Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky?

And as the quote goes... Yeah Brain, but where are we gonna find a tattoo parlor open at this time of night! NARF!
(pinky and the brain copyright some year by somebody who owns the copyright for Pinky and the Brain)

Ok, so very little response over the last month and a half of no posts. I do hope that everyone that reads this little blog has had a GREAT Christmas time (And if you don't celebrate Christmas, I still hope you have had a GREAT time).

As we look into the gullet of a brand new year, we are faced with questions...
What did last year look like, what worked, what didn't, how can I get away with never wearing that ugly sweater that my ___ gave me for my birthday/Christmas, etc, etc. A time for men and women across the nation to come up with goals that very few will keep past new year's day.

This past year for me has been one of the best and strangest rides in the history of ... we.., me. I have been learning how to take everything in stride, be consistent, and then give 1 % better. This next year fills me with such hope and excitement.... If I continue progressing in the direction I am going, by this time next year what will everything look like? What does a 1% improvement over a whole year look like? What are the goals I have in mind... well, for starters... do just a little better than I have been!!!

The Wall... Coming to a church near you.... or not. (pt 1)

OK, so my pastor and I have been tossing this idea around for quite some time, and I thought that it was about time I blogged about it.

The old testament is full of passages where the Israelites (even before they were known as such) would create an altar unto the Lord. In those places we find very clear and distinct characteristics of God. These altars were a point of reference for the people of Israel to look back and remember what God HAD (past tense) done for them. Abraham created an altar at the top of the mountain and named it Jehovah Jiereh "For it is in that place that God did provide". After the children of Israel walked across the red sea (when it opened... you know the story.... Charlton Heston ... MOOOOses MOOOOses). Anyway, point being that when the children of Israel would make an altar, they would worship God at that point, thanking Him for what he had done, then.... they would move on, only returning to that place as a remembrance of what God did.

Fast forward a few thousand years........
keep going........
almost there...........

Here we are, modern day, and what do we have....
I see altars set up all over the place in the church, with people living at the altars...

Let me expound. How many denominations have been set up because of an event where there was a "God Encounter"? How many times have churches split because of the "Style" of worship, How many times have people been kicked out of leadership because "That's not the way it has been done around here the last 200 years"? I think that it is high time we, as a body, build an altar and MOVE ON!!!
Call it what you will, Azuza street, Healing revivals of the 50's, Hymns, Integrity Hosanna Worship Choruses, Toronto Blessing, Brownsville outpouring..... the list goes on and on and on...
We as a body have created many many different altars, the only problem is that we have never moved on from there. How many times a year do I hear another ministry putting on a "Azuza Street Revival 2007" or putting all of their faith in hymns that have been outdated for longer than the church has been alive. Please understand that I have no problem with hymns, but like all of the other examples I have (and will) use they were perfect when they were created because they were fresh, new and spoke to that generation. It is almost as if we are trying to create a ministry of perpetual nostalgia.

Before I finish with my thoughts on this subject, I would LOVE some feedback....
Any takers???

Unplug... and Relax

I had someone from the church call me yesterday for help with computer problem. Apparently, there was a power spike and their computer shut down and wouldn't re-start. This is a fairly normal (although not common) occurrence. As I talked with them, I walked them through a very simple process of unplugging the computer, turning off any switches, waiting for a bit and then plugging everything back in, and turning the computer on.... Worked like a charm, but as we talked I could tell that this person was really weighed down with allot going on in life... and this was yet another straw. While I was explaining the fact that new computer power supplies have a built in spike suppressor, and sometimes need to be reset, I realized what I was communicating to her wasn't meant for the computer... but for me.

Unplug, relax and have a cup of tea, or coffee, then plug back in and everything should be OK!
Last year I lost my job with a church I had been with for 12 years, and on staff for 7... that hurt, and was a very interesting time in my, and my wife's lives. When we left that church, we made a decision to not go anywhere for a couple of weeks to just spend time with each other, and I am so glad we did. I have seen so many people in life, and in many churches, get hurt and pull back (Unplug). I think that this can at times be healthy, if the reason for pulling back is to re-assess, or even heal for a time.... but what then...

