Encouraging Words from Cary Schmidt

Your Schedule is Also Your Example…

caryschmidt — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:56:05 +0000

If you serve in the ministry, people are watching you and your family. If you don’t want to be watched, then ministry is not the place to be. That said, we are commanded to be ensamples (or examples—a pattern to follow) to the flock (1 Peter 5:3.) As spiritual leaders we’re supposed to be saying, “Hey, follow me—let’s do this God’s way!”

Some people neglect their family in favor of ministry. Ministry needs are never-ending and incalculable, and some falsely presume that such neglect in favor of ministry service is actually spiritual or somehow honoring to God. This is both unbiblical and dishonoring to God. Neglecting family, even for good things, is never spiritual—it’s idolatry.

Your family is your primary ministry. And God has given you and me enough time to do everything He has given us—both in family and in ministry. We are without excuse if we fail on either side of the equation.

But there’s a subtle, often unconsidered danger to the “neglect family for ministry” syndrome.

Busyness makes me feel validated, important, and significant. So being busy is often a “juice” to the ego on a number of levels. But on the flip side, nobody feels more significant because they spent more time with their spouse or kids. It’s not an “ego boost” to speak publicly of taking a day off or a vacation (although it is a good example!) And God forbid, someone might even think you’re lazy! So it’s easy to, even unintentionally, uplift our extremes, and down-play the balance. One seems more “spiritual” and the other seems more “selfish.” But in actuality, the opposite is true.

Truly investing into family is deeply spiritual and God honoring—and never selfish.

Living “too busy” may feel more fulfilling in my search for significance, but it does something else quite harmful. Because I’m a living example, my schedule becomes my example to others. While people might appreciate my busyness, they may also emulate it. If I neglect my family, they will think that’s what God expects—that’s what pleases Him. If I neglect my marriage, they may do the same.

In the end, my example weakens both my family and the families that are watching me. If I live the over-extended life, I’m leading others to do the same. And that’s one thing I do not want to give an account for at the judgment seat of Christ.

In short, living a balanced life may not feed your ego, and it may not win the admiration of others, but it will set a solidly biblical example that honors God and encourages others to have healthy relationships.

For this cause, I challenge you to publish a different example—a balanced one! Talk about working hard, for we should. Talk about living sacrificially, for we should. But also talk about balance. Talk about taking time off. Talk about resting. Talk about nurturing your family with time and attention. Talk about taking a vacation. And don’t just talk about these things—do them, in balance, in your own home. Make a balanced life your living example.

The results are staggering! First, your own health and sanity will be preserved. Second, your marriage will be strong, healthy, and enjoyable. Your spouse will be filled—needs met, heart content. Third, your kids will thrive in the context of your presence, and parenting will be enjoyable, memorable, fun, and cherished as opposed to frustrated and fragmented. Fourth, those to whom you set an example will see a biblical standard and begin to follow your example. Those you lead will experience all of these benefits as well! And most importantly—God will be glorified and honored. We already know, He honors them that honor Him!

So the significant question with your schedule and life balance is this: What would you want other families to emulate? Your schedule is your example. The way you live will inevitably become the way others live by reason of your example. That’s simple spiritual leadership.

God bless you as you hold forth a biblical example of life balance in every area. And the next time you have a tough choice in regards to personal schedule—stop and ask the Holy Spirit this question: Which would be the best example for others to follow?

Here’s a VERY BIG Bag of Seed…

caryschmidt — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:47:47 +0000

Would you like to know about a completely free, biblically reliable resource that could help you and those you know to greatly grow in the Word of God? If so, keep reading! You’re gonna like this!

A few years ago we built preaching.lancasterbaptist.org and launched it, and it keeps getting better! Our media team works diligently to archive in multiple formats all of Pastor Chappell’s preaching, as well as special guest speakers such as this week’s revival meeting from Dr. John Goetsch.

Each sermon, shortly after it is preached, is placed in it’s own series and archived by date. Video and audio files are posted and downloadable to any device. And all of the material is also subscribe-able via iTunes podcasts and RSS feed. Imagine having all the messages of Lancaster Baptist Church automatically streamed to whatever your favorite viewing or listening device may be!

Also, every sermon is tagged and searchable by text, topic, title, keywords, etc. For instance, when you visit the site and enter a search for “Ephesians” you will discover more than 45 sermons—audio and video—from that single book of the Bible! Searching for the word “love” provides 36 sermons. You can imagine what a fantastic resource this could be if you are studying a particular text and topic.

Why blog about this? Because it’s a HUGE resource that we have actually said very little about. There are years and years worth of sermons and preaching series from Paul Chappell available at your finger tips—and ALL of them shareable, tweet-able, and useful in a myriad of ways!

So get to it. It’s free. It’s for you. And it’s about the power of the Word of God. Think of all the people you know, those who need Christ, or those who need encouragement, who may be helped because you shared or tweeted a link!

We are trying to hand you a very BIG bag of seed. What will you do with it? We pray that you will grab it and start planting! God’s Word NEVER returns void!

Happy harvest!

Repost: Ideas for Your Walk with God

caryschmidt — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:35:57 +0000

Does your devotional walk every become routine? Mechanical? Do you ever find yourself going through the motions, but rushing and not really enjoying personal fellowship with the Lord?

