Semper Vita

An announcement from Semper Vita:

Happy New Year - 2010!

Semper Vita wishes everyone a Happy New Year!

May 2010 be your best year yet.

Merry Christmas from Semper Vita!

 ⁶For to us a child is born,
       to us a son is given,
       and the government will be on his shoulders.
       And he will be called
       Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 ⁷Of the increase of his government and peace
       there will be no end.
       He will reign on David's throne
       and over his kingdom,
       establishing and upholding it
       with justice and righteousness
       from that time on and forever.
       The zeal of the LORD Almighty
       will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:6,7

Merry Christmas!

We wish you peace and joy this Christmas! It's been an adventurous, busy and tumultuous year for all of us at Semper Vita. Overall, it has been good! How about you? Was your year exciting, tumultuous, busy, good or a combination of these? Whatever it was, we hope you've had a great year!

Peace on Earth

As we celebrate Christmas, we wish you joy and peace. Jesus came to give us life, hope and peace. He is the Prince of Peace. May you experience His peace, joy, love and presence this season and throughout the coming year.

The entire Semper Vita team wishes you a very Merry Christmas!

Do Good Live Right

"God did not call us to be impure but to live a holy life."  1 Thessalonians 4:7

It's my life...

That's what people all around us seem to say. It's my life and I can do whatever I want...

• as long as it doesn't hurt anybody
• as long as I don't get caught
• because I have wealth, fame or power
• because I'm an adult
• because...

But is it true?

We do all get to make choices. And, all of us just get one life to live. Since it is my life, I want to do good and live my life right. But, what is living right?

I believe that God wants us to live in such a way that we stand out. Not based on bad or flamboyant behavior but rather on an honorable and holy life. He calls us to live holy. His kind of holy isn't "holier than thou" or hypocritical - nope that would just be bad behavior.

Live holy

What does this kind of holy look like? It stands out because it's set apart - not separate from people but set apart to God. Set apart to God means doing and living as he directs. So what does God say about how to do good and live right?

The Apostle Paul interprets it for us. He writes to the Thessalonians that this type of life means not being given to lust, jealousy, fits of rage, slander, greed or sexual immorality.  It keeps from wronging others or taking advantage of them. It's a pure life without being judgmental or exclusive. 

Sounds phony?

It's easy to assume that the only way to get there is to fake it. After all, who can keep from doing all those things? It seems that daily, we're bombarded with news about leaders and celebrities failing publicly at these very things. Tiger Woods is just the latest example. Is it really possible to live a holy life?

Be real

Well, luckily it's not about being perfect - or pretending to be perfect - but rather intentionally living for God and putting him first.  Doing good and living right requires us to be real - with God, with ourselves and with others. We can only live a holy life when it flows out of our relationship with him. That's when we are changed and will live a life that pleases God.

The final remarks are sobering:

"He who rejects this instruction - to live holy - does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit."

1 Thessalonians 4:8

Thankful for Hope

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Hebrews 11:1

Giving thanks for the good things

Let me start out by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! May this day be filled with gratitude for what God has done in us and for us.

Though this year has been filled with challenges, tests of faith and difficult times for me and my family, there have been so many good things that I am thankful for:

• Great friends - you really get to know who your friends are during the hard times. I am so blessed with awesome friends who have supported us and prayed for us. Their prayers have lifted us up and carried us through the hardest of times. "Thank you dear friends...and please keep praying!"
• Wonderful family - while you can choose your friends and not your family, I wouldn't have chosen anyone else. My husband, son, mother and sister are wonderful. "I love you and am so grateful for you."
• Beauty and provision - living in the Northwest is an opportunity for daily gratitude. It's so beautiful here. And, God has provided for us in all the various ways. I love my house and surroundings. I'm grateful for God's provision.
• Meaningful work - having a purpose and worthwhile calling makes my life worth living - without it I feel only partially alive. (Of course I would never want to be without my friends and family!) Semper Vita is that call for me. I am beyond grateful to God for inviting me on this journey with him.
• God - well, what can I say? There would be no life, real life or hope without God in my life.

