c o n c e p t w i s t

2010-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

I returned last night from a LONG trip home, its GREAT to be back home here in Portland, and to see my whole family at the airport to greet me! (Thanks Alice and the kids!)

First of all, thank you EVERYONE for the support and prayers, I wanted to shoot you all a quick update on the trip specifically as well as some pictures and videos...

In many ways Haiti is very much like it was 10 years ago when I visited there the first time, a very poor and broken country, with a corrupt government, and total lack of a plan in virtually every sense. It's not all the same though, after the earthquake there are now 10s of thousands of children without parents, broken families, and homes destroyed. We visited the epicenter of the earthquake where virtually EVERY building was destroyed, there wasn't anywhere we went that didn't suffer greatly from the earthquake. In many ways I feel that the earthquake was just the start of many terrible things to happen to this country, they simply don't have the education, organization, or drive to "rise" above a lot of the issues they face...

I learned of one man that had been a very serious in the voodoo arts (used to protect his family, goats, and sheep), and after the earthquake, he turned to the pastor of the church in his village. (pastor Francklin) He asked why the pastor was not angry with God for sending the earthquake, pastor Francklin shared the gospel, and the man came to the lord and were baptized. I also learned of another very encouraging story. Pastor Francklin also teaches English in a community center (100% destroyed) and was actually teaching English when the earthquake occurred. ALL the students and pastor Francklin where able to get out seconds before the entire building collapsed... One of his students "Charlie" asked why they didn't die, and Pastor Francklin told him that that God has a plan for his life. He accepted Christ, and was baptized later that week, and is now helping to rebuild the community center and church. These are two of many of stories we were able to hear and document while there.

Our trip was a success, we were able to capture 12+ hours of video that will be used to help tell the message of all that God is doing in Haiti. The media is packed with terrible stories of corruption and destruction, and while in many cases the stories are true, we learned there are also many of stories of powerful change being brought to the country. God is blessing His people here, and is using people like you and I to help. I was also able to capture about 1000 images, many of which I believe will be a powerful testimony to the people and country of Haiti, and the work that God is doing there.....

Charlie on the left and Francklin on the right

Dave Proehl has already had a chance to put together a quick 90 second video on the way home that I feel is an excellent example of what God is doing to the nation..

PLEASE take a min and watch here: http://vimeo.com/16877146

I have also gone through a few images that are worth seeing. You can see here: http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisbehnke1/Haiti2010Blog?authkey=Gv1sRgCIXMoqLMk6vOxwE#

There will be some great videos, and a documentary that we will be producing as well as a live concert and event (will be streamed live to the Internet) on the 12th of Jan.. I will keep you all updated as that stuff comes together.

A MONTH since my last post!! (working on a project) :-)

2010-11-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I'm sorry about that, for the small number of you that read my blog!! :-)

I have been working hard on a project for the last couple months in my off hours (9pm - 2am) and (5am - 8am) to build, and launch a new business and product. It's a website http://www.websasfefamily.com. Alice and I are VERY exited about it, the concept behind it is to create a resource center for families, churches, small businesses, and home school families where they can get useful information on technology, and the internet, and how to take advantage of them, and do it in a safe way.

We have been working with a manufacturer to offer our first product, the iBoss Home wireless firewall. Its a very inexpensive wireless router / firewall that is a HARDWARE based web content solution for parents. (can also be setup in "accountability mode for adults looking for that type of protection). It's our first product, and we are very exited about it. We have already sold two units and are only just launching the site Today!!

If you have a min, please take a look at the site, and let me know what you think. I truly believe EVERY family should have this device. Not just for protection against inappropriate websites, but viruses, malware, phishing sites, and online predators! The internet is such a powerful tool, but is also can be a very dangerous tool... In any case, we believe in this product, and would love for you to try it as well!

Thanks!

Christopher Behnke

P.S. - now that the site is built I will have time to start writing my posts again each week! Thanks for all your patience!! ;-)

P.S.S - I have also started a new blog for the site http://blog.websafefamily.com IF your a parent, we would love to have you follow our web SAFE family blog and let us know what you think!!

Hey are you dissatisfied? (continued)

2010-09-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

So one of my last posts was talking about what I feel is one of the biggest problem in our culture today.

The problem of dissatisfaction.