Each of us is responsible for developing our personal walk with God, and in doing so, I challenge you to keep it personal (be transparent before Him, He already knows you), keep it consistent (daily or close to it), and keep it fresh (do whatever you must do to keep from losing interest or falling into a boring routine.)

Along with those three suggestions, here is a quick list of 20 ideas that might help you break out of the mechanical and develop your walk with God in a new way:

1. Read the Bible in Places Where You Can Understand It—don’t be afraid to read another passage if you’re getting bogged down in a complex portion of the Bible.

2. Read Good Books about the Bible or Biblical Truths—lose yourself in a good book that contains a lot of scripture.

3. Use a Bible Software or Study Tools to Help You Understand—things like Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary of the Bible is free online. Take advantage of the insight of others.

4. Read the Bible from a Big Picture Perspective—read a whole book or lengthy passage, rather than just a short chapter.

5. Ask God to Teach You Something that You Need—expect Him to answer this prayer and speak to you.

6. Make a Record of the Things that God is Teaching You (Journal)—whether by hand or on computer, write down what God is teaching you.

7. Tell Someone Else Something that God Taught You (Godly Friends)—what a great use of social networking and a great conversation starter with a friend.

8. Talk to God Openly and Take Time to Listen to Him—don’t be afraid to sit quietly before the Lord and listen.

9. Literally Take a Walk with God and Talk to Him—walking will keep you awake and engaged.

10. Make a List of Prayer Requests and Record When They Are Answered—there’s something very special about looking back on all those answers.

11. Listen to Godly Music and Think about the Message—great Christian music will take your heart to a very special place with God.

12. Listen to Preaching or Teaching from Past Events—what a great use for an iPod.

13. Read Biographies of Great Christians—discover how others developed their lives for the Lord.

14. Spend Time with God in Places You Like—the beach? A park? If you enjoy being there, He will enjoy being there with you!

15. Include God on Other Activities of Life—God is with you all day, so He doesn’t mind if you talk to Him while you eat, fold laundry, exercise, or mow the lawn.

16. Give God the Time You Give to Some Other Form of Media—He’s vastly more enjoyable than Facebook, TV, cell phone, and video games all combined!

17. Give God Quiet, Uninterrupted, Unrushed Time—find moments when you aren’t in a hurry and give those to God.

18. Plan Specific Times to Spend More Time with God—have you ever set aside a larger chunk of time just for the Lord? Try a few hours or a half a day some time.

19. Write Out Scripture or Prayers/Letters to God—what a great way to place God’s Word into your heart and to record your walk with Him.

20. Don’t Quit if You Miss a Day—if you missed yesterday, that’s ok… God is still waiting to spend time with you today.

This is a short list, so help me out. What are some ways you have creatively developed your walk with God? Share them below…

He’s Never Even Dropped a Pizza!

caryschmidt — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:21:19 +0000

Earlier this week I was drying my hands in an airport restroom when I overheard a conversation between a father and his two-year-old son. Dad was handling diaper duty and he had placed his son on one of those flimsy, plastic changing tables that fold down in public restrooms. The boy, being at the size limit for one of those tables, was nervously feeling the inherent instability of this device—which was producing some crying and anxiety.

Through moans of uncertainty and nervousness the boy hesitatingly said, “Ohhhhh… me not like this…” his tones were long and drawn, and then he continued, “I gonna fall…”

Dad was doing his absolute best. First, he was hurrying! He didn’t want this to take any longer than necessary. Second, he was speaking comfort.

“C’mon buddy, I’ve got you. I’m right here. It’s ok!”

The boy groaned again, “No… I gonna fall…”

Then the Father replied, “Hey, I have never, ever dropped one of my children off of one of these these things! In fact I’ve never dropped one of my children at all! I’VE NEVER EVEN DROPPED A PIZZA!”

With that, the misery came to an end. He lifted the boy off of his temporary table of torture, buttoned him up, and lowered him to the floor. Standing upright again, the boy’s anxiety disappeared and childish security flooded back into his heart. He bounded ahead of his dad and on with the good life.

I couldn’t help but think of the times I’ve been placed into discomfort by the will of the Heavenly Father—some of those times when I felt I was on a very unstable “changing table.” (Not too sure I like that metaphor!)

In those times I want to moan and complain. In those times I feel unsafe and vulnerable. I wonder if God is about to drop me! I feel like everything in life is about to fall out from under me.

It’s then that I’m reminded—God doesn’t do that. He doesn’t drop us.

No matter where you are, if you have Jesus as your Saviour, you can be assured He is in control. He isn’t going to drop you. And he most certainly will use these trying times to change you! Trust Him today!

HE’S NEVER EVEN DROPPED A PIZZA!

“My times are in thy hand…” (Psalms 31:15)

“When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.” (Psalms 94:18)

No related posts.

Introducing—Higher Call Student Summits

caryschmidt — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:00:20 +0000

If you are a student ministry leader or worker, we invite you to participate in the Higher Call Student Summits in 2012!

Beginning in February, Bryan Samms and I have the privilege of partnering with four churches in four regions of the country for the Higher Call Student Summits. These meetings are two-day events hosted by a church in conjunction with West Coast Baptist College. They will feature Bible preaching and teaching for students, as well as practical training and encouragement for leaders.

These events are free for your youth groups, and take place on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. You can find out more specific details about dates, locations, schedule, etc. if you visit www.wcbc.edu/highercall.

