Drivng Out Distractions - October 28, 2009

Driving and Distractions are a Bad Mix

Our goal has been to see Winning Race Teams: Households that live out the message, power and glory of God to their neighborhood, community and the world. We can learn some lessons from NASCAR. This funny video shows how just how distracting it can be for a driver:

Distractions

Distraction is the diversion of attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. Distraction is caused by one of the following: lack of ability to pay attention; lack of interest in the object of attention; greater interest in something other than the object of attention; or the great intensity, novelty or attractiveness of something other than the object of attention. Distractions come from both external sources (physical stimuli through the five senses), or internal sources. Divided attention, as in multi-tasking could also be considered as distraction in situations requiring full attention on a single object (e.g. sports, academic tests, performance). Distraction is a major cause of procrastination, though it is possible to be diligent and still diverted from what is valuable.

Driver distractions are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes. According to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction. The distraction occurred within three seconds before the vehicle crash! According to the NHTSA and VTTI study, the principal actions that cause distracted driving and lead to vehicle crashes are:

• Cell phone use (hand-held or hands-free phone)
• Things inside the vehicle (food, children, book, friends, loose pets, in-vehicle navigation system, radio surfing, blackberries, and other portable devices)
• Things outside of the vehicle (an accident, a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement, construction work, a billboard advertisement, a scenic view, street names and addresses )
• Applying makeup

Driving is a skill that requires your full attention to safely control your vehicle and respond to events happening on the roads around you. Driving involves constant and complex coordination between your mind and body. Events or things that prevent you from operating your car safely are distractions. There are three types of distractions and they are anything that takes your: 1. eyes off the road (visual). 2. mind off the road (cognitive). 3. hands off the steering wheel (manual).

When you are driving, the condition of the roadway you are on and the behavior of other drivers can change abruptly, leaving you little or no time to react. When you are driving, follow these rules: Stay focused. Pay attention. Expect the unexpected.Drive safe and stay alive. Keep your mind on your driving, keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel!

Distractions will keep your family from winning the race

Distraction is our Enemy"Among the enemies to devotion none is so harmful as distractions. Whatever excites the curiosity, scatters the thoughts, disquiets the heart, absorbs the interests or shifts our life focus from the kingdom of God within us to the world around us--that is a distraction; and the world is full of them. Our science-based civilization has given us many benefits but it has multiplied our distractions and so taken away far more than it has given. One thing is certain, however: we cannot turn the clock back to quieter times, neither can we hide from the persistent clamor of the 20th century. We must learn to live in such a world as this and be victorious over it."A.W. Tozer

Distractions must be conquered or they will conquer us.
Why we should strive to eliminate distractions: It prevents giving full attention to God and the ones He has entrusted you with. It takes attention from God’s plan ultimately delaying or aborting it, missing God’s perfect timing concerning people, things, and events.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. –Matthew 6:6

How do you deal with distractions?

You make tough choices on how to drop "entangling ones" - AVOIDANCE MANEUVER "While the grace of God will enable us to overcome inevitable distractions, we dare not presume upon God's aid and throw ourselves open to unnecessary ones. The roving imagination, an inquisitive interest in other people's business, preoccupation with external affairs beyond what is absolutely necessary: these are certain to lead us into serious trouble sooner or later. The heart is like a garden and must be kept free from weeds and insects. To expect the fruits and flowers of Paradise to grow in an untended heart is to misunderstand completely the processes of grace and the ways of God with men. Only grief and disappointment can result from continued violation of the divine principles that underlie the spiritual life."A.W. Tozer

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

How do you deal with distractions? Cultivate simplicity - let us want fewer things
Technology has become the tool in which our society has become mesmerized with. We own electronic devices so lifelike that they seem almost as real as being there. Televisions, stereos, Ipods, Mp3 players, cars, boats, planes, motor-homes, motorcycles, computers, computer games, mini-computers, etc. are such a large part of our lives that no longer do we need to interact with others, we can simply spend all of our time with our ‘toys’. We have sports teams all over the planet. Our minds are so filled up with ‘things to do’ that we have lost track of the ‘things that we should be doing’. All of these things train us to look in the world for ways to spend our time. We all seek fulfillment, but all of the worldly things do not offer true fulfillment, they are distracters that callously steal our valuable time. An emptiness develops within us as we look to the world to fill the void we feel.