Even if you don’t see this as a problem, it would still be hard to argue that it doesn’t exist in a significant way. The question ISN’T is there a problem, but why is it so “easy” to expolit this weakness, why is it so easy to make us “want” things, what makes it so simple to cause dissatisfaction? Are the marketers out there really “that” good??

Not to slam the creative people putting together compelling advertising campaigns that cause us to flock to the apple stores like lemmings, those guys are good, but the reason is deeper than that. In the last 200 years it has become a fine art to exploit our human nature and cause dissatisfaction with whatever our current situation is, the fact our human nature can be exploited proves that there is something not quite right, something inherently wrong with our humanness, something MISSING…

It’s my belief that as humans God created us with a need that can only be filled with Him. This is not a new concept by any means, in fact, no one is really sure exactly who thought through the concept originally, but the “God shaped hole” word picture was probably taken from something the famous mathematician and philosopher Pascal (1623 – 1662) wrote. “What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”

In any case, scholars a lot smarter than me have spent a lot of time and effort studying the concept of this “thirst”, and its universally accepted that it exists. Of course the debate on “why” and “how” it can or should be filled continues.

I would argue from personal experience in my own life that the only way to quench this thirst and live in a “fulfilled” state is to fill that hole with service to God. Now what does that mean, and practically speaking how do you “actually” do that?? Not an easy question, one that I’m still trying to answer, and I would argue the answer can never “fully” be understood. Saying that, over the years I have learned a couple things that have helped me in this. First of all, God has designed each one of us with certain gifts or skills, our “gifts” are usually masked by years of school teaching and cultural programming, but they exist deep down inside, and He built into our human nature the desire to serve Him through the use of those gifts.

“Chris, are you saying I need to find my gift and become a monk in a remote monastery somewhere, cause I’m not cool with that…”

I’m not saying that at all, I believe God has made it clear that He wants us to use our gifts and talents to help others find and understand Him. I believe that if your doing what God wants you to do you will have a natural passion that can be used for good things. When someone has “passion” it can be a very powerful thing, examples throughout history abound. The KEY is to try and learn what your “passion” is, what God has built into you, and use it for His kingdom. It’s not an easy process, frankly its one that I think 99% of people miss entirely. I suppose the real question is are you going to be the 1% or just a typical member of the 99%…

Good luck!

-Christopher Behnke

I would LOVE your feedback, I’m not afraid of criticism, you can’t hurt my feelings so please let me know what you honestly think about the stuff I write about.. If you have some feedback shoot me an email at chris@behnke.us

Joyful When It Counts - LIFE on PURPOSE...

2010-09-20T10:43:00.001-07:00

Over the last two weeks or so I have written about Joy and how if you want to live your life full of joy then it’s critical you keep the right perspective, and understand what your priorities are. Both are important, but having a purpose to live for is by far the most important.

Unless you live out everyday with a purpose for your life it will be impossible for you to find lasting joy. Life gets very difficult, and sometimes down right nasty, it’s a universal truth that all humans face:

Life is Hard!

If you don’t live with purpose, if you don’t live “intentional” then you’ll move through life working on one “squeaky wheel” after another never really accomplishing anything.

Look at the world around us, especially here in our country, society is totally preoccupied with self gratification. Most of the world is focused on what will make “ME” happy, what will make “ME” richer, what is the best thing for “ME”? Our media speaks to, and directly feeds this desire to serve “ME”!!!

If we have something to live for, something we “stand” for, the difficulties in life are much easier to endure, because you can look at them as “problems and roadblocks that need to be overcome in order to fulfill your purpose”. The “purpose” and “meaning” for my life are things that I have been thinking about, praying about, and trying to understand now for the last few years. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that the more I work on living on purpose, the more clear direction I have for my life. I wake up each morning with energy, drive, and endurance to work through hard times because I know why I’m “doing it all”... It’s not always easy, and it’s certainly not “intuitive” but like most things the more I do it the easier it becomes...

The real question is, are you living for something on purpose or just living?

-Christopher Behnke

I would LOVE your feedback, I’m not afraid of criticism, you can’t hurt my feelings so please let me know what you honestly think about the stuff I write about.. If you have some feedback shoot me an email at chris@behnke.us

Are You Dissatisfied With Your Life?

2010-09-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hey! Are you dissatisfied? Internally conflicted? No? Really, are you sure?… Most of us when asked will answer a quick ‘nope’ without even a seconds thought. Trouble is, we (me included) are almost always not actually satisfied with life.

