Simply Thoughts

11-11-11

M.Celita Lewis — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:58:10 GMT

Why #11 Means So Much To Me

You ever just take a little bit of time to look back over your life and see that God has consistently had your back and has consistently shown you in His own special way? Well, that’s #11 in my life.

Being a November baby it was only natural that I would gravitate towards the month and the number. I mean that’s just out of any normal person’s typical loyalty to their birthday month...but being born in November was only the beginning.

To the best of my ability I will try not to make this come off like some numerology kick. Meaning, I do not look to any number to define my life or define my religion or define my beliefs in some weird, spooky, what-you-talkin-bout-Willis kind of way. BUT...numbers have always been important to God (just sayin’ there’s a whole book in the Bible called Numbers) and appropriately always important to me but...

11 is a Little Different

#11 is not about the actual #11 at all. It is more so a symbol, a little thing that me and God have. It is our “wink”, our “I see you”, our “Dap-POW”, our “I know your name”, our “Secret handshake”.

My mother told me a story that when she was just a child she witnessed a hit and run outside of her house. As she saw the man laying there dead in the street and was clearly scared to death....she saw a butterfly. The most beautiful butterfly flew past her and she felt a peace come about her and she felt like God was saying “I got you” and “Everything is going to be okay”. Ever since then, every time my mom saw the butterfly she was reminded of God and His “wink” towards her and His peace. Growing up, you knew you were hitting a home run with my Mom if you got her something with a butterfly on it or in it, or if you drew it, or whatever. Below is a painting I made for her not too long ago....you know she loved it. Alas, she has the butterfly and I have 11.

Now back to me...So not to bore you with a whole bunch of words, I’ll just give you the list of what I have noted so far. It’s amazing when you can take note of something AS it’s happening, and not only in hindsight. Hindsight suggest that you missed it as it was going down...Father give me NOW-sight!

The List (Not all inclusive, just some of the more significant items)

Born in November (11)...
Received Christ as my Savior in November (11) at the age of 11 years old...
My mother was the 7th born in her family - if you start with the “known” cousins (You know exactly why I said that) that were born after her I was the 11th born in the family (Uncle E-1, Aunt C-2, Uncle J-3, Aunt J-4, Aunt D-5, Aunt V-6, Mom-7, Cousin T-8, Cousin U-9, Cousin R-10, ME-11)
When I received a basketball scholarship to college the article about it was featured in the news paper on page 11c
When I got accepted to Spelman College, only after arriving did I learn that the school was founded on April 11, with 11 students, and 11 Bibles
The church I joined while in school had a foundational scripture of Jeremiah 29:11
The communion scripture, which is also my birthday is 11:23-26 (1Corinthians)
When I was promoted at work I was sent to Tech training in November (11)
I was on a magical date on 1/11/11 of this year that parlayed itself in a magical relationship...
UPDATE: When I was in college Theresa Weatherspoon, #11 of the New York Liberty, came to do a basketball workshop. I got to play her one-on-one (she beat my tail) and she told me how she got 11 cornrows braided in her hair...

It will be the room number of the hotel I have to stay in for some special conference...

It will be my number in line for a leadership training when I’m asked to count off...

It will be 11th day of the month for some fun event or surprise or awesomeness...

It.Never.Fails.

Big or small, I just want God and the world to know, I see it AS it is happening. I appreciate Him for giving me OUR special thing.

Do you and God have a special thing? Do you have a special number for whatever reason? I would love to hear about it.

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Great 11-11-11 Blog by @milanford
http://milanford.com/back-to-one/

Another great 11-11-11 Blog by @mashable
http://mashable.com/2011/11/10/111111/

Musical tribute to 11-11-11 by @GuyKawasaki
http://holykaw.alltop.com/ode-to-11-11-11-video?tu4=1

Love

M.Celita Lewis — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 09:31:00 GMT

I’ve been thinking...never give yourself an excuse not to love...

I have given myself many...

Sometimes my excuse was...

...protocol (I just can’t bend the rules)

...common sense (I think you’re lying to me)

...religion (God does not like the way you live)

...safety (you could hurt me if you wanted)

...or whatever.

I have allowed myself plenty of reasons not to show or demonstrate love...and in those moments, it was probably when it was needed most.

