This Says it All!

MSCC Logo
Originally uploaded by jnapruitt.

I love this motto. I don't even remember how it came together. It just sort of... flowed one day. It really is the heart and soul of our church family.

The first two elements, Loving God and Loving People are self-explanatory... however, the third element goes a little deeper.

I find it's easy to love God and love people, but to make a quality choice to "Do Life" together that's a whole other dimension.

Doing Life takes effort, energy, resources, time... whew! I'm getting tired thinking about it. Oh, and it's very risky! You might take some relational sniper fire along the way... but it's still worth the risk!

I'm about to get ready for church this morning and as I hop into the shower I will be praying that we as a church family can really Love God, Love People and Do Life.

It's worth the risks!

Have an Amazing Day!
Pastor J

Looking Forward...

I'm so excited about tomorrow (Sunday)! Why? Because we get to gather together as the body of Christ and worship Him! There's nothing like worshipping with the family of God... you can worship in your car, your shower and even on the golf course, but there's nothing as powerful as His body coming together in His name to honor Him!

It may sound odd, but I still love church! After doing this for 21 looooonnnnnggggg years, I still get excited every Sunday morning! I know many people have been hurt and damaged through spiritual abuse and religion... I too have had my share of being crushed by insensitive leaders and church members... but it's still worth it! I still believe in the "Bride of Christ."

I'm so thankful for my church family. We go by "MSCC" but it stands for Morning Star Community Church. Perfect? No way! Loving? Absolutely! I cannot brag enough on our people... we don't have it all together, but we have the Presence of God! And we have a big vision of reaching and impacting our community.

This is a random entry today, but I hope it will encourage someone to love their church family!

Blessings,
Pastor J

It's Actually Cold Outside!

T.G.I.F! I so enjoy Fridays. It's my "official" day off and I get to spend the day with my amazing family. That's my favorite thing to do. I usually kick off the day by making pancakes... I'm the best, bar none, pancake maker in the world! The key is using real butter... lots of it!

It's rainy outside and the temp is 43 degrees! Very nice for a change. I just read we had the warmest January on record in the U.S. since recorded history! Perhaps those "Global Warming" guys are on to something? It will be a green tea day! It's my newest addiction.

I've off to a lunch appointment at Brick Oven Pizza... another favorite on a cold day! I'm meeting someone for lunch to go over a ministry project. As this develops, this project could become a prototype for ministries that could have long term community impact... here I go again... thinking about work! It's hard not to when you love what you do!

Have an Amazing Day!
Pastor J

Daddy and Rachel

Daddy and Rachel
Originally uploaded by jnapruitt.

I had to throw this one on... I love this little girl! We were so blessed to adopt Rachel at birth. It's a beautiful story of grace and mercy.

Have an Amazing Day!
Pastor J

In the Zone!

There is a synergy that I find every once in a while. It's difficult to explain, but it's that place where everything converges in my inner life (sometimes the outer as well!) and there is... well... harmony. I'm a musician. When I hear a chord it resonates deep inside my spirit and gives me a sense that all is well.

This is what I'm trying to explain. It's that "feeling" that "it is well with my soul." I've been experiencing this lately... even in the midst of finishing our first house build, Annette's serious surgery/recovery and completely reorganizing our church.

I have to chalk it up to several things, first of which is a phrase that has brought peace in the midst of apparent chaos. It's a quote by Dallas Willard, "Hurry is unfaith." Simple. To the point. Bottom line. Accurate. That little quote has caused me to slow down and enjoy every moment. To live each day "on" purpose and not just "with" purpose.

The second is a great quote from the Word of God, "Be still and know that I am God." Similar to the first, but with much more focus on Father. It helps me to remember that He is in control no matter what the situation looks like from my vantage point.

The third is a quote from the late missionary Jim Elliott, "Where ever you are, be all there." I heard this one years ago and it stuck! It reminds me to focus on the moment and helps to minimize anxiety about the future... this produces peace, joy and contentment in the present moment. Be encouraged today and spent some time meditating on these simple quotes. May they produce peace, life and hope for you today.

Peace Out!
Pastor J

Living On Purpose!

I'm weird like this... I like to live life on purpose! Not just "with" purpose, but I mean "on purpose." For me it's about choices. I believe it is one of the most powerful "love gifts" that God gave us... the power of choice.