How do you deal with distractions? Walk in the Spirit, Fill your minds with the Word of God, Fill your hearts with thanksgiving and praise.

How do you deal with distractions? Remain Christ-centered

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Race Strategy to Cross the Finish Line - October 21, 2009

Race Strategy to Stay on the Track and Cross the Finish Line

Some of the Top 10 Nascar Crashes:

Race car drivers have to be top notch athletes. They train on the track and in the gym to get their bodies in peak physical condition. Because of the intense speeds, high heat, and crushing forces, it's one of the most rigorous, stressful sports:

• Learned to stay calm under pressure instead of panicking
• Be alert and aware at all times knowing distraction for just a split second can have disastrous results when driving a car that is rocketing the length of a football field per second
• Deal with temperatures that can reach 150 degrees in heavy protective clothing, a driver can loose up to 8 pounds of water in a single race
• Experience g forces of about five times Earth's gravity--greater than those felt by astronauts during shuttle liftoff

Sign up for AAA - Awake, Alert & Alive: 1 Thessalonians 5:6 “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.”

Keep your focus - Remain Christ-centered
· Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Clear Communication - Pray, Pray, Pray
· Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Reduce Stress - Simpify
· Matthew 6:31-34 “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
· Luke 8:14 “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. “

Handle the Heat - Trials
· 1 Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
· Hebrews 12:3 “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
· James 1:2-3 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Resist the G-Forces - Temptations/Sin
· Ephesians 6:10-17 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
· Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
· Hinderances: pride, unforgiveness, greed, impatience, hot/quick temper, jealousy, private sins, lust, procrastination, etc.

Physically Fit - Personal Disciplines
· 1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
· 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
· Common Spiritual Disciplines: Bible Study, Prayer, Solitude & Silence, Fasting, Serving, Worship, etc.

Maintance/ Pit Crew excellence - Family Devotion
· Deuteronomy 6:5-8 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
· Family Time Devotions, scripture memory, family mission projects, etc.

Roles on a Winning Family Team - October 14, 2009

Family FX 400 Race
· Warmup/Qualifying Laps: Meet, Greet & Share your Parent's names
· Laps 1-100 Share Roles of Your Parents
· Laps 101-200 Ephesians 5/6
· Laps 201-300 Roles Defined
· Laps 301-400 Roles Applied

Victory Lap When a husband, wife and children all fulfill their God-appointed roles in the family, when they have all committed their lives to Christ and to His service, then peace and harmony will reign in the home.


Blueprints found in Ephesians 5:15-6:4


^{15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.}

²¹Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²²Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body. ³¹"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Ephesians 6
¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ²"Honor your father and mother"—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³"that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." ⁴Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.



Original Design for the Family
· Designer: God
· Design: Lifetime commitment before God of one man and one woman, and their offspring or adopted children
· Roles: Husband/Father, Wife/Mother & Children
· Extended Design: Household includes relatives by blood or marriage such as grandparents, nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.
· Modified Design: Due to the reality of divorce or death, many households are led by a Single Parent, Step Parents, Grandparents or some other guardian. Although faced with great challenges, these households can discover God's best for them and follow His ways. Our culture readily accepts the idea of divorce, but we know God hates it (Malachi 2:16) and knows better than we the fallout from it.

All:
· Family Team members (as they come of age) to be Christians, having a true relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
· Both men and women are equally valued in God’s eyes and both are created in His image and likeness. However, men and women have unique roles in family life.
· All team members need to discover God’s will for their individual lives in the context of the family He has place them in.

Husband:
· Loves his wife as Christ loved the church—sacrificial giving of self for her to be all God made her to be
· “Leaves and cleaves” clean break with family of origin; fully invested and focused on his wife and kids
· Be the spiritual leader in the home (takes the initiative). Instructing and teaching both his wife and their offspring scriptural values, leading the family into biblical truth.
· Provides for his family - if he does not, he “denies the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
· Protects his family from physical, mental and spiritual harm.

Wife:
· Respect her husband and willingly submit to his leadership in the family
· Being her husband’s helper (Genesis 2:18-20)
· Having children and raising, nurturing them as a compliment to her husband’s fathering.
· Support the family with her organization and industry (Proverbs 31).