...why I did not give this particular beggar any money.

...why I did not let you use my personal property...I mean, it’s expensive.

...why I ignored the ways in which I am empowered to produce change.

I turned off my heart.

I can think of specific incidences where I purposely turned off my heart, my felt emotions, in order to do the “logical” thing...

...in order to make sure I did not look like a fool

...in order to make sure I did not have to defend my actions

...in order to make sure I gave the “right” answer

Foolishness.

When it matters the most...love.

When it hurts the worst...love.

When it is the most embarrassing...love.

When both you and the other person know “you’re doing too much”...do it anyway...love.

When they are the least deserving (how do we determine that anyway)....and the least appreciative...love.

...

I could use this space to insert a lot of scriptures, but for some reason I don’t think that will be necessary.

...

Salt & Sugar (Free write)

M.Celita Lewis — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 04:54:00 GMT

This is not to be read into any more than what is presented in the poem. I had a thought and had to explore it fully...so far, this is what I've come up with....I'm still thinking....

"Broken" Songs

M.Celita Lewis — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 04:54:00 GMT

You know...like a good "break-up" song...

So I've been listening to Tye's "When the rocks hit the ground" song on repeat, but something about it is not connecting for me...

I really, really, really wanted it to connect. I even added it to my special "Today" playlist where I add all my songs that I am really feeling for "....as long as it is called Today". It is in heavy rotation, on repeat. I've been singing along with it, reciting the words, but...it is not connecting with me. I love the musicality in it, I love the way the song builds and the piano plays, but....but.....something about it....

I guess I wanted it to be one of those "Broken" songs. One of those songs that you write when you have been through something really difficult. When that difficult thing was probably the result of poor decision making. Or when life has just thrown so many unexpected twists or turns that, out of frustration, retaliation comes out in ways we later regret. You know...those "broken" songs when you know that a person has been truly dealt with by God, inwardly. Like, when you were a child and you did something wrong and your mother didn't even have to chastise you, did not have to say a word, because you were already so disappointed in yourself that your own emotions where your own punishment. A "broken" song...when you come to God already crying, begging, pleading, or at-the-end-of-your-rope and you are admitting it.

I so wanted his song to be a "broken" song, but after several listens on repeat...alas, I have decided that it is not. A "broken" song is where one owns the brokenness and it pours out in the words in the music. The music of his song communicated brokenness, but some of the lyrics communicated otherwise. A "broken" song does not say, "please excuse me, because God already has". A "broken" song does not focus on "enemies" that try to highlight our sin. When I hear the line "I thank God for my enemies", it seems to come off like one of those hip hop songs on the radio today about "haters" or "shade".

I understand that we are under grace, that we are accepted by God even when we are rejected by man. I understand that we are accepted by God, not condemned, when we are at our worst. However, I want to hear your brokenness in your music. I want to hear your brokenness in your sermon. I want to hear your brokenness in your art. What was that broken point BEFORE you came into grace and were restored? That's what I wanted to hear.

It wasn't a broken song and I wanted it to be. Perhaps, he intentionally did not want it to be that "kind" of song, and that's fine, but it just reminded me of some good "broken" songs that I have come across over the years.

It is not that I desire us to wallow in despair, I just appreciate when an artist owns and displays their own brokenness and allows themselves to be naked and vulnerable even as they are still working it out with God. You know...like a good "break-up" song...

Staccie Orrico wrote a good "broken" song: Strong Enough

Fred Hammond wrote a good "broken" song: Find A Way

Change

M.Celita Lewis — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:23:00 GMT

Change

I loathe change....if I could avoid it at all costs I would...I'm not sure I can even adequately describe to you just how much I desire everything to be the same....the below video is my best effort....

I do not own that song.

Song: Beautiful Things

Artist: Gungor

Change from 11locs on Vimeo.

Angry Birds: The Power of Possibility

M.Celita Lewis — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:38:00 GMT

Angry Birds: The Power of Possibility

Okay, before you tune out, I promise you this is going somewhere. Have you ever played the game Angry Birds? It is this great little game designed for the iPod Touch, iPhone platform. It is amazing! It is time-wastingly (made up word) addictive! It is challenging!