Thankful for hope

This year really has been amongst the most difficult. It's been challenging on all fronts - relationally, spiritually, mentally, physically, financially and emotionally. So much so that earlier in the year I didn't feel hope. Of course I still had the hope given by Jesus but I didn't have hope for my everyday life. In fact, I would have been happy to learn that my expiration date was coming up. Now I'm glad it didn't!

God has taken me on an immense growth journey. He's allowed me to experience the depths of loneliness. My faith has been tested. And, most significantly, he's invited me to learn about his great love, deep comfort and powerful presence. God showed me things about myself I didn't know and revealed things about him I couldn't have imagined.

Now I'm overflowing with hope. God is so good. He really, really does work in all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).God is good - all the time. He knows just what we need (even the hard stuff) to get us to where we need to go. 

Blaming God?

In the midst of the turmoil I did have very honest conversations with God. At times I told him I could not go on. Other times I told him that this was not the script! (He reminded me that it was his script and we were right where we needed to be.) I told him I didn't like it. I told him that I could not do what he was asking of me. And, each time, after I poured my heart out, I re-surrendered to God and told him that "of course I would follow." After all, who else is there? Who do we have but God?

These experiences and conversations did lead me to think about the fact that so often we blame God when things go wrong. We might even be tempted to turn our backs on him or decide there cannot be a God. Are you there now or have you been there? Can I challenge you to a new thought? I dare you to persist through the hard times. Trust God to get you through it. And then watch...just watch and experience how awesome God is. He restores our life. He gives us back our hope.

Thank you God - for the hope!

Life is not totally back on track and we still have challenges...but we are not without hope. God will see us through. I rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2)and remember that the source of my hope is Jesus. As Colossians 1:27 states, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

This Thanksgiving, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

Do Good - Endure Suffering

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."

John Wesley

Do good - it's rewarding

As Thanksgiving is approaching, it always prompts in me a sense of wanting to do some extra good. Of course I believe that doing good should be part of every Christian's life - but at Thanksgiving it seems like we should do more. This started me thinking about doing good...

When I do good I associate it with reward - not monetary but the intrinsic reward of feeling good and having helped. My particular brand of this often comes as people face their last chapter of life. I know it is not the norm but it's how God wired me. I love to come alongside a family when they've lost a loved one and do the memorial service. Tamara Dull jokingly calls me the "Last Chapter Pastor."

Now, rest assured, that's not my ultimate focus. In fact, it's because God's called me to be missional and serve beyond the walls of the church that serving families in time of need appeals to me. People without a church want a pastor to come alongside them and do the memorial. I get to love them and be Jesus' hands and feet. I get to share God's comfort. To me that's an honor and privilege.

How about you? How do you do good?

Suffering for doing good   

It is better, if it's God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil...So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."    

1 Peter 3:17; 4:19

Doing good when there's a real cost and even pain is a lot harder. We don't often hear sermons about suffering for doing good. I suspect that's because pastors might fear that the people wouldn't continue attending their church. But suffering is mentioned a lot in the New testament. Obviously Jesus suffered and he made it clear that we shouldn't expect any different. He told his disciples, "No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also" (John 15:20).

Paul talks about the need and normalcy in suffering. Peter also makes it abundantly clear that suffering is part of the package. However, it should not keep us from doing good!

Wow. How does that change my view of doing good? Do I still want to do it? I've been tested this year and many times I wanted to walk away. Sometimes I hid for a while. I like the "doing good and being rewarded" idea better. And yet, we are called to do good and be willing to suffer. It's a tough call. But Jesus bids us to follow him.

Semper Vita and doing good

As we get ready to launch Semper Vita this coming March, we are asking people to step into a life of doing good. We will make it easy through our software. We believe that people will benefit and be rewarded as they do good. Are you ready to do good regardless of the cost? Will you follow Jesus?

Sustainable Volunteering: Give What You Can

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Jesus

Please volunteer to help those in need.