In this situation this week, I realized if I had left the advice at "Unplug and relax" This person would have probably felt great for a while, but somewhere down the road would realize how useless they had become, and how unproductive their computer is.
Unplug and relax...
You must then, at some point, plug back in. In the church I hear all the time people talking about be a part of the "Global" body of Christ and not a part of a local church, then when all hell breaks loose in their lives they say that the church abandoned them because no-one was there to help....

Well Boo Hoo... I'm so sorry to hear that you have unplugged yourself from the people around you who God has put there to help you in hard times only to blame them when your life goes wrong. How smart is that, that would be like me blaming the power company for my computer not working even though I never plugged it back in.

OK, a bit of a rant there, but I think you understand what I mean. If like is hard and you are hurting and stressed... Unplug for a bit, relax, spend some time fellowshipping with God one on one, but then plug back in!!!

You know what else really grinds my gears.... When I can't find those droids I've been looking for!

-I'm Just Sayin!

Daddy needs a new pair of... Pants?

It absolutely amazes me how often we as humans mess around with natural things, and end up messing up more than we know...
Over the last few weeks (5 to be exact) I have been on the warpath to find and eliminate any allergens out of my diet. In doing so one of the most amazing things has begun to happen... my body is actually working the was it's "Supposed" to!!! Get this... in 5 weeks I have lost 25lbs, and last night my wife (Go check out her site) stops by old navy and brings me home a new pair of jeans... size... 36. I have worn size 38 since I was a senior in high school!!!!! How cool is that!

Not only that, but I have more energy now that I can ever remember having, and I seem to be accomplishing more than I have before, I feel, look, and act healthier, and happier... all because of eliminating allergens. Here's the kicker, it seems that the allergens that are most dramatically affecting my system are.... get this..... are you ready..... Man Made Preservatives!

I know and believe that God has given us the wisdom and knowledge to use chemicals and create substances to preserve food and help it grow stronger, and be more resistant to pests, or weather... But at some point it seems, we have stopped creating substances to preserve food for a little while, and started creating substances that taste like food.

Needless to say, I have been spending a lot of time reading labels lately.... and I have found so many things (Things that would entirely comprise my diet) that didn't have a trace of real natural food in it anywhere.... everything modified, everything enhanced, and everything killing me slowly.... what a way to go, a candy bar in one hand... a big mac in the other....

This is the best part, I have lost 25lbs... why?
Is it b/c I have a really smart doctor that said "Hey... this might be the cause of your eczema"?
Is it because I have worked really really hard to not eat anything that could potentially screw up my system?
Yes, and Yes, but I feel most importantly that the reason I am seeing so much change, is b/c God has set up a process by which my body can heal itself and take care of itself. All my doctor and I have done is to eliminate the roadblocks that have been hindering God's planned processes.... Wow, now THAT will Preach!!!

Do Rappers Rhym.... In the Grocery Checkout?

Hello lady, can you take my cash
feelin like a flash as I get my
Organic vegetables, and my rice oh my
feelin fine where's my change gotta fly............

Ok so I know that would never make it past the billboard top 40 (Worse Failures Ever) and is likely something you would hear from 50cent's dimwitted cousin 2 pence. But I digress...

My thoughts for today are about who we are as individuals. Who am I at home, who am I at work, who am I when I work with clients, who am I when I am ministering to someone in pain? As I have spent the last week on this "Allergy Elimination" diet, I have noticed quite a few things......

1. Who I am is a constant
2. How I respond to my surroundings isn't

I think that in our development as individuals, something along the way gets skewed.... at some point we start to believe and act as though our response to situations is "Who" we are.

If a baseball player always strikes out at bat, sooner or later he will most likely feel like a failure... is he? Maybe at the time in baseball... but not in everything... What if he never practices, or in his practice he chooses to do the same things the same way and never addresses the problem of why he keeps striking out? Sounds sort of insane by me! What if that batter changes and for one hit, hits the ball out of the park.... Did the ball player change as a person? Did his surroundings change? I'm sure at that point everyone would treat him a bit different, including himself.

