Made for Something Great

 

 

I read an interesting quote recently: "You were made by the God who made Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Theresa, and Steve Jobs." -- Donald Miller

Consider the contributuions these people made to the world during their time on earth. If that same God lives in you, how much of a contribution could YOU be to the world?

You are not a waste of time and/or space, you were created to make a contribution to the Kingdom of God for the world that is God’s. Pursue God and live out that contribution. Blessings as you Chase After Him.

Called to Greatness?

In Isaiah 6:8, the prophet says: “I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The Lord was calling Isaiah to something great, and before knowing what it was, he stepped up and said, “I’ll do it!”

Thinking of how you pursue God, what might He be calling you to? Whatever the answer, keep in mind that the work you do, isnt about you, or your glory it is about the work of God, His Kingdom, and how He might be glorified through you.

“Jesus answered, "If I were trying to glorify myself, my glory would mean nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.'” -- John 8:84 ISV

“So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”

-- Romans 9:16 NASB

PRESS RELEASE: Calgary Author Launches New Book

For immediate release

Chasing After Him: Calgary Author Launches New Book

 

By Tim Schmidt

 

Published by Tim Schmidt

 

ISBN 978-0-9876806-1-7

 

Price $14.95 + GST

 

 

 

Do you long to make more room in your life for God? Does your heart ache to be closer to Him?

 

Most of us do... but sometimes it seems so complicated. Or it feels like another task to add to our To Do list.

 

Chasing After Him: 30 Days Pursuing the Heart of God, by Calgary author Tim Schmidt, helps you do exactly as the title suggests – pursue a closer relationship with God.

 

But these short, simple chapters don’t make it a burden. They don’t weigh you down with To Do’s. They help you see God more clearly, shining light on simple steps you take to move closer.

 

As you move into a new year, Chasing After Him will renew your peace and recharge your hope.

 

Chasing After Him ia available for purchase on Amazon Blurb or through Tim’s website

 

http://tims-bits.blogspot.ca/p/books.html

 

Learn more about the author at http://tims-bits.blogspot.ca/

Lighten The Trod

When you ask God to carry your load, the Holy Spirit moves. Once drowning in sorrow the floodgates of God's mercy and grace now overcome you. Lightening the trod on your path toward holiness.

May you pursue Him today with your whole heart, mind and soul. Today, tomorrow and forever, amen.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Yes! Seriously! At least that’s what I have been challenged with lately: Taking Jesus Christ and my relationship to Him more seriously.

 

 

I like to joke around. People have suggested that I be a stand up comedian. I considered it at one point, working on a few jokes I might share on amateur night at a comedy club. Then I stumbled on to a problem ... My quick wit is at its best laughing at situations. I make jokes about the world around me. Most often, I’ll see someone do something, and spin 4 or 5 jokes about one situation.

 

Sometimes this tactic impacts my approach to Christ. I will take something serious about Jesus and turn it into a laughable moment. On Easter morning for example, instead of basking in the seriousness of the Saviors Resurrection, and its impact on the world, I will make jokes about it being rabbit hunting season and we should all head to the forest, weapons in hand and let the killing begin.

 

 

In moments like this, people don’t laugh. They boo me and ask why I don’t take Jesus more seriously. And Rightfully so. Jesus is more then just a get out of jail free card. In the world of science fiction, if I am John Conner then Jesus is my Terminator, taking bullets from the evil T-1000 who only wants to steal kill and destroy my life.

 

 

 I wonder why I don’t take him more seriously. What about you? What comes to mind when you think about the person of Jesus Christ?

From Him, Through me, to You

I’ve known for quite some time now that one of my spiritual gifts is intercessory prayer. I don’t know why God chooses me to pray for the people He lays on my heart. I just know it happens. I also know there are 2 things I could do with these random urges to pray for people:

     1.  I could drive myself to the brink of insanity trying to figure out why OR

     2.  I could simply enjoy the fun of watching the Holy Sprit urge me into prayer

Like the time I was lead to pray for someone in Tennessee.

It was wing night at a pub; me and my buddy Cliff decided to meet there and chow down a pound or 2 of wings. Earlier in the day, Cliff managed to cross paths with an MRI repairman from California. After some small talk, cliff invited the man to join us and make it a trio. As I got to know the guy, he told me he was sent by an MRI company to tinker with one of their machines at the university.

For some reason, meeting this MRI repairman immediately brought to mind a friend and her husband living in Tennessee. What an odd connection, I thought. Why is an MRI repairman from California reminding me of friends I have in Tennessee? WeIrD!!!

I didn’t understand the connection, but I still prayed for my friend’s husband.

The next day, while talking to them over Facebook, my friend Michelle tells me her husband needs to get an MRI done on his shoulder and asks me to pray that things will go well when he’s at the appointment. A bit shocked, I tell her about what happened at the pub and the Lord’s already got me praying and will have a better prayer time now that know more about their situation.

Recently the editor of my book went to Russia on a short, 6 week mission trip. Prior to her leaving we built a rapport and she shared some details about her going. I told her if the Lord lays it on my heart/mind to pray for her while in the land of borscht I would.

I recall one time The Holy Spirit did so through the mouth of a barista in a Second Cup.