Every hour of the Student Summits has been planned with prayer—for the purpose of challenging young people to rise above culture and commit to the call of Jesus Christ, and to encourage and equip youth leaders in student ministry.

I’m thankful for the privilege to have part in these meetings, and am looking forward to the fellowship we will have with youth groups and leaders! It would be a great honor to meet you and host your group, if you live within driving distance.

The summits will be held near four major regions in 2012—West Florida (February 24-25), Memphis, TN (March 30-31), Atlanta, GA (September 7-8), and Dallas, TX (November 2-3).

Registration is free and simple. Just visit the web site and submit your basic information and the approximate number of students you would bring. Also, we will be happy to send you brochures to distribute to your youth group if you request them when you register.

We hope to see you at one of the summits! Let me know if you have questions!

Become More Rooted in Christ This Year

caryschmidt — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:01:03 +0000

Are you desiring to walk more faithfully and personally in the new year? This small idea might help…

Our theme at Lancaster Baptist this year is “Rooted in Christ.” One of the resources that we’re praying God will use to help families and friends is our daily devotional website and email. For the last couple of months we’ve planned a redesign and relaunch of this resource on January 1.

The Rooted in Christ daily devotional contains a short devotion from Pastor Paul Chappell, followed by an Old Testament scripture reading, a New Testament scripture reading, and a chapter of Proverbs each day. The scriptures are IN the email, so you could read through the entire Bible this year by simply reading the email!

There are some easy ways to be a part of the Rooted in Christ Daily Devotional:

First, you could subscribe via email at www.dailyintheword.com/today. You won’t receive junk email, but you will receive the daily devotional as a daily email.

Second, you could subscribe via RSS feed. If you don’t presently use RSS to read recurring content like blogs, it’s a great way to bring all the content of your choosing to one place on a regular basis.

Third, you could book mark www.dailyintheword.com/today in your browser.

Finally, I hope you’ll consider sharing this resource via Twitter, Facebook, or your own website or blog. Feel free to distribute, repost, announce, post in a church bulletin, or otherwise spread the link to the Rooted in Christ Devotional. We pray that tens of thousands of God’s people around the world will be blessed by this daily reminder to walk with Jesus.

My Christmas Day Train Wreck

caryschmidt — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:06:54 +0000

I have recurring Saturday evening nightmares. I think it’s a part of being a song leader or church service director. But today topped them all! First some background:

At least once a month, and some times more frequently, I pillow my head on Saturday evening only to be tormented all night by some nightmare experience unfolding in a church service in my head. For a long time, that nightmare was that everyone showed up for church except for the choir. In the dream, I would turn around to lead the opener only to find NO ONE standing in the choir loft. I would then panic, freeze, and panic some more as the church service came unraveled before it even began.

In another version of the dream, the choir would show up, but they didn’t know the song. Neither did the orchestra. And so, for several devastating measures of noisy embarrassment, I would try to lead as utter chaos unfolded. The hairs on my neck would stand up, my face turn beet-red, and my heart rise into my throat. I would begin sweating profusely in terrified anxiety, only to wake up relieved that it was all just a dream.

In yet other versions of the dream, I arrive on the platform to begin a service only to discover that I am wearing something completely off the reservation for a church service. Sometimes its jeans and a t-shirt. Sometimes its pajamas. Sometimes its a suit but I forgot the coat and tie. And other times I’m wearing everything just right—except I forgot my pants. Just after the panic of finding out that I’m not dressed right, I wake up short of breath, twitching, and relieved to find out again that it’s only a dream.

I could go on. I’ve had these dreams for twenty-two years. Sometimes I overslept and missed church. Other times I arrived to discover I had forgotten to plan a service at all! And yet other times something horrible happens—like an earthquake that empties the whole congregation onto the parking lot in the middle of a musical. These dreams are not fun. They are all too real. But I have come to accept them and manage them as a part of my calling in life.

Well today, I had another one of those dreams. I’m sitting off to the side of the platform enjoying a wonderful Christmas day service. The choir has sung. A children’s ensemble has sung. Congregation has sung. And now we are enjoying a teen ensemble. It was awesome service so far! Then, right on cue, I step up to lead the congregation and ensemble in the song “I Heard the Bells”—a classic Christmas hymn. (My favorite line—”God is not dead nor doth He sleep… the wrong shall fail, the right prevail… with peace on Earth, good will toward men.) Yes, it’s a great, albeit unfamiliar Christmas hymn—unfortunately.

The congregation stood and belted out the first verse with great unity! The spirit of the day was electric with excitement! Everybody is thrilled to be in church on Christmas morning! And so far, it’s been a WONDERFUL service!

It was at this time that the dream became a nightmare. The words on screen were not the second verse that I was singing. The congregation stared, wanting to sing on, but not having a CLUE as to the obscure words of this once Christmas poem.

PANIC! Do I keep singing, hoping that words soon appear? ETERNITY seemed to pass… still no words. Two thousand people stared at me. This was not good. Somebody wake me up! The teen ensemble behind me stood anxiously awaiting. Still no words.

So, in one “gulp” of a moment, I stopped the music, looked at the church family and said, “That’s what we call a train wreck. There are a few versions of this song…” They laughed. I laughed… nervously desperate for a PLAN B. Then I noticed the hymn number at the top of my photocopied song sheet—152!