Let’s face it, our entire society is built around the principal of gaining the attention of an individual and causing dissatisfaction, oh its not without purpose, its done deliberately with the idea of getting that individual, in their dissatisfied state, to spend some money so they can “get” satisfied. You might say I’m exaggerating, but frankly I’m not.

Think about it, no better yet try it, -> turn on the TV, turn on the radio, pick up a magazine, go to the movies, or even just drive down the freaking street! Unless you live in some fire tower deep in the remote wilderness, you can’t go through a single day without a constant deluge of advertising, marketing, product placement, and distractions. EVERY SINGLE ONE has a single common goal.

(MAKE THE AUDIENCE DISSATISFIED AT ANY COST)

Is it any wonder we struggle with so many conflicting battles? Take ‘weight’ for example, an average American is exposed to dozens if not hundreds of ads a day for food and things to eat, all designed to make you feel hungry so you will run right down the the McDonald’s on the corner and sink your teeth into that Big Mac. On the same day (probably every other ad) hundreds of images of perfect looking skinny people talking about weight-loss, or even more confusing, talking about food. Advertisers laugh their way to the bank as you grab your keys, jump in your car, and stop at Taco Bell for your “Fourth Meal” on the way to Walgreens to get your diet shakes.

How sick is that..

Pretty sick..

So what am I supposed to do about that Chris?

Remote Island Anyone?????

Ok, its hard, unless you do actually pack up and head off to that fire tower, your NOT going to escape it. We are all faced with the American dilemma of a bigger house, cooler car, skinnier body, and those new killer jeans. Its a battle all of us are going to have to face the rest of our lives. The worst part is its gonna be even more difficult for our children.

I struggle with this a lot, just like everyone else. The key is to understand “why” this junk is so effective on us as humans. You need to understand why that phenomenon happens when you get that new car and your “high” for a few weeks and feel GREAT, until that is, we realize that there are a TON of other cars that are faster, cooler, and “better” than ours. It comes from something that is built into every single one of us, into our human nature. Something is missing, something that, pretty much from the day we are born we want to fill, to satisfy. That car, house, job, special possession, they all work for a little bit, some even for a little bit longer, but they don’t actually fill the need, they don’t ACTUALLY satisfy…

What does? I know what does for me, I’ll write about that next…

-Christopher Behnke

Joyful when it counts - GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

2010-09-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I wrote finding joy by gaining the right perspective. In order to be joyful when it counts most, it’s important to remember that if you let him God will use everything you experience for good, even when life drags you through difficult times. The right perspective is key. If your perspective is in line it will make it much easier to understand what your priorities should be.

If you want to be able to be joyful when it really counts, you need to make sure you live your life with the right priorities.

When things get tough its critical to have your priorities in order to be able to distinguish the trivial from the important. It has to be very clear in your mind “why” you make the decisions you make.

What is your life for?
What are you trying to accomplish?
What do you stand for?
How do you define yourself?

If these questions aren’t fully formed in your mind, when the trouble comes you will naturally focus on trivial things only because often times the stuff that “really” matters doesn’t demand attention. Think about how many arguments in your life are over little things that really don't matter? How many times have you struggled and toiled for things that you really didn’t care about, or wouldn’t even remember 6 weeks later. Is it worth losing your joy over?

No!

Have a perspective to live from and a priority to live by.

Know what is important.

Focus on what really counts.

It’s not easy, it’s not something that comes naturally, but if you spend the effort required to keep yourself focused on the things in your life that are really the most important you’ll be on your way to joyful living.

Stay tuned for the next post!!

-Christopher Behnke

I would LOVE your feedback, I’m not afraid of criticism, you can’t hurt my feelings so please let me know what you honestly think about the stuff I write about.. If you have some feedback shoot me an email at chris@behnke.us

Can you be joyful when it counts?

2010-09-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

One thing I have learned in the last several years is everyone struggles; every single person will go through difficult times in his or her life.

It’s a universal truth for all humans!

Several weeks back I wrote about trails being joy, from the passage in James 1 : 2 - 4. I have been thinking about this concept a lot in the last several months, and I spoke about it at the Household Embassy Banquet last month. It’s unintuitive but powerful if you can embrace it.

