachments to the labels and identities of this world. Christ taught us many times to let go of these things (book of Matthew chapters 6-7).

The spirit has no need for these things. You were not born with labels. You either inherit them or seek them. You certainly will not keep labels. They will die when you leave this world. In the end you will be what you started out as – a child of God. This is the greatest label you will ever own. It’s the only one that will bring you true inner peace. It’s the only one that will last. All else will fade away.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will….And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit….There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

                                                                              --- The Apostle Paul

 

September 09, 2007

Letting go – Triggers

As you consider what I’ve written over the last 3 weeks remember what I have said before. You, your existence, your being is spiritual not physical. What I mean by this is that while your physical body and mind do exist, they do not define you and therefore cannot control you. Your power and identity comes from your spirit or soul. This is where God dwells. This is the perfect creation of God’s hand.

Today I want to talk about triggers.  What are they? Triggers are events, items, or experiences that we witness daily that create emotions and feelings within us. These emotions or feelings often lead to actions. Triggers can be dangerous and even deadly. We are often ruled by them, controlled by them. Triggers, if we allow them, render us powerless. Some examples of triggers are:

·         A person walks into a room and you automatically build a resistance to this person.

·         An idea or thought which has been expressed immediately causes you to become angry or passionate.

·         An image or video incites lust within you.

·         A disappointment brings you into a state of depression.

·         The miscalculation of a fellow driver instantly produces rage or frustration.

Sometime this week, take a moment, sit down with a pen and paper and list triggers in your life. Remember triggers are not the actions or emotions themselves. Triggers produce the emotions which lead to the actions. What sets you off? Who sets you off? Where and when are these triggers most likely to happen? Why is it that certain triggers are able to get to you while other are not? Why do some people make you angry or get on your nerves? What are your addictions? What are some core issues in your life? What brings you pain, stress, guilt, and anger? Finally, how do you physically experience these triggers? Headaches? Can’t breathe? Pain in the chest or stomach? Most triggers bring with them some kind of intense physical pain or feeling. It is deep and it is real.

You have to let go.

Triggers happen in the mind and in the body, but they don’t exist in the soul. I know that this is a difficult concept to grasp, but your soul is immune from these types of things. As I stated before, the reason why there is always a conflict going on between the spirit and the flesh, is because the spirit is pure and the flesh is polluted.  You have to free your mind and your body.

Next time you experience triggers do the following:

·         Cease all action and completely shut your body down. Be still and silent.

·         Breathe easy, slowly, and breathe deep.

·         Turn your brain off, stop thinking (this is generally the problem).

·         Find your spiritual self – meditation, prayer, self awareness, even in the midst of conflict.

·         Stop evaluating, judging, and reacting to the situation and how it affects your senses.

·         Do not take ownership of the trigger. Let it pass right through you.

·         Continue this until you have found full peace and harmony first within and then without.

Christians call these triggers “temptations”.  How are we taught to deal with these temptations? We are taught that if we resist them, they will flee. Begin today.

 

 

August 26, 2007

LETTING GO - PAIN

Let’s face it, human beings are gluttons for pain. We seek it, attach ourselves to it, identify with it, write songs and stories about it, drown ourselves in it, and many times allow it to destroy us. For many of us we find comfort in it and pain is very much where our comfort zone is. Even our quest for pleasure is a result of where we are in relation to pain. We take read scriptures like Psalms 23, I Corinthians 13, Romans 8, and so on, because they teach us how to deal with pain.  

Pain ignites and triggers a number of emotions within us: anger, resentment, frustration, lust, greed, envy, jealousy, uncertainty, anxiety, hatred, dissatisfaction, uneasiness.

We are often our own worst enemies, because pain is something we often invite into our lives. Many theologians, philosophers, psychiatrists and psychologists have taught us that most of the pain that enters our lives comes as a result of our insatiable desire to hang on. Hang on to what? Fill in the blank: possessions, position, issues, labels, wealth, fantasies, success, power, time, ego, the future, the past, beauty, pleasure, or security. We attach our lives and emotions to these things daily. The more we try to hang on to these things the more we experience disappointment, heartbreak, anguish, shock, a feeling of unfairness, inner conflict, relational conflict, turmoil, disgust, fatigue, exhaustion, weariness, and weakness.