So what does this mean for me? as everything changes it is important to know who I am through it all. My personal convictions should be that ... personal convictions... those shouldn't change depending on the situation. My attitude toward others... that shouldn't change when I am at checkout or when I am at a party, or when I am at a funeral.... At least not for me... since I genuinely like people... I should like them everywhere I go (Yes I know that there are times when the situation calls for a Louisville slugger to the forehead... but you know what I mean)

In the words of the immortal "The Who" ..........

Who Are you? I really want to know!

Everything Changes

This morning, I received one of the most difficult messages I have ever received... I found out that I have pretty much every food allergy possible...
As I received this information, I went through all of the normal reactions, but when it was done... it hit me

Everything Changes

I don't mean that in a way most people say it.... like .... well, what do you expect...

I mean that like... This is an adventure, always has been. This is another step in the life God has granted to me. I am kind of excited... for a long time I have battled a number of health conditions, one of them eczema... and everyone has always said... "Nothing you can do about it... just have to deal with it the best you can"

Think about that... I have spent my life hearing from everyone around my.... this is the way it is... you can't change it... nothing is going to change

How dis-heartening... I am more excited now that I have been in years because... Everything Changes!!! I have the opportunity to change allot of things that I had been frustrated about for so long. How often to we get those kind of opportunities?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a bit scared in the amount of changes that I am going to have to make in one shot, and I know that is going to be real hard work for me for quite a while...

But...

This is an opportunity of a life time--- correction... an opportunity for Life!

Defining Moments

9-11 I don't know of anyone who doesn't know the significance of this date. Even if you think it was a huge conspiracy, a plot-against-the "White Folks" if you will, this date is still very significant.

I was sitting at breakfast this am, thinking about 9-11-01. I remember sitting in my parents living room, watching on the TV as the second plane crashed into the tower (live mind you) and as I was watching, I was thinking back to when I saw the Challenger Space Shuttle Explode Live on TV. - Defining Moments...

As those were both defining moments in my life, I started to contemplate other moments...
The first time I rode a bike, the moment which I "received" my call into ministry, the first crush i had, the first time I drove out of the state by myself... My years at seminary, the first time I kissed Eliza, first "Official" date, our wedding..... and the list goes on and on and on....

This is what I realized, as I was sitting at breakfast... Most of my defining moments in life are all good, and while there are so many good moments that stick out in my mind, it is the bad moments, the disasters in life that not only fight for the attention of your mind, but also bring with them other bad moments.

Here we are 6 years later after a terrorist attack on US Soil, and not only are the images still being played over and over... but the focus in the news all morning, was about bin-laden...

I MUST Ask this...

What has happened that has been positive, and good in the last 6 years? anything? I know that for me there have been some wonderful moments... what about you?

Success... Being able to give consistent results, in a changing world

So Many people have their own brand of success... How much money they have, how well they do in a given situation, how many tracks they hand out at any given time... In a world that is changing as rapidly as Starbucks(tm) changes their daily brew, how can we continue to seek after success. If the Line of demarcation between success and failure is fluctuating so much, how can we say we are a success at anything?

Our staff was recently reading a book entitled Raving Fans... A MUST Read for anyone in ministry, or business! One of the points that was communicated was that to be successfull you need to "Give It 1%". No you didn't read that wrong, it said 1%. The concept is quite simple. In a world that is dissatisfied around every turn, the last thing they expect is that you would consistently give them what you have promised... Now imagine a place where you get exactly what has been promised, and exactly what you have come to expect, then one day they stepped it up by 1%... do you think you would notice?

-- A Practical Example--
The Waffle House-
If you have ever been, there is a common occurance that I think everyone will agree with.
Placemats, Sealed to the table with a substance that, atone time covered a pancake, but now can be classified as a biohazard experiment gone wrong. That is consistancy...
I have yet to go to a waffle house and not have my arm hairs ripped out by sitting them on the table...

Now what if that same reasturant decided to give 1% and clean their tables well after the patrons leave? What if... after some time of doing that consistently, they start having silverware placed at the clean table when you sat down... How many of us would 1. be surprised, and 2. actually concider it as a possible reasturant choice durring norman life hours (Not just ... that place that will always be open when you have no other options)

I think that if people would spend more time judging their success for today by what they did yesterday, instead of the "NORM" we would see a societity that would be far more advanced, and successfull than we have ever seen...