Upon first playing the game, the concept seems simple enough. Take a bird, sling shot that bird onto the makeshift home that the pigs have built, try to kill all the pigs. As you advance in stages you unlock more and more different kinds of birds. You’ve got exploding birds, boomerang birds, rocket-speed birds, etc...

If you go straight through and simply seek to beat all the levels, then with time you will most definitely be able to do that. You will beat all the levels (about 160 of them literally), you will beat the game, you will see the ending credits. But....but......there is more to it than that.

See this screen:

Notice how each stage on this screen is represented by a number of stars. Some have 1, some have 2, some have 3. The stars represent the degree to which I beat that stage. If the stage has only 1 star then that means I just barely made it. I killed all the pigs, but I had to use all the birds to do it, and Ieft a lot of their structure still standing when I did it. I completed the task but at the lowest possible level. 2 stars means I completed the task, and maybe I did it without needing to use all the birds, but still left something behind that needed to be destroyed. If I got 3 stars on a stage then that means I beat the stage in the highest possible way. I killed every pig, I totally destroyed their home, I didn’t use all my birds to do it, I got within the range of the highest possible score I could achieve.

Now that I have beaten the game I am desperately trying to beat every stage at a 3-star level. Without exposing myself too much, let’s just say that a great deal of time is given over to trying to accomplish this. As I play, sometimes I will beat a level, I will not use all my birds, it will seem that I have destroyed everything but ultimately the game still ranks me with just 2 stars. What gives!?!? In my mind, I cannot possibly see how I could have demolished that stage any more that I already did. With my eyes, I could not possibly see, in any way, how there is anything more I can do in order to gain a higher score and the coveted 3 stars. It seems impossible!

But I know, just because of the history of game, just because I can see other stages where 3 stars was accomplished when I thought that it could not be, that it is in fact possible. It is the power of this possibility that keeps me coming back. Because I know that it is POSSIBLE I keep trying. Even when I fail, time and time and time again, I keep trying because there is a track record of higher scores than mine that are telling me “you can do better”, “you can score higher”, “you can be victorious on another level”.

The POWER OF POSSIBILITY is vast, grand, amazing, overwhelmingly effective.

God began speaking within the foolishness of mobile gaming.

Because I know it is possible - it keeps me going. The moment I don’t know or believe something is possible, my hope, my drive, my desire to keep going dies. Because I know it is possible - I have no problem putting in the time. Because I know it is possible - I am optimistic about giving it another try...even if I fail.

Possibility possesses a crazy, crazy, mysterious power.

What have you come to believe is no longer possible? How has this effected your life?

This power applies to little things:

Once I realized that solving this puzzle was possible, not just for the genius or for the math wizard, but for anyone, I was compelled to learn how to do it...and I did.

This power applies to major things:

My own testimony is one that speaks of being freed from the results of child hood abuse. Free from sexual addictions, from gender identity issues, from comparing myself to other people. Sometimes I still struggle. Sometimes I still fail...miserably. But I will never give up, I will never faint, because I know that success, victory is possible. The power of possibility compels me to press on. This is called hope. It’s an amazing little thing that produces massive results.

What are your mountains? Has God shown that He has the ability to overcome that mountain in your life or in the life of someone you know? If so, now you know it is possible. Allow the power of that possibility to push you forward, just one more time....

Read About It:

 Philippians 4:13

Mark 9:23  

1Corinthians 10:13

2 Timothy 1:7

Radical Preaching: Andy Stanley

M.Celita Lewis — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:24:00 GMT

See Radical Devotion Part 1: Rick Warren

See Radical Devotion Part 2: Perry Noble

See Radical Preaching Part 1: Rick Warren

RADICAL PREACHING

Key Points & Quotes

Speaker: Pastor Andy Stanley

Date: 2-9-2010

Radicalis-Session 2

One-liners from Andy during talk:

· If we’re not careful, our approach to preaching trumps our goal to preaching

· 18-35 year olds in this country have abandoned church

· Approach is everything – if the approach is wrong, we drive people away

· Andy’s goal when preaching - “Have people live their lives as if God is with them”

· Everything that is memorable is portable

· Our goal much shape our approach

· First Question: What is your goal? Second Question: What’s your approach?