For example, I can choose to sin or not to sin. The devil can't "make" me do anything. However, I can choose to be swayed by his temptaion to sin. I can choose to have a good day when things start out rocky. I can choose to be in a good mood when everything around me says, "Go ahead, give in, everybody else is in a foul mood today!"

Today, I want to encourage (definition of encourage is "to inspire courage") you to choose to have a good day no matter what your circumstances are. Remember, it's your choice... that's God's gift to you today!

"Today, I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendents might live!" - Deut 30:19 (NLT)

I'm choosing "life." How about you?

Blessings,
Pastor J

A Full Heart!

My heart is full this morning as I write this entry. I can't fully explain it... just the love of the Father streaming in. I finished putting the message for this Sunday together and it just blessed me to know that my heavenly Father loves me so much that He gave what was most precious to Him, his Son, so that I could be in a right relationship with Him. Now that's love!

The topic for this Sunday is the Love Language of "Receiving Gifts." A gift is something you hold in your hand that says, "Look he was thinking of me" or "She remembered me." It's a tangible visual symbol of love... like a wedding ring. It's a symbol. It's an expression.

When Rachel, my 5 yr old, brings me a crayon masterpiece from her Sunday School class and says, "Daddy, I made this for you," my heart explodes with grattitude and joy! I don't think, "Now what can I do with this" or "How is this going to help me in my job?" No, I just enjoy the act of giving and receiving love.

It's not the cost that matters... that's irrelevant, it's the expression and act that says, "I thought about you today." I want to encourage you to do something this week. Give three "inexpensive" gifts throughout the week. It could be a candy bar, a homemade card, a handwritten note, a card from Wal-Mart, or just be creative. Let me know how it goes!

Blessings,
Pastor J

Basic Training...

It's always important to stay with the basics when it comes to your walk with God. We tend to think that maturity means leaving our foundations behind. Experience has taught me that I need to return to the basics often in my spiritual journey. The Bible calls this your "first love."

No matter what I go through in life, no matter how difficult or confusing things become I always find comfort, peace and strength in going back to the basics of my faith. For me, it means going back to confessing the word of God over my life. To speak the word of God is to agree with what God says about me.

It reminds me that I'm loved, I'm empowered and I'm His son. That's usually enough to pull me out of any funk that tries to settle on me. I particularly like Deut 28:1-14, Col 1:22, Is 54:17 and Eph 2:6 just to name a few.

It's critical that we believe and speak what God says and thinks about us, not what we or others think or say about us. For me it's been back to basics lately and the result has been an encouraged spirit and a fresh resolve to fight the good fight of faith!

Be Blessed and Encouraged,
Jimmy

Frustration in the Digital Age!

Don't get me wrong... I love computers and gadgets. In fact I have lots of them; a laptop, an iPod and PDA... oh, and don't forget the cell phone! However, when things go wrong, they go really wrong!

I was going to take my PDA and move it to my home computer, but when I docked it on the newer computer, it erased my SD Card! That translates into two years worth of journal entries lost! Here's the lesson... always back up your data!!

My thoughts on this... so what! It's just journaling and it's not like my "memiors" are going to be published some day. I'll just pick up where I left off... let the past be the past. Do I still appreciate my gadgets... you bet I do!

Blessings and Joy,
Jimmy

Annette is Recovering

Hospitals are always an interesting place. Talk about a "ground leveler!" It's like the airport, Wal-Mart or a funeral home... everyone has to go there eventually. We were blessed with a great nursing staff... very helpful and very supportive.

Annette is home and resting. She is in a lot of pain, but it will pass. We have been so encouraged by the outpouring of love and support. It's humbling, but wonderful. Spiritual family is more than a "core value" it's a way of life.

I will be home with her for a few days; doing what I can to make her more comfortable as well as make her rest. Annette has a tendency to not rest... you can't keep a good woman down! So my work is cut out for me.

Thanks for the prayers and the love....

Blessings,
Jimmy

Hospital Bound...

We will head to the hospital by 8:30am tomorrow. It's a sobering time. We are not overly concerned, yet we spent some time this evening getting things together i.e. account numbers, passwords for her work computer, important information... like I said, a bit sobering.