Children:
· Obeying their parents until they are adults on their own
· Honor their parents for their lifetime

Winning Race Teams - October 7, 2009

Everybody loves to WIN! No matter what sport, everybody loves to win and hates to lose. And that is certainly true in NASCAR racing. For this series we will be looking at what makes a Christian home a winning household. Winning Race Teams: Households that live out the message, power and glory of God to their neighborhood, community and the world. Along the way we will hear from Nascar driver Kyle Petty and what God has taught him and his family.

LESSONS FROM NASCAR RACE TEAMS:

1. No One Wins Alone - For every victor who crosses the finish line there is a host of others who make it happen. From the owner to the pit crew, everyone has an important role to play. In the Disney movie "Cars," Lighting McQueen learned the hard way that he did need others to truly succeed. God has designed the family to accomplish His purposes in the world, and it takes each working together.

2. Everyone Knows Their Role - Each on the Race Team must do their unique role to make it all work together to win the race. The family is also made by God to have roles. As each learns and lives out their role they can work together to be a winning family.

3. Clear on What is a WIN - What is the ultimate goal for racing? Winning the race, crossing the line! For the Christian household, we have the same goal as that of the Apostle Paul: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Acts 20:24

4. Work Together to Win - It involves more than just great individuals on the team. It requires that they learn how to work together in harmony. The family must value each member and value what they can do together.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

5. Hi-performance Systems - From the car itself, maintenance, performance, pit crews, management, promotions, etc., knowing how to design it and make it operate at the highest level is required. God has given us disciplines as believers to make sure we stay on track to Christlikeness and bringing Him glory. As a family, we have to see what are we intentionally doing together and as individuals to see this happen.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24

6. Avoid Crashes & Pitfalls - Races rarely go off without a hitch. There seems to be the inevitable crash, yellow flag, spills and spin outs. The family is under attack from all sides and needs to be ready for trials and temptations to get off track.
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?Galatians 2:2
I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Galatians 5:7

7. Finish Well - At the end of the day, what counts in racing is how you finished. Paul could say, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 We want to hear as families: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" Matthew 25:23

Begin your plans now to be involved with the Soap Box Derby Race Night for Family FX on November 18. See the attached document at our Family FX page for complete instructions: http://icelebrationmembers.org/children.aspx?a=viewPost&PostID=10362

Passing on the Cape: Superhero Successors - September 30, 2009

You don't encounter too many successors in the world of comic book superheroes. Superman had his Superboy and Scooby Doo had his Scrappy Doo, but for most Superheroes passing on the cape was not on the agenda. For the Christian household, following our Superhero Jesus, having successors is not only a good idea it is part of God's will and plan.

"Future historians will see best the multiple factors, that led to the decline of America. But I suggest one of the major factors will be the failure to replace ourselves with enough stable children born to families with the ability to raise successful children." Richard Lamm

Starting in 1677: genealogy of an immoral man who married a prostitute. 1,900 descendants resulted from that union. Of these, 771 were criminals, 250 were arrested for various offenses, 60 were thieves, and 39 were convicted murderers. These people spent a total of 1300 years behind bars. They cost the state nearly $3 million.

"The first thing a man should do if he would succeed in life is to pick a good mother and father to be born of." Henry Ward Beecher

Edwards family: Christian man and woman who wed in the late 1600’s. Three generations later Jonathan Edwards was born to become a revival preacher and president of Princeton University. There are 1344 descendants in the Edwards legacy. Of them, 186 were ministers. Dozens were college professors, 86 were state senators. And there have been 3 congressmen, 30 judges and one vice-president of the United States. All this, and there is not one record of prison, divorce or public welfare.

"Though one cannot do anything about the heritage handed down to him, one can do everything about the heritage he hands down to others." Stephen Crotts

David’s Final Words to Solomon: When David was close to death, he told Solomon his son: "I am about to die. Be strong and become a man! Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you by following his instructions and obeying his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ‘If your descendants watch their step and live faithfully in my presence with all their heart and being, then,’ he promised, ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ 1 Kings 2:1-13

God's promise and warning to the Israelites: And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34:6-8

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." Deuteronomy 4:9-10

The Psalmist writes:

O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-
what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their forefathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.
Psalms78:1-8

Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. Joel 1:2-4

Planning for a Godly Heritage

• Keep record and celebrate what God has and is doing


• Disciple reproducibly (can your children take what you are doing with them and do it with their children, who can do it with theirs, who can do...)


• Make family traditions (that reinforce your beliefs)


• Leave a tangible legacy (in writing, on video, on audio, etc.)