Andy’s approach when preaching – Lure them into the scripture, rub their noses in it, take one sticky statement, jam that statement in their hearts, send them out to do something about it

5 Questions Andy asks Every Single Week:

1) Who is about (long pause), really?

a. Has to be about them, not me

b. Concern for the audience must overwhelm my concern for me

c. Prepare so well when preaching that I don’t have to worry about me

d. Going over time when you preach

i. Is because you were unprepared

ii. Is about you not them

iii. Is selfish

iv. Stresses out the rest of the “body of Christ” (volunteers with children, volunteers in the parking lot, those trying to prepare or attend the next service, etc…)

2) What’s my burden?

a. What’s the one thing that I’ve come to deliver – that I MUST say

i. Dig until you find it

ii. Build everything else around it

iii. Make it stick

b. Be able to put the whole message in a sentence – what’s the main thing?

c. Examples of “main thing” message sentences

i. To understand why, submit and apply

ii. Purity paints the way to intimacy

iii. My irresponsibility become’s someone’s else’s responsibility

iv. Pay attention to a-tension

v. You are the only legitimate source of intimacy for your spouse

vi. The decision you make in your garden will effect the rest of your life (My message “main thing” when I preached my first sermon)

3) Where is the tension?

a. What’s the problem? What are we trying to solve?

b. What’s the question this message answers?

c. What is the tension this message resolves?

d. What is the mystery this message solves?

e. What is the issue this message addresses?

4) Do I own this?

a. Have I internalized this message?

b. How hard is it going to be to preach this?

c. If I don’t own it, my audience is going to know

d. The key is to memorize pieces not points

i. There should only be ONE POINT

e. If you can think through the pieces you don’t need notes

f. Moves and stories go by quick – sermons take forever!

5) Am I allowing the text to speak?

a. Bring the energy to the text – don’t use all your energy telling the story

b. Need to uncover the energy in the text

c. Don’t economize the Bible – if I do that I forfeit the Word and I haven’t properly prepared

i. This means don’t spend so much time talking about other areas that there is no time left to explore the text properly

Radical Preaching: Rick Warren

M.Celita Lewis — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:43:00 GMT

See Radical Devotion Part 1: Rick Warren

See Radical Devotion Part 2: Perry Noble

RADICAL PREACHING

Key Points & Quotes

Speaker: Pastor Rick Warren

Date: 2-9-2010

Radicalis-Session 2

“My word will not return void” Isaiah 55:11

1) The BASIS for radical preaching is The Great Commission.

A Great Commitment

to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission

will grow a Great Church

Matt. 28:19-20 ¹⁹ Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,^[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

2) The GOAL of radical preaching is Obedience.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable

For doctrine

For reproof

For correction

For instruction in righteousness

THAT the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”

2 Tim. 3:16-17

3) The RESULT of radical preaching is A Serving Disciple.

“(Christ) gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people FOR WORKS OF SERVICE” – Ministry

So that the BODY OF CHRIST MAY BE BUILT UP – Membership

Until we all reach unity in the faith (Missions) and in knowledge of the Son of God and BECOME MATURE (Maturity), attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!” - Magnification

Eph. 4:11-13

· Jesus always expected people to Do Something as a result of his preaching.

“No that you know these things, you will be blessed if you DO them.” John 13:17

“Jesus told him, ‘Go and DO likewise.’” Luke 10:37

“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into PRACTICE is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Matt. 7:26

“It is by our actions that we know we are living in the truth” 1 John 3:19

“Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives.” Matt. 3:8

· We only believe the parts of the Bible we DO.

TEN THINGS I’VE ELARNED ABOUT PREACHING FOR LIFE-CHANGE

1) All behavior is based on a belief.

a. “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Prov. 4:23 (TEV)

b. What we believe effects how we behave

c. Ask myself: Why do I do this? I believe something behind the action

2) Behind every sin is a lie that I’m believing.

a. Go deeper than the action.

b. “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.” Titus 3:3

3) Change always starts in the mind.

a. Think -> Feel -> Act

b. “Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Rom 12:2

4) To help people change, we must first change their beliefs.

a. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

b. Get them to question the lie – what’s the lie behind…______________?