You have to learn to let go. Detach now. You were called to be free.

Each moment you have in life is a gift. The mind and the body are often caught up in a drama of pain and forget each precious moment, the here and now. Live for each moment and learn to soak it in. Learn to let go and breathe easy. Learn to take life easy no matter what moment you’re in or what you are doing. Time is an illusion and is fleeting at best.

A friend quoted me C.S. Lewis Sunday, “We are souls with a body, not a body with souls.” The mind is attached to the soul, not the soul to the mind. The soul is the source of power, not the mind. The body and mind get caught up in pain and all that is associated with it. The soul has no need for this. The soul is not even aware that pain has any power and refuses to associate with it. As I stated last week, you have to dig through the piles of pain and garbage that your mind has attached itself to and find your soul again. Reconnect with your spirit. Refresh the spirit, empower it, let it guide. It is of God and from God. Find it.

Re-read Matthew 5-7 again and you will understand that this is the message that Jesus was really trying to tell us.

I tell you the truth; no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit….The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

                                                                                    - Jesus Christ

 

 

August 19, 2007

LETTING GO - INTRODUCTION

Over the next few weeks I want to discuss with each of you a concept that if put into practice can really change your life. You see most of us are in prison. We were not put there by any injustice, or because we did anything wrong. No one put us there. Truth is, we imprisoned ourselves, enslaved ourselves with shackles that we have made unbreakable and wound so tight so that they choke us. We have forgotten what it’s like truly to be free. Can you imagine what it would be like to live on the other side and to see that life is something that all of us can really enjoy. The freedom is within our grasp, and we can indeed be free. As you read some of these concepts and ideas that I will present to each of you, you may initially have the urge to resist them, fight them or allow your mind, body, and emotions to debate and argue them. There might even be some gnashing of teeth. This is because your mind and body have been conditioned to embracing and holding on to the very things that are causing you so much pain and burden in your life. You have to learn to control those urges and free your mind. You have to dig through the piles of garbage that have built up in your life and find your soul again. The scriptures tell us that there is a constant battle going on between the flesh and the spirit. Why is this? Because your spirit is whole, pure and from God. In a sense it’s just like God, because you were created in God’s image. Your mind and your body, however, are polluted. Most of the pollution surprisingly comes from within, not from without. In effect, we create our own hell, our own place of desolation, hopelessness, despair, anxiety, anger, worry, greed, issues, labels, fatigue, hatred, fear, apathy, emptiness, and loathing. Once again the scriptures tell us not to focus on these things. Our spirit is always trying to embrace the good things that God has given us. Our mind and body, however, won’t let it and often gets in the way. Believe it or not, it’s possible to find your spirit apart from your mind and your body.

I want to share with you some things that I have discovered both through my life experiences, my study of the scriptures, and other books that I have read. You can take what I write down each week and do with it what you will. The choice is yours.

Again, the scriptures, tell us to encourage one another and to spur one another on to good works. The scriptures also tell us to be a light and to be salt. That is my attempt. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback concerning what information I divulge to you.

I want to reiterate, the key in all of this is Letting Go.

. . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.                                                                                                              

– The Hebrew Letter

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 18th, 2007

THE NEW WEBSITE

 

I wanted to officially introduce the Gateway College & young professionals’ website.  This has been long overdue as it is an essential part of the ministry we have here.  The website will be used for a number of things in order to communicate to our group and to the church as a whole.  If you visit the site you will see that so much is going in on in our group: 

 

Ø     A Calendar of upcoming events and birthdays

Ø     Scrapbook of pictures from past events

Ø     Links to a number of other websites around the globe

Ø     Event details – who, where, when, etc.

Ø     Sharegroup

Ø     Lithuania Mission Trip

Ø     updated info on our military both here and overseas

Ø     what we are studying in our classes

Ø     prayer requests

Ø     fun stuff

 

Please take some time and view our page and other pages throughout the website.  The web address is www.gatewaycoc.org. We’re listed under the ministries menu.

 

If you have any information you’d like to add to the website contact Stacy Humphries in the office.