It’s ok, I thought… we can use the books! “Everybody grab a song book and turn to page 152!” Foolishly I thought the moment was salvaged. Little did I know, it was only beginning!

Just as we were about to resume singing the second verse again, I was mystified by the puzzled look on all the faces. So, I stopped the music again—train wreck number TWO! Must be my fault, I thought. “Did I give you the song number? One-five-two.” This time I even held up my fingers to be extra clear.

It was then that a kind voice from the front row said, “It’s not in our hymnal…” AWKWARD pause… painfully long half-a-second… uh-oh—I’m toast!

PANIC TEN-FOLD! Heart attack level this time! This was when I realized that my song sheet was photocopied from a different hymnal. One-five-two was NOT “I Heard the Bells” Train-wreck number THREE! This was the worst night mare I had ever had!

It was at that moment in this nightmare that the congregation really laughed hard—for the third time. Why didn’t I just call for a different song—one we all know by heart—like “O Come All Ye Faithful” or “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”— or even “Jingle Bells” for crying out loud! But no… with mindless determination I tried leading the second obscure verse by calling out the words one phrase at a time.

Major life-lesson here—that doesn’t work! Two-thousand people tried to hear what I was saying while singing what I said a moment ago. It was not pretty. It wasn’t even worshipful. It was down-right scary.

Finally, trying to strain some last semblance of meaning for this moment, I skipped verse three and read the fourth verse out loud. Then I invited everybody to give it one more shot “from memory.” The teens behind me were, at this point, relieved that never in their young lives could they ever match this level of stupidity—especially in front of so many people.

Never has the end of a congregational song taken so long to arrive! And never was it such a welcomed friend! If the platform had an ejection button and parachute, I would have launched it. A gong—I would have gonged it! A trap door through which to drop—I would have pulled the lever. If only someone could have called down fire from Heaven to consume me—this would have provided welcome relief! This dream was too bizarre—worse than any before it! Somebody wake me up quick!

And then I realized. This one is real. This is no dream.

This was my Christmas Day 2011 series of worship service train wrecks.

As I proceeded to my seat with both feet in my mouth and humble pie smeared all over my entire body—I glanced down with a relived sigh—Whew!

At least my pants were on!

PS—Dear Lancaster Baptist Family—Thank you for laughing and recovering, even though I dropped you on your head three times in a row… thank you for laughing both WITH me and AT me! Thank you for not letting that horrible moment ruin an otherwise wonderful service.

Dear Song-leader—take hope. This was about as bad as it ever gets. And God still worked in our service this morning. It’s just not about us! (Thank goodness!)

Dear Projection Team—let’s go ahead and add all the versions of “I Heard the Bells” to our lyric files in the computer. (And Jingle-Bells, just in case.)

Dear Lord—Thank you for taking pleasure in our worship, even when we mess it up by human standards. Thank you for being a perfect Saviour!

Repost: Christmas From a 4-Year-Old

caryschmidt — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:27:39 +0000

A friend of mine who serves the Lord at the BBN Radio Network sent me this link to the Christmas story told by a four-year-old little girl. It blessed our family. It will captivate you from the first word! Merry Christmas!

This was recorded and is available on CD from Jeff Apthorp, Sound Amazing Studios. The little girl is Valerie Apthorp, Jeff’s daughter. She was four at the time and is now 18, preparing to be a missionary. Much thanks to Tim Young for sending this!

Tebow On Mic During the Chicago Game

caryschmidt — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:34:58 +0000

This past Sunday evening, I watched in awe as ESPN commentators literally fell speechless. Then they resorted to words like “magical” and phrases like, “something much bigger at play here” to try to describe what happened in the Denver game vs. Chicago. The Broncos came back to win a game that anyone would have called unwin-able.

Now, I don’t believe that God really cares who wins an NFL football game. But I do believe that God honors those that honor Him—and this video reveals that Tim Tebow really does have a real relationship with Christ and a genuine compassion for others. There’s no doubt in my mind that God has given Tebow a platform to exalt Christ—and He’s only enlarging that platform for His own glory.

This clip is a collection of clips of Tebow on mic during the game. It’s amazing, convicting, and well worth watching. It’s a life-lesson on Christlikeness, leadership, and many other scriptural character traits. If every Christian had this kind of personal relationship with Christ—the world would be radically different.

Enjoy the clip!

No related posts.

Thoughts On Blogging…

caryschmidt — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:35:42 +0000

I’ll never forget the first time I heard the word “blog.” It sounded like my friend burped. And the concept sounded about as stupid. That was years ago, and—well, it is self-evident that the concept caught on, not only for me but for millions of others. We live in a day when everybody and their brother has a blog. And like every other form of media or communication—blogging has its positives and negatives in contributing to daily life on earth.

Some people blog for business reasons. Some blog for family. Some blog for gossip and criticism. Some blog for platform or personal “branding.” For better or worse, blogging is here. And here’s why and how I jumped in:

Reasons I Blog:

1. To Glorify the Lord Jesus—I desire for every single opportunity for ministry and every single word of ministry to honor the Lord Jesus. To me, social networking and blogging are purely and simply ministry opportunities.