The needs in the world are overwhelming. Everywhere you look - in your community, online, on television and around the world - there are appeals for help. People need our time, money and service. Last week I drove past a food bank and the line wrapped around the building. It tugged at my heart. The commercials for starving children and abused animals tug at my heart. People in hurting relationships, parents of at-risk youth, and abused children tug at my heart. The need is so great. I want to solve the needs but what can one person do? The temptation is to either serve too much and get exhausted or hide and pretend all will be OK somehow.

Come away and rest

Jesus and his disciples faced all these needs in his day. On one occasion he sent out his twelve and they went around the villages healing and teaching. After a successful trip they came back and reported to him all they had done and taught. As a result many people were coming and going - so much so that they didn't even have time to eat.

As I read that story, I think about the fact that he could have done it all - solved every need. And yet....

In Mark 6, the account of the disciples tells us that they had been serving and ministering to those around them. And they were tired! I can understand that - since I lean to the side of over-functioning and trying to do it all. Jesus recognized their need and didn't give them a visionary speech to inspire them to keep going.

Instead he said, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went with him. However, the people followed. As they arrived at their quiet place, the crowds were waiting. Jesus didn't turn them away but had compassion. Then he tells the weary disciples (now they had just rowed or sailed across a big lake) to feed the masses. What? I thought we were going on a much needed retreat.

Probably a bit stunned, they point out to Jesus the fact that they don't have the practical resources - not to mention their emotional and physical condition. Unfazed Jesus tells them to bring what they have. They really have nothing to bring, but Jesus uses it to feed over 5000 people.

Jesus is more than enough.

The disciples had no resources but Jesus didn't need anything from them. God has been showing me that I need to live at a sustainable pace. It's not up to me. All I need to bring is what I have - though it is not much as far as time, energy and ability - it's more than enough. When I show up and rely on Jesus, he will provide and take care of all the needs.

Why Do You Serve?

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve...You only need a heart full of grace; a soul generated by love. "

Martin Luther King, Jr.

What motivates us to serve?

Serving and volunteering to me are synonymous. After all, Semper Vita is partly about meaningful, missional volunteering. What we as Semper Vita people desire to do is serve people in the community. Now volunteering and providing opportunities isn't new. But lately, volunteering seems to be taking off. Of course people have always volunteered and served but now it appears to be surrounded with fanfare and more publicity. That leads me to ask a simple question: "Why do I serve? Why do I volunteer?"

For me worthwhile causes and the opportunity for lasting impact have been driving forces. I don't do it to be great but rather to make a difference. There are big issues and significant challenges that should be solved. I want to be part of the solution.

What is our focus?

Well hold on! Is there a difference between wanting to be great and wanting to have lasting impact? Just recently I realized that even the concept of serving to make a difference or change the world still revolves around me! People who've known me over the years probably heard me say at one point "I want to change the world." The problem with this statement is not my passion but my focus.

Instead of focusing on me, I need to keep my eyes on God. The key is to join Him where He is already working. (For more on that concept read Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God.) He's the only one who can truly heal, change and save people.

Why do I serve? I would have to say that God compels me. Often I don't really want to volunteer or serve because there's a cost. Sometimes when I feel that the cost is too great, I just don't do anything. This usually doesn't last long because when I don't give back and serve I feel so much less alive.

How about you? Why do you serve?

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."

Albert Schweitzer

Moving Forward, Getting Ready

It's been too long but we're on track.

Quiet but not still

We've been working hard on the key infrastructure to make the Semper Vita vision a reality. Things are moving forward. We are getting ready. Stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks...

Preparing ourselves

In the midst of preparing for the software we're learning that God values the refining of our character, focus and calling. Our passion is to provide the ability for people to connect to missional volunteer opportunities and to each other. On this journey, we're learning that it's necessary to be the right people first.

As we continue I'll be sharing the things I'm learning as God continues to shape me. I want to sign off with the following quote from UnChristian by David Kinnaman:

"...Christ followers must learn to respond to people in the way Jesus did...We have to be defined by our service and sacrifice, by lives that exude humility and grace."

