Its going to be a good week

The reception/welcome/whateverYouWantToCallIt dinner was good. We registered and then had dinner and Dr. Jim spoke a bit. He is always amazing. His conferences are a great investment in self, the ministry and the church. I live (for a majority of my time) in such a technical world. Technical concerns, technical problems, technical training and solutions. Its all good and I love it. But it is cool to also feed the minstry side. Especially being married to a pastor. You just have to go there as well and grow that side. Otherwise you can't help in those areas... And more and more I feel that is what it is all about. The technial/job side of my life is great, and a tremendous blessing... but so is the pastoral side. Anyway... the conference should be really good. A few thoughts already (I may or may not make these brief... as Tina is already going to bed and I need to quite playing around on the computer and go to bed too, so I'm ready for tomorrow.)

I live in what I believe is a unique situation. Not that I'm in it alone, but that a majority of people aren't in it. I'm very much a career person, with a secular job. A job that takes my attention, requires a lot of focus. Focus that is not on ministry related issues. I'm also married to a pastor, so I see that side of life. The two lives are very different. To me, church is not a job. It is a place I go to get refreshed, hear the word, worship God, etc. To many pastors it is a job. Not in a bad way... but it is what they do for a living. I can take my job stress, issues I have with people, etc. (every day stuff) and leave it away from church. I mean, even if I take it home, I don't take it to church. For pastors, church is part of there strees. They don't get away from stress there. In my situation I get to see the blessings of the ministries, but still be able to separate ministry and my job. So I kind of have the best of both worlds. I'm a blessed person.

Being at such a conference, you see that pastoring is a tough job. Not just at ICC, but everywhere. "I just needed to get out of town and relax for a while". "I'm turning off my cell so no one can reach me this week.", "It is so important to get away, invest in yourself, so that you can deal with issues at home." and similar comments. It is probably true in other professions as well... but ministry is such a 24x7 thing. Even if I'm on call 24x7 - for the most part (being a technical lead, not a manager) I don't have to deal with emotional issues, people issues, etc. A great thing about this conference - without even the content - is seeing these pastors come together and just get refreshed. Hang out. Talk to each other, etc.

A question was asked not too long ago. Who does a pastor have for friends? Who can they hang out with and just be themselves? Unfortunately there aren't a lot of people they can do that with. Whether people intend it or not... some times a pastor being "themselves" influences them in ways they wouldn't be influenced by other people. Maybe hard to explain... but anyway, it is good to see them just be able to hang out. And I'm not talking specifically about our pastors. I'm saying this based on things I've overheard other pastors saying. Dr Jim is providing a great benefit by just providing the atmosphere that he provides, and then he adds great teaching too!

Do you focus on the good or the bad? Dr Jim was discussing that he sees it all the time where a church will have 100 members, 500 members, a 1000 members. And there are 5 people that don't like what is going on. That complain all the time, have issues, etc. They don't leave though. And pastors will start concentrating on those people. Instead of seeing the 95, or 495 or 995 that love them, that support them, etc.; they just see the 5. And it gets them bitter, puts their heart in a bad place, and makes them ineffectual. He says when he teaches, sometimes not everyone will welcome him. And people will ask him, "Man, how could you handle that crowd. They were so against everything you were saying" (something like that) and he will say, "Huh... I didn't even notice."

I think that was awesome... not just for pastors, but for everyone. Don't focus on the bad. Say you are a worship leader, or on a softball team, or in a job situation. Are you going to let one person that says, "You didn't enter in" or "you sucked today" or "You never know what you are talking about" effect your entire day, week, year? Are you going to let them control your life? Or are you going to listen to all those people who tell you how great you are, that love you, that think you are such a great friend. Are you going to listen to them and to God! and know who/what you are.

We all get so caught up in the negative, and give negative people such power in our life.

Anyway... Dr Jim already has me thinking... and things haven't hardly started yet. Its going to be a great week... A great week of non-technical learning. Of great heart learning. Soaking things up. Little by little seeds of wisdom being planted that will change my life.

Cool stuff.

P.S. sorry for any misspellings, grammer, typos, etc. Its 11:00 - time to call it a night! :-)