Something else I have noticed is most people don’t “enjoy” life, they “endure” life. “Life sucks” thinking dominates our culture, just listen to the lyrics of most popular songs today, the depressing theme is prominent almost everywhere. It seems like people assume life must be perfect for them to be “happy.” Getting stuck in that “if then” type thinking… If I just get this or do that, THEN I’ll be happy. The trouble is that a problem free life is a myth, it doesn’t exist, and trust me the people you see around you or on TV that you think have the “trouble free” life - DON’T.

Frankly, in order to experience happiness throughout your life you will have to find JOY in whatever situation life throws at you, happiness is situational, but joy, real joy is constant.

Easy to say, but how…

I have a few ideas that have really helped me in my life and for the next couple blog posts I’m going to talk about them.

First of all you need to have the correct perspective.

Everyone has problems, it’s not the problems as much as the way you look at them, that’s partly the point of James 1 : 2 - 4; you should consider your “problems” as joys, because if you let Him, God will use them for His purpose!

Take a look at the apostle Paul. That dude had a rough ministry; he was stuck in a prison in Caesarea for a couple years, gets on a boat headed to Rome to go before Nero (who was not a particularly nice guy). During the trip he was shipwrecked, stranded, bitten by a snake, stuck on an island for the entire winter before continuing to Rome. Once he got to Rome, he spent another 2 years in prison chained to a guard 24/7 awaiting trial to be executed. In spite of all of those situations, Paul said in Philippians 1:18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Talk about keeping a good perspective through difficult times!

Throughout these trials Paul was able to maintain joy because he knew that the most important thing is that “Christ is preached”

How much easier are the difficult spots when we know they will be used for good if we let God use them. It’s not easy, in fact, its one of the most difficult things in life, but if you can keep that perspective, then you are on your way to joyful living!

Stay tuned for the next post!!

-Christopher Behnke

I would LOVE your feedback, I’m not afraid of criticism, you can’t hurt my feelings so please let me know what you honestly think about the stuff I write about.. If you have some feedback shoot me an email at chris@behnke.us

RSVP for Household Embassy Banquet Sep. 9th 2010

2010-09-03T13:57:00.001-07:00

Throughout history, God has done BIG things, amazing things. He has done things that people said couldn’t be done, and He used regular people like you and me to do it.

Last month Gregg Harris did an excellent job of presenting the gospel and laying the foundation for what God has called each one of us to be?!! The core message of 2nd Corinthians 5:20 is simple: We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, and if we are His ambassadors, then our homes are to be used as embassies for His people!

Our next banquet is coming September 9th at 6:30-8:30 P.M. at Persimmon Country Club, in Gresham, Oregon. We hope you will join us for more wonderful food, vision, inspiration, and practical direction. Gregg will be our speaker again, and he will expand on the first banquet’s message with more practical insights about “how to use your embassy” and what that actually looks like in the real world.

Please take a minute and RSVP so we can plan for the upcoming event. Don’t forget to invite friends and family that you think would be interested in learning how to use their homes as an embassy.

Do you want to know how to help? Here are some things you can do!

Pray! - Pray that we are able to hear God’s direction in the feedback we receive. Pray for sponsors to help finance this effort as it moves forward. Pray that God’s will is done and His glory is revealed as we work to help spread the truth.

Invite people now to the next event - What a great way to present the gospel outside of a traditional church setting! We want these events to be for all people: strong believers, non believers and all those in between! The more we fear God the less we fear man, the more we fear man the less we fear God. Let’s make sure no one misses out because of our fear of man.

Sponsor an event - Our banquets are not fundraisers. They are opportunities for us to encourage people to become ambassadors and active participants in God’s work on earth. It is our goal to continue to be able to offer these events for free, so if you have the means and you feel passionate about what God is doing with this movement, please consider sponsoring part of the next event. To find out more, please email donate@householdembassy.org.

Remember, this is a free event, so save the date! We had a great time at the last banquet, and we would like to see even more people at the next one!

RSVP here, and we’ll see you there!
… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … .
» Get Map & Directions
» Learn more about the Household Embassy Movement
» Sponsor one meal or a table of 4-8
» Contact us: info@householdembassy.org

S L O W Down, Life will keep going, even if you miss that meeting!

2010-09-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

For the last couple weeks I have been writing about things I have learned that help me get a TON of stuff done each day. I really believe in the stuff I write about, I’m not gonna talk about it it if I don’t think its valuable and useful for someone else.