Called - Now What?

"Before calling has anything to do with doing, it has everything to do with being that essence of yourself that God knew before the foundations of the earth..."  

Ruth Haley Barton

Have you heard the quip that we are human beings not human doings? As we look at the idea of calling, the distinction between those two ideas is significant. In the previous post, we looked at calling as: 1. belonging to God - and fully becoming who we are; and, 2. saying "yes" to his summons to serve him.

When we try to say "yes" to God we seem to start on a quest to do for God. So often, in our pursuit to make a difference in the world we become obsessed with accomplishing tasks to answer our call.

Even pastors, or maybe especially this group, fall into that trap. People look to them as spiritual leaders above the tug and pull of everyday life. Yet even in response to a full-time ministry calling, doing can supplant being. The result is a frazzle of activity in pursuit of responding to a genuine call.

In this frenzy to say "yes" by doing things, we often fail to accomplish the essence of the call because we're too busy to spend time with the Caller. If God is the one who calls us then checking in often and spending time being with him ought to be our first priority.

So how are we doing?

I get the concept. Really I do. However, living it is another matter. When I was in full-time ministry I often looked more like a human doing than a human being in the process of answering God's call on my life.

My friend Rita Nussli invited me to read Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. "Thank you Rita!" This book has been a great source of encouragement. In this book Ruth Haley Barton writes that our calling "is first and foremost the calling to be yourself, that self that God created you to be."

Take steps to get there

God is calling each one of us to be the person we were born to be. Can we reconnect with that person? Can we grow to be that person? How do we get there?

It starts with spending time with God. Genuine time in prayer, worship and reading the Bible. Understanding ourselves is also very significant.

At Semper Vita we believe that discovering your true self and God-given wiring is essential to living the life God intended you to live. It's about fulfilling your calling on earth - whether in the church or in the world. It's about being all that God intended you to be reflecting your piece of his glory. After all, each one of us is made in his image.

One way to discover more about your true self is to uncover your basic wiring. Semper Vita's personal discovery training uses the Myers-Briggs assessment to explore personality, the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment to uncover your God-given talents, and a Spiritual Gifts inventory to assess your special skills given to fulfill your assignment in God's Kingdom.

Is God Calling You?

"When God calls you to go he knows the end before you know the beginning."

Josh Hebert

Who is called?

Many people think that if God still "calls," this calling is for pastors and professional ministers. They are the ones that are supposed to do the religious stuff, right? Now that would certainly make life easier for the rest of us! So is this view correct?

I don't think so. In fact, all people are called by God at one level. What does "God calling" mean? It's his invitation to each of us for a personal connection. According to Ruth Haley Barton in Strengthening the Soul of Your Spiritual Leadership, it is all about God and you!

She explains that God called each one of us into being. He desires to save us from who we are not and calls us to be who we are. The call, first and foremost, is to belong to him. Secondly, it is to answer "yes" to his summons to serve him in a particular way.

It's about saying "yes" to God.

What does saying "Yes" to God mean? Ephesians chapter 2 tells us that we are God's workmanship (or poem) created in Jesus to do good works that God designed especially for each one of us in advance (Eph. 2:10). He knows exactly who we are and the best uses of our talents, personality, skills and passions. If you think about it, the call from God has us - we don't have the call. It does not originate from us. We didn't decide to issue the call. We can only choose to respond.

When Isaiah the prophet overheard God say, "Who shall we send?" He responded, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8). He had already responded to the call to connect personally with God and now he responded to God's call to go.

How do we respond?

At Semper Vita, we believe that all of us are designed to answer both calls. Once we answer the call to a personal connection with God, he longs to have us join him in the work he's doing around us. That's the second call. Our particular call will align with our personality, talents and gifts. Semper Vita provides personal development tools to help you understand your personality, talents and gifts. Contact us if you want to discover how you can better say "Yes" to God.