2. To Encourage Others—I remember sitting down to think of a name for this blog and immediately thought of “Encouraging Words.” I wanted something “cooler” but came up with nothing but blanks! I am encouraged by reading the blogs of friends, so perhaps I can return the favor. It’s that simple.

3. To Pass Along Helpful Information—A lot of my friends in ministry exchange ideas and questions back and forth. It occurred to me that a blog would be a reasonable place to post such questions/thoughts that might help others in similar situations.

4. To Inform Ministry Friends of Resources—I desired a way to inform friends when our ministry is introducing a new book, curriculum, or resource.

5. To Have a Place to Share Ministry Experiences—My ministry learning curve is still HUGE, I realize that. But I still enjoy posting some learning experiences here that might help someone in ministry who is younger than me.

6. To Protect My Name Online—This is perhaps the last of all reasons, but occasionally I am slandered online. Why should I give Google results to someone who is lying about me?

7. To Grow in Writing—Sitting down to write here, on my personal time, helps me grow, think, and stretch myself. Some people golf. Others boat. Some play the stock market. Everybody has some sort of hobby or interest that helps them disconnect and restore. One of mine is writing.

8. To Communicate with Friends/Family—This was especially helpful when I was battling cancer. Being able to update people easily was a blessing.

9. To Promote Biblical Living—I figure it this way. There are lots of negative, back-biting, mean-spirited Christians online. Why should we let them dominate? For a few minutes a week, I’d like to be an encouraging online voice for those who would like to read.

10. To Promote Biblical Ministry—God still blesses the principles of His Word in ministry, and I enjoy sharing how he’s doing that at our church.

11. To Leave a Life Message Behind–This might sound simplistic, but I don’t expect to live forever. In fact, after this year, I’m just glad to still be here right now. Perhaps the things posted here can outlast me in some way for a good purpose.

NOT Reasons I Blog:

1. I don’t blog to gain a following or readership—I really have no clear strategy for building readership. That’s in God’s hands, and if you show up here on some regular basis, I am grateful!

2. I don’t blog to earn money—lots of bloggers do so for side income. That’s fine. I don’t.

3. I don’t blog to appear to be someone or something I am not—Sometimes this is a matter of the reader’s perception. But just for clarity, I am nothing and Jesus is everything.

4. I don’t blog to pass myself off as an expert—Again, this is a perception thing. There is no area of my life in which I have “arrived” or in which it’s all under control. It’s only by God’s grace that I am ever allowed a voice of any kind. Personal experiences are shared here, not in arrogance or pride, but in a spirit of transparency. I’m just a growing Christian struggling as much as the next guy trying to serve the Lord—nothing more.

5. I don’t blog to strategize my online presence or brand—I hear these terms every now and then, and for some, I guess that’s fine. But I couldn’t care less about my personal “brand”—whatever that is.

6. I don’t blog to promote self or build my own platform—this is another term I hear or see sometimes. Platform might be a great goal for someone in secular work—someone trying to build a public speaking career. For ministry, I think the best platform is “He must increase and I must decrease.”

7. I don’t blog to impress anyone—Again—a perception thing. You could read a post and think, “Who does this guy think he is?” Or you could read it and think, “Well, I’m really glad he shared those thoughts.” It’s sort of up to you, but again for clarity—I am nothing and Jesus is everything. Be impressed with HIM.

How I Blog:

1. On personal time—This is not something I do during “work hours”—my daily efforts to serve the Lord in ministry at my church. It’s a personal hobby that refreshes me and brings some purpose to (and something productive from) my “disconnected” times.

2. As an overflow of my own spiritual growth—A long time ago, God just put on my heart to share stuff He teaches me. I guess that’s a call to preach or teach. I’m not sure. I just know God compels me to transfer His truth to others in a way that makes the light-bulb go on in my own head. Teaching or preaching is a part of that. Writing is too.

3. About subjects that I face in the trenches of ministry—Someone asked me years ago, “Do you ever see yourself writing full time?” I laughed and said, “What would I write about?” It goes this way—I want to wake up, love my family, serve God, and encourage people every day. From those experience in the trenches of life and ministry, if I learn something or come across something helpful, I want to pass it on to others.

4. In a spirit of friendship, encouragement, and humility—Learning from others goes both directions. I learn from people older and younger than me. I learn from people with more experience and from those with less. Everything shared in this blog is simply offered from a heart that desires to be helpful.

5. In collaboration with daily ministry, not competition with it—I think this one speaks for itself.

6. Typically only publishing a post after I’ve re-edited it multiple times over several days or weeks.

7 . With limited time investment—frankly, I just don’t have a lot of time to do this. My target is a few minutes a week and about one post per week. Sometimes I hit that, sometimes less or more (thanks to reposts!) This is really just an overflow of baseline ministry.

So there you have it—why and how I blog—for what it’s worth.

One day at the judgement seat of Christ, lots of Christians are going to be ashamed of how they gossiped and hurt others through online communication—blogs, tweets, posts, status updates, etc. Lots of people will be embarrassed by the silliness, carnality, and human emotions that they hastily and carelessly threw online. Others will be surprised to discover how carnal and unChristlike their spirit was.

Influence is a stewardship that we should take seriously for Christ. Online and off—determine to steward your influence wisely for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ and for the edification, equipping, and encouragement of anyone gracious enough to stop and read.