I'm so thankful for my family in times like this... actually I'm always a pretty thankful person. God has been and continues to be very good to me... whether I think I deserve it or not. I will report back on her condition tomorrow or Tuesday. It will be a good report!

We had a wonderful and fun day in church today. I spoke on "Affirming Words." It's one of the Five Love Languages. The word "encourage" means to inspire courage. What a great definition! When we encourage another person we are actually inspiring courage in them!

Blessings,
Jimmy

More Practicing His Presence in the Crisis

This week we found out that my wife, Annette, needs to have surgery first thing Monday morning. She is having two vertebrae in the cervical area of her spine fused and a bone spur removed from her spine. It's been causing chronic pain for a long time.

I flew back early from Palm Springs to be with her. We spent Friday going through the pre-op procedure. It is a sobering time for us. I would lying if I said we were not concerned or even a bit fearful. Anytime you go "under the knife" it is disconcerting.

What is my answer? To simply practice the presence of God throughout the whole ordeal. If PHP doesn't work in the crisis as well as the "normal" times, then what's the point? I am confident that God is present and I sense his "near-ness" even as I type this note.

Please pray for us. We will get through this with our faith and our joy in tact. I will keep you posted on our progress.

Blessings,
Jimmy

In the Springs

I'm in the springs... Palm Springs that is! I am here for a national gathering of pastors from Every Nation churches and ministries. Yesterday was an all day travel day... tiring! We arrived at night so I was not aware of my surroundings.

I got up this morning and opened the curtains of my room and... wow! The view of the sunrise over the desert mountains was spectacular... the glory of the Lord covering the earth! It immediately set the tone for the day.

I'm here by myself. Typically Annette travels with me, so it's a bit odd not having my best friend alongside me. However, I intend on spending this week Practicing His Presence. I want to take advantage of this "alone time" to sense God in every movement in every detail. I want every movement, every act or deed done to be an act of pure and sincere worship.

More later.

Peace in the Midst of Chaos

"It's a jungle out there!" There is a lot of truth to that statement, however there is another element that we don't often recognize and it is this, "It's a jungle in here." What I mean is this, it's a jungle in our heart... in our "inner man." The longer I'm in ministry and serving people the more I realize how few individuals truly walk in the "peace of God that passes understanding."

We rush from activity to activity and event to event and in the madness and the chaos we tend to miss the "still small voice" of the Spirit whispering to us "be still and know that I am God." Dallas Willard made a short but profound comment in an interview with Jan Johnson. He said, "Hurry is unfaith." That statement resonated deep in my soul.

I'm one of those people who does not like to be late... anywhere! So I tend to get out the door early and arrive at my destination early. The other day I was running late... normally I would get bent out of shape and begin to rush (and speed) to get where I was going. However, I had been thinking about this statement, "Hurry is unfaith," and decided to slow down and savor the drive. The result? Peace. Calm. Joy. God's presence.

Are you experiencing the peace of God or the chaos of the Enemy? Slow down. Be deliberate. Be intentional... sensing God in every movement... making it an act of worship. Enjoy this moment and experience His peace and His presence.

Blessings,
Jimmy

More Practicing His Presence

I have been sharing this simple spiritual discipline with several people and the results have been amazing. I am getting feedback that God is bringing his peace that passes all understanding to those who will by an act of the will give their mind and their actions over to God.

Everything you do can become an act of worship by simple doing it for the love of God. Brother Lawrence made this comment, "I will not but pick up a twig off the ground except it be for the love of God." At 4:47am I made a pot of coffee "for the love of God." Even that simple mundane act became a holy thing as I gave it over to God.

I taught on this last night at MSCC. Here are some simple steps to Practicing His Presence. May the God of peace draw near to you as you draw near to him.

1. Seek God's Presence: Maintain Purity - it is the clutter of sin and the shame of failure that keeps us from throwing ourselves into God's arms. We run from him when we should be running to him. Thomas Merton wrote, "It is true that we make many mistakes. But the biggest of them all is to be surprised at them: as if we had some hope of never making any." Embrace His Grace! Acknowledge your sin and receive his forgiveness... Face It, Fix It and Forget It!