I was stopped at a light this morning, frustrated, fidgeting, muttering about how irritating “waiting” at the light was, totally frustrated at being stopped, and started to think about time, and how much self induced stress I impose on myself because of “time”. Rushing from here to there ALWAYS in a state of motion. If your like me you have been in your car “late” for something, just beside yourself….

WHY CAN’T THEY GO FASTER!!!! I’m LATE…

At least for me the reality is almost always it doesn’t matter that much, I’m simply not THAT important. That meeting, appointment, if I’m 10 min late, 2 days from now no one will care, in fact, a lot of the time no one is gonna care 2 min after I arrive!

So back to the stop light this morning. I was irritated, so irritated I starting thinking about all the time wasted at the light. If you know me, you know I’m impatient, If you’ve worked with me you know I’m the guy that runs meetings with an egg timer. So I timed the light, yes, I did, I timed the light, and the next 6 lights, a total of 2 min 26 seconds. 2:26 of my life I will NEVER get back!! If that’s average for my commute thats 4:52 seconds a day, or a little over 21 hours a year (if I did my math right). I was running all the math in my head getting more and more irritated, when I realized 2 things.

1. There is nothing I’m going to do about it…

2. It’s simply not a big deal, its not gonna matter…

The FACT is that if I’m stuck at that light 2 min or 20 min the world is not gonna change, the sun will go up and set just the same, there is simply NO reason to worry or fret about it, it’s a fools endeavor to worry about such things. Jesus said it best, “Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” Luke 12 22 – 26 NLT

I have actually posted this verse in a lot places around me, its in my office at work, and my office at home, I have it highlighted in my Bible, I have it written on one of my bookmarks, and yet I still rarely think about it, I rarely draw from the simple wisdom of the verse. I think its our human nature to get caught up in our own worries and struggles and miss a lot of what God wants us NOT to miss… So what to do about it….

STOP – take a breath, pray for a min, and focus on what is the most important. it’s NOT easy, our culture is one of busyness, and it’s hard NOT to get sucked into it. The key is to spend the time on stuff that is meaningful and lasting…

-Christopher Behnke

Is Worry Eating You Alive?

2010-08-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Do you lay awake at night trying to figure out how to make it all work…

Do you often look back fondly to when “things were easy” and when you didn’t have the worry you have now?

Being worried about stuff, worried about things that are totally out of my control is one of the things I struggle with the most. Worrying about today, worrying about tomorrow, about the kids, work, money, the house, the car, the dog, (Ok I don’t have a dog, but I do have a ferret, I guess I don’t actually worry about the ferret much) anyway, sometimes it feels like there is nothing in my life that I “don’t” worry about. It’s something that I have struggled with my whole life.

One of my all time favorite verses in the Bible that I quoted in my last blog post was Luke 12:22-26, I love this verse because it’s not just true, but also simple and blunt, which is frankly what I need a lot of the time. Another one that helps me when worry starts to creep into my head, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:34 (NLT). Isn’t this so true!

The reality is that being concerned and planning for the future, and the future of your family, specifically to ensure that you are able to provide for and meet their needs is important. I don’t believe that’s what Jesus was talking about, for me, most of the “worry” I have in my life is either, one -> about things that are totally out of my control, or two -> about things that are simply not that important in the grand scheme of things.

For most “worries”, no amount of mental energy spent on it with have ANY effect at all. All the self imposed stress and concern over something that you have no control over is frankly a total waste. Spending all night long tossing and turning, worried about that big meeting tomorrow will have ZERO effect on the outcome of the meeting, you can’t “will” something to happen, it just doesn’t work that way.

“People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.” Ecclesiastes 5:12 (NLT)

I think verse cuts right to the heart of a great deal of the stress in our culture. Why is this verse so true? Does money cause stress? I don’t believe so, I believe what causes this kind of stress is the love of things, when we focus on things we will inevitably worry about them. How am I going to save it, or insure it? How am I going to invest it? How am I going to protect it, or avoid taxes on it?

How am I going to keep from losing it?

The more you have, the more you’ve got to worry about.

So how do you live in a “stuff” culture like ours and not get caught in this cycle? Well that’s the question isn’t it! Jesus made it clear that the problem with money wasn’t money itself, but really was a heart condition about “things”.

I think the key is in that verse as well “People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.”

The challenge is to find the gifts that God has given you and use them for his glory, and to work hard, doing just that. If your focused, He will take care of you “Luke 12”, you will be able to focus on the task at hand, “Mathew 6.”

