What makes us creative people? What is the element that allows us innovate and do something in a brand new way?

I was considering this question a few days ago and came up with this answer:

The ability to imagine and perceive things from a different vantage point.

A couple simple examples:

What does music look like?

What does the color red sound like?

What does light feel like?

Each one of these questions forces us to think on a different vantage point.

By shifting the way we see something, we can address old challenges in new ways.

Because we can’t find new paths by thinking old thoughts.

“I don’t sing because I am happy. I am happy because I sing.”
-anonymous

Sometimes the first step on the pathway to breakthrough is looking at the world with the right perspective. In moments of challenge this can be especially difficult. Rainy days test the quality of our voice, while threatening to drown out our song.

But we do have a choice.

We can choose to be silent, waiting for a sunnier day to sing our song; or we can keep singing in spite of the rain.

So the question is:

Will the rain change how we sing, our will our singing change we the way we see the rain?

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
-Michelangelo

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
-James 4:14

We assume a lot of things. We assume that we will get another chance, get a better opportunity, get another tomorrow.

But we only get one chance to live, tomorrow is not promised, and our best opportunity might be staring us in the face right now.

I only get one chance at life, so I had better live one that matters.

I don’t know if tommorrow is coming, so I must live a meaningful today.

I don’t know if this is my last opportunity to make a difference, so I will seize this moment with all my strength.

I only get one shot on this journey called life.

I better make the most of it.

‘Lights, Camera, Action!’ is a phrase made famous by film directors prior to shooting a scene for a movie or television show. This week, on a real world set, with lights on and cameras rolling, strange action was taking place.

On Monday, Reality TV stars Jon and Kate Gosselin of ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8′ announced their divorce after 10 years of marriage. Initial reports said that they had been living seperately for 2 years while filming their show with their 8 children on the TLC network.

Ironically, a series based on healthy family, parenting, and marriage became (or some could say was) a farce. Jon and Kate became engaging characters in a studio production, taking on complicated roles to impersonate themselves.

Reality stopped being reality.

Now it is really easy to criticize and pile on Jon and Kate for a variety of reasons. But in our haste criticize them, we forget about the folks that we need to most concerned about:

Ourselves.

Because it doesn’t require TV cameras, paparazzi, and a large cable company to become an actor or actress. We can do it for far less and for a much smaller audience.

Whenever HOW WE ARE PERCEIVED is of greater importance than WHO WE ARE, we have made the switch from Person to Impersonator. We might as well shout, “Lights, Camera, Action!” to the mirror every morning as we start the day.

Life has then become a live action show produced for the approval of an indifferent audience.

But when WHO WE TRULY ARE becomes our focus, we can fully become WHO GOD HAS DESTINED US TO BE.

A shoe factory sends two marketing scouts to a region of the world to study the prospects of expanding the business. One sends a text message back saying:

AMAZING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY! THEY HAVE NO SHOES!

What message would you send? One of optimism and hope? Or one of pessimism and failure?

How we see things can make all the difference.

Links from Spoken Word written by Kyle Gattison and Special Message on Father’s Day about God’s inheritance and legacy. Click here.

“Is the life I am living the life that wants to live in me?”
-Parker Palmer

Question: Are you living the life that you were created to live?

And if not, what are you going to do about it?

Today is the birthday of Tiffany Latrease Newman. I won’t tell you how old she is. But I can tell you this: I love her more than ever and she is better, stronger, prettier, smarter, sexier (can I say that on here?), wiser and more amazing than ever.

Just keeps getting better and better with time.

I still can’t believe that she is with me.

What a lady.

Check our new Renaissance Church website at Renchurch.tv

Let me know what you think.

God has an Appointment Book with our name on it. Everyday there are special appointments that He has for us.

The question is whether we are going to be late, on time, or a no show. But the trickiest thing about God appointments are the fact that we very rarely know they are on the schedule until the moment comes.

Last night I got a call from someone that I met at an event last year on Raina’s Kindergaten Pumpkin Patch trip.

I struck up an engaging conversation with this person about God, the church, our purpose, and a ton of other things. He asked for my number and promised to connect with me in the future. He went on to say that he wanted to be a guest at our church. I immediately started praying for he and his family and for God to move in his life. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months.

He never called and never came.

But I didn’t stop praying.

I would see him every once in awhile, picking up his son or while I was out on a run. He would again tell me he would call and come connect with us on a Sunday.

More time passed.

But he never called and never came.

I kept praying and didn’t stop. I would tell him every time I would see him when he struck up conversation with me, “I am praying for you my friend! I am asking God to be with you and bless your family!”

And I wasn’t just saying that to be polite. I was saying it because it was true. I was really praying. On a regular basis.

He would always thank me for the thoughts and prayers.

Well guess what?

Last night, he called.

It was late, and I was a little tired.

I had a long day and was trying to relax.

But I was on a schedule, though I wasn’t aware of it immediately.

It was time for my God Appointment.

Even though it wasn’t ‘convenient’ according to my time frame, I was perfectly in sync with God’s Appointment Book.

I called back.

We talked for almost an hour.

He asked questions, requested prayer, and shared his heart in the most honest way.

It was amazing.

A complete God moment.

And I almost missed it because I was looking in the wrong Appointment Book.

God has an Appointment for you today.

Will you be ready?

Latest message from series ‘The Rock’ on passion, what is important, and how to make our lives.

Click here.