2. Do Life in God's Presence: Do all for the love of God - this applies to everything you put your hands to, i.e. preparing a meal, washing your car, dressing your child, taking out the trash. All tasks become acts of worship when you do it for the love of God. Frank Laubach wrote, "Any hour of any day may be made perfect by merely choosing. It is perfect if one looks toward God that entire hour, waiting for his leadership all through the hour and trying hard to do every tiny thing exactly as God wishes it done, as perfectly as possible."

3. Speak in the Presence of God: Conversation with God - this is so simple we miss it. This means having an ongoing running conversation with God. Inviting him into literally everything we do. It is having an "Interactive" life with God. As you are reading an article or surfing the web, invite him into your "inner" dialogue. He wants to speak with you and he wants you to speak with him.

4. The Result of Practicing His Presence: Peace - this is a win/win situation. You get God and his peace and God gets you! Which is all he really ever wanted in the first place. Read Phil 4:7 in The Message Bible: "Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

I hope this will help you on your journey of faith. It has helped me to recover my peace.

Faith, Hope and Love,
Jimmy
www.morningstarabilene.com

Practicing His Presence

I have recently re-discovered a spiritual discipline that I used to exercise a number of years ago. I was introduced to this profound discipline many years ago while reading a book by Gordon McDonald called Ordering Your Private World. The author quoted two men, one was Brother Lawrence and the other was Frank Laubach.

I actually found a book that was a compilation of both their writings called Practicing His Presence. This little book revolutionized my walk with Jesus. In fact I found a pdf file link where you can download the whole book for yourself! Here it is:

http://www.mindspring.com/~nattyrosa/Bakti/PracticingHisPresence.pdf

I encourage you to give it read... in particular the section titled The Game with Minutes by Frank Laubach. Try it and give me some feedback.

I have found great peace and a sense of well being by Practicing His Presence. I would like to hear of others experiences with this wonderful discipline.

Blessings,
Jimmy

2006 We Get a "Do-over!"

It's the first hours of 2006. Yes, a new beginning... a fresh start. I love fresh starts and new beginnings. It's like you get a "do over"... a chance to get it right this time. It's amazing to me and I'm in constant awe of God's grace toward us who believe. He lets us have fresh starts and do overs every minute of every day. For me, that's one of the compelling components of grace.

New Years Resolutions. Every year I say I'm not going to have resolutions... it's perhaps an ill attempt at not failing. Yet, every year I sit down and forge out resolutions. I just reviewed my "Top 10" from 2005 and I was surprised to find that I hit just about all of them with some degree of accuracy... amazing!

This year I have one true resolution: To grow in my "friendship" with God. At first glance this will sound pretty basic, however, this involves an intentionality on my part that will require great effort and will. Friendship requires intimacy... intimacy requires vulnerability... vulnerability requires TIME. There are no shortcuts here. Just an attitude of constantly "drawing near" to God.

Read carefully the words of Frank Laubach:

"To be able to look backward and say, “This, this has been the finest year of any life”—that is glorious! But anticipation! To be able to look ahead and say, “The present year can and will be better!”—that is more glorious! I have done nothing but open windows—God has done the rest. There has been a succession of marvelous experiences of the friendship of God. I resolved that I would succeed better this year with my experiment of filling every minute full of the thought of God than I succeeded last year." (from his personal journal dated Jan 3, 1930)

That's it for me. Simple. Basic. Life-giving. How about you? Can you simplify your New Year's Resolution down to one basic statement? What is the "win" for you for 2006? I would love to hear from you.

Grace to You,
Jimmy

Be Beautiful Just Being You

There is a daily email that I get from Ras Robinson that is called "The Word for Today." I don't think he would mind if I passed it along to you. It really spoke to me today and I think it will speak to you as well. Enjoy!

What the Lord is Saying Today
Ras Robinson

December 28, 2005. Outside the coffee shop where I am spending time with God this morning there is a very tall and healthy cedar tree growing in the middle of a huge shopping center parking lot.. This tree stands totally alone, surrounded by pavement. The Lord spoke this: Be beautiful just being you. There will be times when you must stand alone. And as you do this, I will strengthen you, enliven you and cause you to draw attention to Me and My Kingdom. I want you to grow where you are planted. Some are intended for forest living and that is fine for them. But when I wanted someone rugged, strong, vibrant and who would stand tall and bold in a difficult situation, I chose you. You are my choice. Be beautiful just being you.