A Collection of Posts on New Year Planning

caryschmidt — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:05:43 +0000

This is a repost of reposts—how’s that for loser blogging!? Over the past few years, I’ve written a number of articles about creating an annual planner for life and ministry and about personal productivity. I thought it might be helpful to re-post these (AGAIN!) with titles, summaries, and links to the original articles. The planner articles also offer a sample planner, which I will be happy to email you. Just shoot me an email and let me know you would like to have a copy. So, read on if you are looking for ideas about planning your new year!

This is a great time of year to look ahead at the next 12 months and truly seek the Lord and His guidance for what He would accomplish through you. Here are the articles that may help equip you and prepare your for God’s best in the new year:

Thoughts on Planning a New Year—This post was actually written in 2008 and shares 6 compelling reasons to plan ahead.

Contents of a New Year Planner—This post breaks down 9 things you might consider placing into a new year planner.

More on Developing a New Year Planner—This post delves a bit deeper into the thinking behind a planner and how to approach it.

Implementing Your New Year Plan—This post gives some practical thoughts on how to put your plan into practice on a daily basis once it’s created.

7 Ideas for Your Personal Planner System—This post shares some tools that you may find helpful in using your planner system. Since writing it I’ve moved from a leather binder to an iPad, which I wrote about in the post listed below.

iPad, iPhone, Apps and Ideas—This post highlights apps and ideas I’ve found helpful in implementing technology into the flow of daily life.

Three Huge Principles for Personal Productivity—This post shares three big values that I wish I had known much earlier in my ministry life.

Three More Principles for Personal Productivity—More of the same… three more big things of which I constantly need to be reminded.

Making Good Intentions Happen—This post covers the 4 biggest reasons we fail to accomplish our goals.

Making the Busiest Time of Year the Best Time of Year—if December is already getting the best of you, take a look at a few thoughts that help me and Dana keep our sanity during December.

We have just a few weeks before 2012! Hard to believe! Sometimes God radically changes our plans—but that’s an even better reason to look ahead and make sure your direction and desires are set according to God’s will! God bless your new year!

Whose Campaign is This?

caryschmidt — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:42:16 +0000

In an interview recently, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich made a statement that absolutely grabbed me. The statement requires a bit of background, so bear with me. (And the point of this post is not political—this is all leading to a more important point.)

Early in his bid for the Republical nomination, the Gingrich campaign seemed to hit bottom. News media reported that key players of his campaign staff were jumping ship quickly. Most people wrote him off. And yet, over the months, Gingrich stayed in the race and (as of this writing) continues to climb in the polls and to be considered a legitimate contender.

In reference to this moment when his campaign seemed to stall, Gingrich was talking about a fundamental difference he had with his campaign staff and key consultants. They had one type of campaign in mind and he had another. They wanted an aggressive, attack campaign made up of 30-second attack ads. He wanted a positive, solution-orientated campaign made up of 30-minute, inspiring speeches. Just one problem—he was the boss! And it finally came down to a decision to part ways. During the philosophical disagreement, he made this statement to his consultants:

“I would love to have you run MY campaign, but I’m not interested being the candidate for YOUR campaign.”

Whoa! The implications of that statement, when applied to Christian life and ministry, really struck me.

Many Christian leaders are not interested in running Christ’s “campaign”—they are more interested in using Him as the Candidate for their own campaign. The carnal church movement is doing just that. Having abandoned true Biblical discipleship—the “take up your cross” brand of Christianity, they use Christ as the poster-child for a much more man-centered, flesh-satisfying, moderate brand of Christianity. The incessant and insatiable pursuit of relevance, trendiness, and hip ministry; the never-ending thirst to “reinvent church”; the perpetual longing to “appeal” to seekers; and the unrelenting need to somehow mask the “less attractive” aspects of Christ and His ways—it all reveals a deep flaw in the foundation of this movement.

In Revelation chapters 1-3, Jesus makes it clear that He’s not interested in being the candidate for “our campaigns.” He isn’t interested in luke-warm Christianity or church-life where He is required to stand outside the door and knock. But He still calls us to run HIS campaign—to be laborers together with God and to work the work that He left us here to do, indeed, the work that He commissioned us to do. It’s His work, not ours. It’s His agenda, not ours. (Thy will, not my will.) And it should be done His way, not the way we feel is “most effective”, “most attractive”, or “most relevant” to the world. His way is already effective, attractive, and relevant—in transcendent ways—and it doesn’t need to be disguised or reinvented. It needs to be revived and obeyed!

On a more local level, the same could be said of staff members who work to support the vision of a Sr. Pastor. Are you running his “campaign”, or are you merely using him (or his flock) to facilitate your own agenda? We need a revival of team ministry—a renewal of godly leaders who are willing to unite themselves in service together towards a common vision, regardless of who gets the credit, or holds the “Sr.” position.

Time and time again I have been reminded that I’m not to be using Jesus or others as candidates for my own campaign or agenda. I would much rather be a part of something much bigger. I want to expend my life to do Christ’s work, His way—and on a human level, to support the biblical vision of a man I call “Pastor.” What a privilege to be a part of something so much more valuable and eternal than a political campaign. And what a joy to partner with other servant leaders for a cause larger than any one individual or personal agenda.

Don’t get caught up in running your own campaign and attaching Jesus to it.

Lose your life in His, and partner with others for His glory alone!