 

I thank you for all you for our singles.  We are always appreciative of your encouragement, prayers, and support.

 

I wish you well on your journey.

 

Ed

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 11th, 2007

MEET OUR LITHUANIA TEAM FOR 2007

 

We have 4 experienced veterans and 1 excited newcomer to our Lithuania team this year.  Gateway is so blessed to have young people who are vibrant, spiritual, mature and talented.  

 

Christina Walmer – Christina has been faithfully involved in Lithuania for 2 years now.  Her dedication not only to Camp Ruta but to Christ in general has been evident to all, as she tirelessly works hard serving those around her. Christina has a number of talents, and simply loves people. She is currently holding down 2 jobs working at Chili’s Restaurant the longest. Christina’s duties will include teaching, organizing activities, and camp counselor.

 

Brett Murdock – Formerly known as “nurse” Brett at the camp, Brett came in at just the right time and perfectly carried out his duties as the camp Doctor. It seemed his job was never done as little scrapes and bruises came at Him from everywhere. Brett has been involved in Lithuania for 1 year and is excited about his return. He is currently enrolled in the medical program at Georgetown University.

 

Scott Jordan – Ask any of the campers last year who their favorite “cool dude” was and they’ll tell you Scott Jordan. Scott’s sincerity, his love for children and his dedication to God make Him perfect for the Christian camp atmosphere. Last year he was the activities coordinator. His ideas were fresh, inventive, and downright fun. This will be Scott’s 2nd year to attend Lithuania. Scott recently graduated from the University of West Florida with a degree in History.

 

Chris Jones – A 2nd year Veteran, Chris is a “behind the scenes” kinda guy.  He faithfully carries out responsibilities and yet you never know he’s there due to his quiet gentle nature. He is very mature in the faith and is very dependable and hard-working. This is Chris’ 2nd year in Lithuania.  His favorite responsibility is sports director - a role that is not easy to fill. Chris is currently a supervisor at Academy Sports.

 

Katie Foster – Katie is our newcomer to Lithuania.  Loved by those around her, Katie possesses all the talents necessary to succeed in Camp Ruta. Hard-working, flexible, positive, and spiritual Katie is excited about the opportunity to teach children about Christ. Katie is a Nutrition Major at the University of West Florida.

 

 

 

March 3, 2007

The Gateway Visitation Program

 

Last Monday evening a group led by Scott Watson and Mark Stark revived our visitation ministry.  Names of several people with various needs were handed out to us and we were able to visit. The people include both members of our church as well as people out in the community.

 

I want to express my appreciation to Scott and Mark for giving of themselves and using their talents to lead such a powerful and effective outreach program. These men are busy like the rest of us, and yet they are making time to do the work of the Lord. Please encourage them, and let them know that they are doing a good job.

 

I also want to encourage as many of you as possible to be involved in this important ministry.  Visitation is perhaps the church’s most important program.  It is often directly linked with true growth in a church.  When we visit people, we let them know that we care about them and that they are important. Nothing can compare with human contact.  A smile, a gift, a handshake, a knock on the door – all of these are important in sending our truest and sincerest desire to be a part of peoples’ lives in a Christ-like manner.

 

We visit the sick, the downtrodden, visitors, those in hospitals, those in prisons, those who have benevolence needs, those who have fallen away, those who want to learn more about Christ – the list goes on and on. There are countless people, countless souls,  who need the love of Christ. We here at Gateway can show them Christ as we demonstrate our true interest by spending just a little bit of time each Monday night to go and visit God’s people.

 

If you want to see Gateway grow and be a light in the community then be a part of our visitation ministry and let our light shine in Pensacola.

 

I hope to see you this Monday night, 6pm at the church building.

Please pray that our visitation program is successful and powerful.

 

I wish you well on your journey.  - Ed

 

 

February 25,2007

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

 

“With great appreciation we acknowledge your kindness to the village women and children of Andhra Pradesh, India.  Through your efforts you have nearly doubled the family income of 12 women for a month allowing them access to nutritious food, medicines and education for their children. You have given them the opportunity to work toward realizing their lifelong dreams of purchasing cooking stoves or water buffalo or simply meeting their children’s needs.  Additionally, your hard work will provide education for 22 girls for one entire year.  Thank you for joining us in answering Jesus’ call to serve, “the least of these.”