Joshua 1:7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.”

"Be beautiful just being you." What a powerful line! I was so encouraged when I read this. If you are anything like me you suffer from chronic "I don't measure up-itis!" I tend to compare myself with others and always fall short. I compare myself professionally and personally. I have to work very hard to appropriate God's Word concerning my identity in Christ.

It must be very difficult to not have God's Word in you to encourage, exhort and edify. Today, I'm so thankful for his word of truth and grace in my life. How about you?

Have an Amazing Day!
Jimmy

Dysfunctional Family Fun!

We all have them, we all love them and sometimes we all dread seeing them at Christmas. What am I talking about? Our lovable but dysfunctional family members! I truly mean it. We love them and if they were gone we would miss the strange and enigmatic things they do.

For me, it's the weird uncles or the martyr grandmother who insists on cooking and standing throughout the holiday meals. You have them too... and you love them as much as I love mine. One of my uncles has had a lot of problems throughout his life; alcoholism, joblessness and moving from one place to another. He's older now and has settled to a great degree. But I always loved his fun-loving and jovial spirit. He's the type that would always do anything for anyone.

I'll miss him this year as we will not be making the drive to my old home town... or perhaps we will. We haven't decided yet. What about you? Do those family members make you crazy or happy? I choose to laugh and enjoy those days of weirdness. It's what makes family... well... family.

As you travel for the Christmas holiday or as family comes to see you, I would simply ask that you would be thankful... even for the weirdness. To be truthful, you're probably pretty strange to them! Celebrate, laugh and enjoy the time!

Blessings,
Jimmy

Handling the Holiday Blues

Do you ever find yourself struggling with the "Holiday Blues?" It's interesting to me how the holiday season is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year," yet for many the Christmas season is a reminder of past abuse, loneliness, rejection, abandonment, disappointment and depression.

According to River Hills Health Care, Inc., here are some common holiday "blues" triggers: Loss of loved ones who are no longer around to share the holidays; Grown children who are unable or unwilling to visit or call due to their own holiday responsibilities; The extra stress of shopping, parties, cooking, visiting, house guests, and other holiday obligations; Tragedy or sadness from previous experiences during the holidays such as arguments, death, health problems, abuse or divorce; Change in social or family status such as the loss of a job.

So, how do we handle the holiday blues and stay focused on the real reason for the season? Here are seven tips for handling the challenges the holidays bring:

1. Surround yourself with positive life-giving people - Joy is contagious, get around some "infected" people and catch the virus of joy. We become like the people we spend time with. The Bible notes that Barnabas' name means "The son of encouragement."
2. Don't live in the past - Stop longing for "the good ole' days," they weren't as good as you think. We tend to have selective memory when it comes to the past. We forget about how conflicted we were at 17. We forget about hormones, acne, Stridex Pads and Clearasil! We hated 17 and yet we look back on those days and only remember the good things!
3. Try something new - Make some new memories. Create new history and traditions. Do something you've never done before! Decorate your office, dorm room, apartment or house. Put up some lights!
   
4. Keep you expectations realistic - Don't set the bar so high for your family, yourself and others. If you have a "perfect" Christmas experience in mind, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Your weird uncle who was at your house last year will still be weird this year! Face it, 99% of the families on the planet are dysfunctional. Learn to laugh and lighten up. It's a reality, so go with the flow and love them anyway and determine to laugh through the weirdness.
5. Do something for someone else - Give cookies or goodies to someone who would never expect it. Surprise your coworkers with treats or small inexpensive gifts. Shock value is good!
6. Don't go into debt - Communicate with your family and friends. Be honest with them. We made the decision to buy for the kids only. When you contact them about it they will probably be as relieved as you are. The holidays are more about family than presents.
7. Feast on God's word not just holiday sweets - Enjoy your first cup of coffee with God and his word. There are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs. Read one proverb a day through the month of December. The Proverbs are short and practical sayings that are as relevant today as the day they were penned.

I hope this helps and encourages you this holiday season. It's my heart to give you hope for the holidays. The last thing we need are more Scrooges and Grinches this Christmas! Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Have an Amazing Day!
Jimmy