Lord, Thank you…

caryschmidt — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:09:03 +0000

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your love and for my salvation in Christ. My life and destiny would be utter, hopeless despair were it not for the cross of Jesus and your amazing grace! I thank you for redeeming me by the precious blood of Christ. Thank you for making me your child.

Thank you for your Word. It is the foundation of truth for everything that is blessed and good in my life. I have never regretted obeying it, but I have regretted not knowing it better. There is nothing better in life than opening its pages and hearing from you.

Thank you for my family. Not only did you allow me to grow up with godly and loving influences, you then blessed me with a wife and children who mean more to me than life. They convict me to become more like Jesus. Dana reminds me Jesus in her caring and loving servant’s heart. Lance reminds me of Jesus in his tenderness toward people and joyful nature. Larry reminds me of Jesus in his humor and his diligent, quiet intensity about things that are important. Haylee reminds me of Jesus in her kindness, sincerity, and desire for understanding. Thank you for allowing me to share life with them.

Thank you for my church and pastor. Thank you for a loving, growing church family led by a faithful, godly man who loves your truth and loves people. It is an awesome joy and privilege to be a part of Lancaster Baptist Church.

Thank you for cancer. One year ago today, chemo treatments had begun and life was quite uncomfortable and uncertain. Thank you for the unspeakable experience of walking with you through a deep valley, and for all the treasures of darkness found there. Thank you for allowing a trial to shape me in ways that nothing else could have.

Thank you for health. Today, cancer is in remission and health has returned. In both circumstances, You are GOOD—but I am grateful for the gift of more time to live for you. Only give me wisdom to use what’s left of my life to honor you. Thank you for a body that’s getting stronger, lungs that are healing, and energy with which to obey my calling.

Thank you for my calling. There is no greater joy than to help others understand your truth and walk in it—and then to see you bless them for it. As unworthy as I am, thank you for allowing me to teach the Word of God and serve Jesus with my life.

Thank you for meeting my needs (and wants.) You are exceedingly good, and you have sustained me every day in large and small ways. You have never left me needy or let me down in any way. I do not deserve the things you have blessed me with—both spiritually and physically—but I am grateful, and I desire to be a good steward.

Thank you for godly friends. You have filled my life with cherished relationships—a bit of Heaven on Earth. They serve with me, pray with me, encourage me, and sharpen me. They are spread out around the world, and in many cases, we don’t see each other very often—but they are blessed gifts from you that invest into my life in significant ways. I am grateful for each and every one, and I look forward to spending eternity together with them, thanking you!

Thank you for new life. It’s still awesome to see an unsaved soul choose to trust Christ as Saviour, and then to see the spiritual transformation that the Holy Spirit brings into a new heart. Thank you for allowing me to be a laborer together with you.

Thank you for the subtle stuff. Like an artistic, colorfully-woven tapestry, our lives are enmeshed in less conspicuous blessings that continually flow from your hand—things that we may hurry by and forget to notice. The color of autumn leaves, the sound of rain drops, the embrace of a loved one, the encouraging text message from a friend, the answered bed-time prayer, the quiet afternoon of reading, the music that lifts our lives toward you, the taste of our favorite foods, the millions of modern comforts and conveniences we experience every day, and the fellowship and delight that will garnish millions of Thanksgiving dinner tables today. What an artist you are to so graciously and marvelously create and weave all of this together for us to enjoy.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. A million times a million—Thank you.

“Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” Psalms 106:1

End Note: Dear Reader—Thank you. God’s Word says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord, say so.” (Ps. 107:2) This Thanksgiving, I just wanted to sit down and write my prayer. To share it with you is just one way of obeying God.

But I do want to say thank you for stopping by this blog—whether this one time, or on a regular basis. I may or may not know you, but I’m grateful that you would allow me to have a moment of your time to direct your thoughts toward the Lord, or toward something that He’s been teaching me lately. I pray that, when you come to this blog, I am a good steward of your time.

And for those who come regularly, and then share a post with others—thank you for passing a long something that might encourage others. I am grateful that you would allow me to speak into your life and the lives of those you love.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

For Past Thanksgiving Posts:

Reasons I’m Thankful for Cancer

A Funny Reminder for Thanksgiving

Learning to Laugh with Each Other

Christmas is a Gift—Dr. Chappell’s New Book

caryschmidt — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:32:03 +0000

This week, Striving Together Publications introduced a new, hardback, full-color, mini-book from Dr. Paul Chappell. Christmas is a Gift—Unwrap the Significance of the Season is just over 130 pages, and is filled with encouraging insights from the Christmas story, as well as a clear salvation message. It makes a perfect gift for a Christian friend or a tool for sharing the gospel with someone that is lost. The book is available now, and significant quantity discounts are available.

To find out more about Christmas is a Gift, or to order a copy today, visit www.strivingtogether.com!

We pray that this resource will help you encourage others and share the gospel this Christmas!

When We’re Too Busy

caryschmidt — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:30:15 +0000

Life is busy. Honestly, in a given week or day, there is more stuff flowing at us (in the form of information and opportunities) than we can possibly comprehend, much less accept. Doing the right things in life means saying “no” to a lot more than you could ever say “yes” to. The challenge of the 21st century is saying “yes” to the right things, and accepting the built in limitations of the human condition. We just can’t do it all—though we often wish we could.