Think about how sweet it would be if you weren’t worried about the “stuff” of your life, and could just focus on what’s actually important!

-Christopher Behnke

Can You Succeed and Still Love God?

2010-08-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

Can you “succeed” and still love God?

“You’re not listening! I’m telling you, you simply CAN’T have a lot of money, drive a nice car, or live in a big house if you want to serve God! You can’t have both!” My friend was getting more frustrated. He was so adamant about it that I decided to just leave it alone and listen. We had been talking for a while and somehow we got onto the discussion of success, money, possessions and being a Christian. He was 100% convinced that anyone that had wealth or was “successful” could not possibly love God.

Wow! What a distortion of God’s word!

I would argue the question “Can I be successful and love God” isn’t actually the “right” question. A more appropriate question is, “What does it mean to be successful, how do I understand what God wants for me.”

It’s my belief the two are not mutually exclusive, and a person can love God, and be successful. One is not necessarily a path to other, nor is one exclusive of the other.

What about 1st Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…”

Yea, what about it, it’s VERY true, I can relate! Like most of us, there have been times in my life when I have struggled with the love of money. However, it’s not the money, I believe, it’s safe to say you could insert “anything” in place of “money” and the passage would still be just as true.

For the love of “work” is a root of all kinds of evil…
For the love of “your house” is a root of all kinds of evil…
For the love of “facebook” is a root of all kinds of evil…
For the love of “your job” is a root of all kinds of evil…
For the love of “power or position” is a root of all kinds of evil…

or let me get a little closer to home for some of us, how about,

For the love of “your family or your children” is a root of all kinds of evil…

or even,

For the love of “ the ministry” is a root of all kinds of evil…

I know I’m stepping on toes here, but I have seen families destroyed by well meaning parents “serving God” all the while sacrificing their children to the “ministry” or “mission field”, it happens every day, examples abound.

“If it’s not about money, then why does Paul specifically call out money?” I think Paul uses money in this example because it’s dead simple to understand, and hits home to a lot of us.
The important thing to take away is that the love of ANYTHING more than God is the root of all kinds of evil, when we put something, or someone, higher on our priority list than God we are headed for trouble.

The reality is that God has created each one of us TOTALLY unique with varying skills and gifts, and he calls us to serve in different ways! The point Paul was making when he wrote this passage was that the “love” for something other than God was a root of all kinds of evil. It is such a simple concept, it’s human nature to spend physical and mental energy on the things we “love”.

“If it’s not just about money, then why does Paul specifically call out money?” I think Paul uses money in this example because it’s dead simple to understand, and hits home to a lot of us.
The important thing to take away is that the love of ANYTHING more than God is the root of all kinds of evil, when we put something, or someone, higher on our priority list than God we are headed for trouble.

So what’s the answer to the question, “can you succeed, and still love God?”

I believe that monetary wealth doesn’t have anything to do with success, and things like peace, rather than wealth should be used to define success. Ask a person with money but no peace if they are happy and satisfied, if they answer honestly, they will never say they are happy.

Go out and love God, it’s through Him you will find “real” success.

-Christopher Behnke

I would LOVE your feedback, I’m not afraid of criticism, you won’t hurt my feelings so please let me know what you honestly think about the stuff I write about. If you have some feedback shoot me an email at chris@behnke.us

You focused on what will last?

2010-08-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

Am I focused on what is going to last?

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now you know I love to ask questions to get you thinking… Here is one that I have been asking myself for a few months now. Am I focused on what is going to last?

It’s often said you can tell where a person’s priorities are by where they spend their time and money! A couple people were at a funeral of a very rich acquaintance, as they looked at their friend in the casket one said “It’s a shame, he had so much to live for” the other turned and said “No, he had so much to live on, but he had nothing to live for…”

What “defines” my life? If I were to die right now today, what would be said about me at my funeral? What would my family and children say about the way I spent my life?

I know when I start to ask myself questions like this I squirm a little. I wonder if the things that I work so hard on are really the “right” things. Are they the things that matter? Will they last?

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 – 18 (NIV) I love the encouragement in this verse! The trick is to keep your eyes fixed on what is going to last, and to spend our efforts building up those things.

If your like me, it’s so easy to get caught in the “rat race” of everyday American life, the trap of a “little bit more”, but it’s so important to NOT let that happen.