                                   

                                                                                                Eternal Threads,

                                                                                                Linda Egle

                                                                                                www.eternalthreads.com

 

I can remember back in the summers of 1993 & 1994, when I raised money to go to do mission work Africa.  I wrote several requests for funds from churches that I had never been to, but because I had connections there, I could “politically”, if you will, find a way to win over the hearts of people I’d never met and persuade them to support my cause.  As a result I never had problems raising money for my mission efforts.  But the flip side of that was that people simply had faith in what I was doing and knew that good would come out of it. 

 

I don’t know if anyone here at Gateway has ever actually met Linda Egle, the founder of Eternal Threads, a woman of God from Abilene, Texas, who has a simple compassion for people.  Many of you, however, demonstrated your great faith in supporting her cause and the fruits of your faith have blossomed. Yeah, sure, you got a purse for it, but sometimes the rewards for doing good come in a tangibly immediate manner.  Other times they show themselves in different ways.  Either way, that purse was made by a woman who now can support herself and send her daughter to school – something that you and I take for granted every day.

 

Linda was the connection between us and these women from India, a few who now have hope for the future. Chances are we will never meet these women.  They’re still our neighbors, however, as they live in God’s world and under God’s mercy and grace as we do.

 

To quote Walt Disney, “It’s a small world after all.” Our neighborhood extends far beyond the houses on our street. Our neighbors are the people in our town, in our nation, and all over the world. There is no place too far away for our compassion and love.

 

By the way, $600 of the money raised from the Eternal Threads fundraiser went to our Lithuania mission’s fund.

 

I want to personally thank each of you for consistently demonstrating your love and compassion for others, and for demonstrating your faith in so many ministries, projects, and programs that go on to help people all around us. It’s people like you who make life more joyfully, hopeful and fulfilled for them.

 

I wish you well on your journey.

 

Ed

 

 

February 18, 2007

THE ANTS THAT NEVER RETURNED

 

I want you for a moment to imagine running over an anthill with your lawn mower. Amazingly the ants come crawling back in great numbers within seconds, all working, scrambling to get their anthill back in shape. If you come back a day, a week, a month later, you'd never know that the hill was ever run over.

Not so in Chalmette, Louisiana. The ants never returned; nor did the people.

A year and a half later, and the city is still a ghost-town, save a few citizens who have come back only in their spare moments to work on their houses. Their lawn-mower of destruction - Hurricane Katrina, ripped through their town, completely submerged even the tallest buildings in their town, stayed a few days, and left it completely destroyed. The buildings are still there alright. Yet no one is there to live in them, as if they could anyway. All shops, all stores, houses, gas-stations, even the great and mighty Wal-Mart, was all boarded up even after 18 months.

I was completely blown away. Just about the time I think I’ve seen it all, something else gives me a wake-up call.

A woman named Liz McCartney who founded the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit organization who’s purpose to help people return to their homes one house at a time reported, "We have at least 60 something houses that we have been able to restore.” Liz traveled down to Chalmette with her friends who came down from Washington, D.C., to try to do something, anything. They quit their jobs with no certainty in the future, and risked everything to help others.

The fact is we all can do something and many of us here at Gateway have. Our tiny little group of “ants” from our college and singles group was able to help rebuild at least one home in a deserted Chalmette neighborhood over this last weekend. We helped out a lady named Versey Hughes.  For 2 days we put up drywall, mudded, and painted it. 11 of us took an opportunity to help out someone else in this world. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Right now the St. Bernard Project is in need of more money and supplies and more people. If you would like to help, in any way you can find out more information about them by going to the link to their website below.

http://www.stbernardproject.org/

 

For many of us the storm is over. But for the people of Chalmette, Louisiana even a year and half later, their nightmare will continue indefinitely.  Please pray for them and all the people who have generously donated their time and energy to helping victims all over. I know it’s wearisome hearing about Katrina.  I don’t like it either.  I’m sure it’s also wearisome being a victim in search of a home.

 

I wish you well on your journey.

 

Ed