I’ve noticed something. Busyness is like a snowball. It’s size and magnitude grows simply by the motion of life, and it sort of sneaks up on you. We don’t realize we’re TOO busy until something starts to breakdown—and even then, we don’t always connect the symptoms with the real cause. For instance, fractured and stressed relationships sometimes have nothing to do with the heart or intent of the individuals, and everything to do with their schedules or level of fatigue.

Most everybody I know has a tendency to become too busy over time. And busyness is cyclical and seasonal—once you get everything back in balance, it seems it’s only a matter of time before your calendar is filled once again. Bad stuff happens when we get too busy and over-extended. Here’s a short list:

Our Walk with God Diminishes—it’s easy to negotiate this way— “I’m so busy doing things for God, that He will just have to understand why I don’t have much time to be with Him.” Somehow, I don’t think He’s holding a gun to our head either way. Yes, He desires that we serve Him with our lives. But He also desires that we walk with Him personally. Being too busy too walk with God is like poking a hole in your gas tank—you’re journey will be MUCH shorter for certain!

Our Physical Fatigue Increases—I know—DUH! Yet, I love the quote from Vince Lombardi: ““I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious” In fact, for a long time I had that quote hanging on my office wall. But I also love another quote from Lombardi: “Fatigue makes cowards of us all!” Funny that these both came from the same man, and they usually happen in that order! Sure—exhaust yourself in a good cause, but then catch up, rest, and restore. Don’t live in an extended state of fatigue unless you want to make some really bad decisions and have some very damaged relationships.

Our Relationships are Stretched—I really believe that the vast majority of marital/family stress and distress that Dana and I have ever experienced was more related to our schedules and fatigue than anything else. Now, before you get too “Utopian” on me—some stretching is simply unavoidable and even necessary—growth oriented. A young family, a growing ministry, and the regular pressures of a normal life bring with it a tension that stretches a marriage and forces needful growth on many levels. These are good things. Hard things, yes, but still very good and needful for long term strength and blessing.

But there is a line that can be crossed, and being TOO busy for TOO long only increases family frustration and emotional edginess exponentially. And it’s not only family relationships that are impacted. Co-laborers, friends, and ministry relationships can be hurt too. It’s simple. Being too busy means I’m mentally and emotionally “on thin ice”—edgy, tense, and stretched to my limits. It’s hard to have compassion, patience, and sensitivity towards people when my own emotional and spiritual “condition” is so fragile. Everybody pays when I’m too busy—especially those closest to me.

Our Health Suffers—When nearing the end of chemo, I asked my doctor what he would recommend I change about my life regarding the possible recurrence of cancer. While he couldn’t give me a “cause” or a “prevention,” he did say, “This cancer is an immune system illness. So do whatever it takes not to stress out your immune system. Eat well, rest properly, and recover when you’re sick.” Cancer taught me a lot, but one HUGE lesson was that I’m expendable in pretty much every area of my life, except to my wife and kids. The ministry doesn’t need me—I need the ministry. God’s work went along just perfectly without me. (Bummer.) Honestly, that wasn’t news, but it was a very real reminder that serving God is a privilege.

The other day my wife was asking me to “hurry” for some reason. I looked at her and jokingly said, “You’re stressing out my lymph nodes.” We both laughed. Simply put, nothing is more restorative to your health and productivity than rest, and nothing will enable you to have a long and fruitful family life and ministry more than being healthy—well rested and able to function optimally. It is possible to push yourself to a point where, for short-term gain, you ultimately cheat your family and ministry of long-term contribution.

Our Long-Term Viability is Threatened—We’ve all heard too many stories of people, who in short-term, low moments—moments of temptation, depletion, fatigue, or spiritual fog—made decisions that wrecked their family and ministry for the long term. Call it burn out, call it mid-life crisis, call is depression—there are a thousand causes and a thousand terms to describe or define conditions that bring us to poor decision-making. Over extending my life to get ahead for the short-term only threatens my effectiveness for the long-term. Some refer to this as “sustainable pace.” In other words, knowing that I must possibly faithfully run this race for forty more years, I’d better set a pace that will keep me running that long. You’ve heard it before—the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re sprinting, you are not setting a sustainable pace, and it will eventually catch up with you—unless you are Superman. You are trading your long-term viability for short-term gain. Bad trade.

In my experience in life and ministry, the things worth doing take time—a lot of time—in other words, patience. Pushing myself to “get it all done now” is a dead end—there’s always more to do, and what was done “faster” wasn’t usually done well. Doing less and doing it well requires patience and persistence. Someone working more and faster than you may get more done this week, but working with sustainable pace will accomplish much more over time. It’s like the difference between a sparkler and a slow, deep-burning bed of coals. One is more impressive, but the other burns hotter for a lot longer.

Being too busy tends to feeds pride and ego—it feels valuable. Being rushed and in a constant state of urgency can be validating in our search for significance.

Being balanced feeds your heart for God, helps you nurture healthy relationships, and makes you stronger and more effective on every level of life.

Being too busy, you may get more done this week and people may applaud you for it. But being balanced, you will get more done in your life time, and God will applaud you for it.

Funny thing is—what I’ve said in 1,200 words, God said seventeen— “Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” (Ecc. 4:6)

Now it’s your turn to choose. How will you live this year—busy or balanced?