“They” are counting on you! Your children, spouse, co-workers, even the friend you haven’t met yet… 20 years from now will that raise you are working for actually matter? Will getting that new car have made a difference. That “bigger” house or apartment is nice, but what will it have actually done for you and your family?

I bet though if you spent more time focused on things that “last”, like the health of your marriage, relationships with your children, or witnessing to your coworker. That after 20 years you will NOT regret it. Have you ever heard someone say “I sure wish my dad or mom spent less time with me, and more time working so we could have a bigger house”

It’s not that big houses and nice cars are bad, in fact they can be great blessings! It’s diverting the “focus” from things that will “last”, to things that will “not last” that we need to be cautious of. It’s not easy, in fact, it’s one of the most difficult things to do.

I challenge you to ask yourself if what you spent your time, money, and effort on in the last 6 months was what what you want to be “remembered” by, if not, today is a new day!

Let’s refocus!!!

-Christopher Behnke

A Little Bit More

2010-08-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

“Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.”Ecclesiastes 5:19 (New International Version). I love this verse, it’s something I personally need to hear. If your anything like I am you know how easy it can be to get caught in the trap of (if – then) thinking. (Sorry the geek coming out there)

If (I get that new job) -> Then (I’ll be happy)
If (I was married) -> Then (I’d be happy)
If (I wasn’t married) -> Then (I’d be happy)
If (I had kids) -> Then (I’ll be satisfied)
If (I made 20K more) -> Then (I wouldn’t worry about money)
If (we had a bigger house) -> Then (the kids and I would be happier)

And the list goes on and on!

Peace and happiness don’t come from things, status, money, or power. You’re as happy as your going to be with or without. It does not come from getting more, or having what you want, it comes from being satisfied and finding happiness in what God has blessed you with now!

Let me say that one again, “Happiness does not come from getting more, or having what you want, it comes from being satisfied and finding happiness in whatGod has blessed you with now.”

Oh man it’s sooooo hard for me to keep that in perspective sometimes. It’s easy to get caught in the if-then thinking of “I could just manage to get that one thing, that car, house, job, THEN I could relax and be happy.” Unfortunately It just doesn’t work that way. A while back I wrote about dissatisfaction and this post today ties in with that well. It’s sick but true, we live in a culture designed specifically to cause dissatisfaction with our current situation.

“There are only two ways to have enough in life: get more or want less.”

Think about how much happier we would be if we wanted less.

How much “richer” would God’s blessing on our lives be?
How much “more powerful” of a witness could we be?
How much “greater” would God be able to use us?

Lets find out!!

-Christopher Behnke

NO Fear of Man!

2010-08-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine Isaac Tolpin was speaking at an event I attended last night, and he asked a question that really stuck with me, “What would your life look like if you didn’t fear man and only feared God?”

The question really got me thinking… Hmm… What would the world look like if tomorrow morning all the Christians in our country woke up and magically had enough faith to “actually do” what God asked them to do?

Think about that for a second, what would it “look like” if we actually lived out what we talk about on Sunday morning?

A little closer to home…

Ask yourself, “what would it look like if I had enough faith to “actually” do what God asked ME to do?”

Wow….

I believe that God has blessed each one of us with a unique blend of gifts and strengths that if we allow Him, He will use in powerful ways. I know in my life I often get stuck in the trap of hesitating, sometimes just a little, when God asks me to do big things. Why? Why do I doubt when it matters most, why do I stop, often times at the very end! When it comes right down to it, it’s almost ALWAYS fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of change, fear of “no” change, fear of looking stupid, fear of….(the list goes on!) At the end of the day it’s a fear of “man” that causes that hesitation to push forward into uncharted territories.

God calls us to fear him and him alone.

When God does big, powerful, “impactful” things, it ALWAYS requires someone stepping out on faith without fear of man. I would challenge you to think about how much YOU could accomplish without the restrictions and concern of what people think, what they might say, or what happens if it doesn’t work out!

Lets find out!

-Christopher Behnke

Trials are Joy? What?

2010-08-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Most people would agree that Joy is a good thing, and may even have an idea of how to obtain it. Visions of abundant money, time, friends, family or even walking on some quite beach in the tropics come to mind when we think about joy. Not many of us however, would think of the “trials” in life as something we should be joyful about, but that is exactly what God says.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2 – 4 NIV

I LOVE this passage! I know I know it seems odd, but let me try to explain why.