5) Trying to change people’s behavior without changing their beliefs is a waste of time.

a. “What people say with their mouths comes from the way they thing; and these are the things that make people unclean.” Matt. 15:18

b. Will power does not work. We must change the autopilot (our belief systems, convictions, values)

c. Pastors have to preach mind-changing type of messages

d. Not hard to obey when your mind is renewed but its IMPOSSIBLE to obey when your mind isn’t renewed

6) The Bible term for “Change your mind” is Repentance!

a. Paradigm Shift = Repentance

b. Metanoia = to change your mind = reverse mind

c. Not a sin to have an attraction, but it is a sin to follow that attraction (gay, straight, whatever)

d. Repentance = changing the way I think about something, but accepting the way God thinks about the same thing

e. “I will teach you to respect me completely, and I will put a new way of thinking inside of you. I will take out the stubborn hearts of stone from your bodies, and I will give you obedient hearts of flesh.” Ezekial 36:26

7) You don’t change people’s minds, the applied Word of God does.

a. “We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.” 1 Cor. 2:13b

b. Make the word personal, practical, possible, provable

c. In real preaching, God is at work within the speaker

d. “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” Zech 4:6

8) Changing the way I act is the fruit.

a. “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” Matt. 3:8

b. Repentance is NOT changing my actions. Repentance is changing the way I THINK.

c. It’s shallow to preach doctrine without applying it to life change – the sins of the people

9) The deepest preaching is preaching for repentance.

a. Repentance is the central message of New Testament preachers.

b. John-B “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matt. 3:2

c. Jesus “Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

d. The 70 “They went out and preach that people should repent” Mark 6:12

e. Peter “Repent and be baptized, every one of you…” Acts 2:38

f. Paul “I preach that they should repent…” Acts 26:20b

g. John “Repent!” Rev. 2-3

10) To product lasting life-change you must enlighten the mind, engage the emotions, and challenge the will.

a. Every message comes down to 2 words: Will you?

b. “Where there is no word from God, people are uncontrolled…” Prov. 29:18 (NCV)

c. Great preaching tasks Risk and Humility

d. A good church with good preaching will do ALL THREE of these things. So often a church will only focus on one.

i. Edify – build them up

ii. Educate – fire up

iii. Comfort – hold up

Radical Devotion - Perry Noble

M.Celita Lewis — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:24:00 GMT

To see Part 1 - Rick Warren's take on Radical Devotion, go HERE.

RADICAL DEVOTION: Part 2

Key Points & Quotes

Speaker: Pastor Perry Noble

Date: 2-9-2010

Radicalis-Session 1

Foundational Scripture: Acts 26:12-18

¹² “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. ¹³ About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will’

¹⁵ “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶ Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. ¹⁷ And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles ¹⁸ to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

1) Radical devotion begins with an accurate view of Jesus (vs. 15)

a. We wouldn’t speak to Jesus like we do if we truly understood who He is

b. Before we can discover what God wants, we need to know who He is

c. We don’t have a “stuffing” problem, we have a Jesus problem

d. If we truly understood who Jesus was, we would treat everyone in such a way that they can see they are interacting with Him. He said “no matter where we eat, my server has a SOUL – so tip well!”

2) Radical devotion calls us to action (vs. 16)

a. When the alarm (any alarm - house, car, internal, etc…) goes off, we can’t pretend it’s not going off! We can’t pray it away! We must act.

b. If it is God’s will, it’s God’s bill – let’s stop telling God what He can’t do

c. Vision calls us to action – sometimes that action is uncomfortable

d. Let’s seek comfort LESS and Christ MORE

e. Don’t worry about closing the back door of the church. If people aren’t leaving then we aren’t leading

3) Radical devotion will impact me personally

a. There are very few pastors who are willing to fight for their flock because it produces too much personal cost

b. Jesus basically said to Paul – you’re going to witness for me, serve me, and it’s going to hurt

c. Vision – got to see it – got to feel it – lead out of revelation and not imitation

d. Radical devotion impacts us personally and it does cost but we will NEVER pay the price that Jesus paid – so it doesn’t cost enough to quit

4) Radical devotion will lead to the supernatural (vs. 17-18)

a. Jesus is supernatural! He told Paul that he would

i. Deliver him from his people

ii. Open their eyes

iii. Turn darkness to light

iv. Have them receive forgiveness

v. And be sanctified by faith

b. Don’t create a strategy – beg God for intervention

c. What politicians talk about will one day fade – what Pastors talk about will never fade