It's all about the 1%

Never Eat Cheetos while Listening to "The White Album"

Murphy's law states that "If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong". How true is this... hence murphy's "LAW". I have been thinking a lot about relationships lately, primarily because of a situation that my wife and I have been walking through. The more I think about relationships the more I realize how much it is the little things that will make or break an evening. Picture this for me if you will...
Say you are watching tv one evening and you get thirsty, naturally your first response is to jump up and get something to drink. Say in this particular situation you decide to ask your spouse if they are thirsty as well....

This is where it gets tricky

Say they are in fact thirsty, what comes out of your mouth in the next few seconds can make or break your evening... and possibly even you.

Response #1 "What would you like dear and I will get it/make it for you"
Response #2 "While you are up, why don't you fix me a coke"
Response #3 "Well, if you had gotten off from your butt and gone to the store, you wouldn't be thirsty now... would you?

I am still young, and have not been married for very long, but I think that anything other than Response #1 will probably get you in a heap of trouble!

~~ You see, I am finding out more and more how much the little things matter in life. The delicate way we either use our situations to better our own lives, or help other people through theirs... It's like trying to proof read a report while eating cheetos... just a little but will effect the whole thing, and you may not be able to salvage what's left... but if you are really really carefull, and pay more attention to what is "White" than to your own need for cheesy poofs(cheetos) you can have enjoyment on many different levels.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Starbucks (tm)

As I am sitting here at my local java depot, sippin on a daily brew, eating my pseudo healthy muffin (it has bran in it), I am amazed at how easily we have been trained to demand what we expect. One of the reason's I come to this particular depot on sunday morning, is because they offer a blueberry bran muffin. All of the health of a piece of bark, and twice the sugar! In fact, I will drive a couple of extra miles to go to this coffee shop, just because they have something that I have come to expect they will have... my "blue plate special" if you will ... Muffin deJour.
As I am eating this wonderfull creation I wonder, do I judge other coffee shops, because they don't have what I "EXPECT" them to have? Where in the coffee shop owner's handbook does it say that to be a successfull coffee shop, one must purchase and sell, at a reasonable price, a blueberry bran muffin? If I go to another coffee shop, I am usually disapointed if they don't have this particular muffin... why? It's a COFFEE shop for cryin out loud... not a EVERY MUFFIN UNDER THE SUN shop! Coffee, you know... black gold, texas T... oh wait, scratch that.

Anyway, one of my many points is this,
... How much are we lead by our expectations in life~~ I know that there is a need to expect certain things, like gravity... but what about things like relationships?

Have you ever talked with someone, poured out your heart, and walked away upset because you felt like you weren't heard? why? Usually because you didn't recieve the response you expected. What about church? Do you go to a church soly based on your expectations... what happens when those expectations aren't meant... how do you handle it?

Will you drive out of your way just to find a coffee shop that supports your muffin taste? What happens if you get there, with your mouth wattering, and they are out of your favorite muffin... or they don't play your favorite song, or the preacher doesn't preach a message that makes you feel super happy? What then? Is it time to move on, find a greener pasture, or do we stay put... knowing that hey, they may not have the exact muffin that I want, but I am willing to try something new... and I might find a new favorint muffin inthe process. I am astounded at the amount of relationships today that end in divorce, all for this simple view of... if I can't get it here, there are plenty of other places where I can get what I expect. Except for one problem.

No one, No Church, No Wife, No Coffee Shop, and No GOD, will give you what you expect, and want 100% of the time... so what needs to change?


............ I'm Just Sayin!

Welcome To: Track Seven!

An Introduction?
Why not!
My name; Timothy R. Heistand. For anyone reading this blog, please let me point out one simple and undeniable fact... I have terrible grammer skills! I am married to a very beautiful and loving woman whom loves me terifficly and I irritate on a regular basis, have two very hyper and hairy children (chihuahua-strider and terrier-kalie), a big truck and a motorcycle... There, enough said.
My purpose in this blog is to take all of the random thoughts in my head and throw them at a wall so I can see what sticks (Translation... i will type my thoughts and feelings for the sole purpose of developing a line of communication with those who may be interested).
If you have read this, then I congratulate you on a job well done, and I will post again soon!