A little over 2 years ago in an effort to improve my health and feel better I started running again. Over the 2 years I have grown quite passionate about it. When I started it was difficult to run more than 10 miles a week, and those 10 miles were hard, painful and slow. However, over the last 24 months I have spent time training, steadily increasing milage and speed, now a typical week is usually around 35 – 40 miles, with MUCH faster times. I didn’t just run “more” miles, I also spent time doing speed work, interval training, tempo runs, and worked on breathing techniques (ok this makes it sound like I’m faster than I am, trust me I’m still slow). Anyway, the point is many of these work outs, especially some of the long weekend runs were quite painful. It would be safe to say much of the time I had no desire to do the training at all!

I did anyway, I did it because I knew if I wanted to be able to run the race, if I wanted to be able to make the entire distance with reasonable speed the training was required.

There is simply no shortcut. The training while painful is an unavoidable prerequisite to complete the race successfully.

I love thinking about “trials in life” in the context of physical training. Like those long 20 mile runs, the “trials” we face in life are VERY difficult and unpleasant, but can make us stronger.

IF we take advantage of them.

I believe that God doesn’t typically cause bad things to happen to us. Life is hard because we live in a messed up “fallen” world plain and simple. He can however, use “trials” to “train” us, IF we let him. The trick is to trust Him not just in good times, but when we are going through difficult times, and let those experiences make us stronger. Nothing is more valuable that life experience!

When I look back through my life I can see time and time again how difficult situations “conditioned and strengthened” me. God used those times for “training” and “preparing”, so that I would be ready for what purposes He called me for when the right time came.

The challenge is to have the clarity and vision to recognize these times as an opportunity and consider them Joy. This is NO EASY TASK, it’s very challenging to have the wisdom to see things for what they really are in the mist of a difficult time in your life. HOWEVER, IF you can, God will teach you.

Trust me the training is worth it when the “real” race comes!

-Christopher Behnke

Busyness “the problem” we LOVE to admit we have!

2010-07-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Just 10 more min on this project then I’ll go to bed, just one more episode of my favorite show, a little bit more time on Facebook, just one more article in the local newspaper, as soon as I finish watching the local news…

Busyness is a plague in our country, we ALL deal with it. we can’t escape it, it’s built right into our culture, a culture that looks down on you if you can’t prove to the world how busy you are! When was the last time you heard someone say, “you know, I’m so relaxed and not busy these days, it’s just GREAT, I have the time I need to focus on things that are truly important and really matter to me!”

It’s very easy to get caught up in this trap, frankly it’s almost impossible not to! Billions of dollars are spent every year in the US alone on things to make our lives more efficient, everything from pop-up email reminders, to iphones, to drive through windows! They are all gonna save you some time so you can get MORE done.

I suppose the question shouldn’t be how do I get MORE done, but instead, are the things I’m “doing” the right things to be doing? It should be about quality, not quantity. As the years go by, the number of projects on my plate continues to grow, responsibilities have risen as my family has grown, my job has become more demanding, and generally “life” has become much MUCH more busy. As that happens it becomes natural to measure by quantity instead of quality, somehow it feels “good” to tell people how busy you are, how “full” your plate is…

I would argue that God DOES call us to have full “productive” lives, He tells us in Matthew 3:10 this is important. The difference can be subtle, but busy is not necessarily “full and productive” Your life should be full of things that will last, and stand the test of time. How many of the things that you do each week would you say fall into the bucket something that will “stand the test of time” or “have a meaningful impact on the world we live in”. I’m not saying that everything a person does should be “world changing” but I am saying (myself included) it’s important to evaluate our schedules, to do lists, and life priorities on a daily basis.

I know if I force myself to go through that exercise my life makes more sense, my kids work together better, all the problems I encounter are in little better perspective, frankly, I feel like my life is worth more when I force myself to take the time each to day to honestly evaluate the real value of everything I do.

Life is short, there are only so many “things” a person can do, make sure that the “things” on your list are the ones that will last, and truly matter.

I read a really awesome poem by David L. Weatherford a while back that stuck with me

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight,

or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,

when you ask “How are you?”, do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

Ever told your child, we’ll do it tomorrow,

and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

’cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don’t dance so fast,

time is short, the music won’t last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

it’s like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn’t a race, so take it slower,

hear the music before your song is over.

by: David L. Weatherford

-Christopher Behnke