While filling an order for a French Vanilla Latte, the barista makes an interesting observation:

“What’s the deal with French vanilla? Is it any different then regular vanilla? Why does all the fancy stuff have to be named French, what’s wrong with calling it Russian Vanilla?”

The word "Russian" triggered a memory of that promise of prayer support for Jeanette, my book editor. this lead me to prayer on that occasion and many others during her 6 week adventure. The prompting to pray often accompanied her requests for prayer via her blog or Facebook page. As a thank you,  Jeanette sent me a fridge magnet and a picture from the time she spent there with a note saying that my prayers often lifted her spirits during that time.

I responded in an email saying it was a pleasure, and that my prayers are merely a blessing from God, through me, to you; and that He deserves some credit too.

Maybe that’s (in part) the point of a spiritual gift. Whatever the gift may be, prayer, hospitality, an edifying word, it is God’s way of blessing someone through you.

So if your befuddled with the “why me?” question, remember this simple little phrase. It’s a blessing from Him to someone else through you.

Who or What is Piloting Your Life?

An airline pilot’s main job is to get people from point A to point B safely. When you call West Jet to book a flight, one of the first things they will ask you is where are you going? And you might say, well its November, and I don’t like the cold so take me somewhere warm, like Cancun Mexico. Then they’ll take all your information down, charge your credit card a bazillion dollars and save you a seat on a flight to Cancun in November. They will pass that information onto the pilot who will then map out a route to Cancun and make sure him and the rest of his crew get you there safely and, (if weather permits) zero turbulence.

People have things piloting their life everyday. People may not be Boeing 747’s filled to the brim with passengers and luggage, but we all have things, like the air line pilot that guide us down a path to a certain destination. I hope to inspire you today by asking who or what is your pilot, and where is your pilot leading you?

For example, I heard a story the other day about a mother who was addicted to crack cocaine. She had no money, no steady job and would spend her nights seeking floor space in homeless shelters so her son wouldn’t freeze to death at night. Any money she had, she would use it to feed her drug addiction. At one point she got so desperate for money, she gave her son up for adoption in exchange for a weeks worth of drugs. By doing so, she gave him a better life, but now a mother has to live everyday with the guilt of treating her only child like a simple trading card.



This is an example of a bad pilot. In this story, the driving forces behind mom’s decisions were selfish. She cared more about scoring drugs and where to get her next high, and then she did about a life together with her son. As a result she’s now in a lonely depressive state, bearing a pain that no one should bear. Drugs were piloting her life and lead her down a dark, lonely path.

What about your pilot? Who or what is your pilot? Is it leading you down a dark path, or is your pilot directing you with purpose and vision like Rick Hoyt?

Piloting Rick’s life are his parents Dick and Judy Hoyt. Born in 1962 with cerebral palsy, doctor’s advised Dick and Judy to put their son in an institution. Against doctor’s advice, they kept Rick out of the hospitals vowing that he will live a full and happy life just like everyone else. And that’s whaRick did, entering public school in 1975 and graduating from university in 1993.

Graduating from university is great, but it’s not what Rick is known for. Rick Hoyt loves competing in marathons. He did his firs 5 mile road race in 1977 and loved it. He loves it so much that he has now competed in over 1000 marathons, including a few triathlons. All thanks to his pilot. His father and friend, Dick Hoyt.

Whether he’s pushing Ricks chair down the path, or swimming his son across the river in a small raft, Dick Hoyt guides his son from point A to point B as safe as he can. Dick and Judy Hoyt are piloting their son’s life, making choices that put a smile on Ricks face, and joy in their hearts.

I started by asking about you and your pilot. I’m also going to finish by asking about you and your pilot. Who or what is piloting your life? And where is it leading you? Is it an addiction, forcing you to make bad decisions leading you to a lonely and desperate place? Or is your pilot an adventurer guiding you down paths and across rivers of excitement? Who or what is piloting your life, and where is it leading you?

You're Not Moses

I am six weeks into my membership with a toast masters club. I have been going since January but have been reluctant to join. When you join you get a couple workbooks; one that teaches you about the leadership roles necessary to run the club smoothly and another is filled with assignments that guide you in formal speech delivery and preparation. Some examples of roles in their leadership manual include a time keeper. Someone to monitor the amount of time you spend speaking to the crowd. Another role is the head toastmaster, or emcee of the evening. Their responsibility is to host the crowd and provide smooth transitions between each portion of the meeting.

The workbook with speech assignments give you tools to become a better public speaker. The first assignment’s goal is to build your confidence in public speaking. It’s also designed to show you how easy it is to find content for your speeches.

I became hesitant to join after looking through the assignment book. My hesitation was due, in part, to the fact that I already know the basics of public speaking. I know that opening with a good hook, or catch phrase captivates your audience and if successful, you have lured them in wanting to know more. With approximately a decade worth of public speaking experience, instead of building on the skills I already have, I was afraid I would be digressing.

I also considered Moses who wasn’t the most eloquent speaker (Exodus 4:10), yet led an entire nation of people in revolt against Egypt’s pharaoh (Exodus 3:7-10)

These are two reasons that slowed my obedience to God in becoming a public speaker. I eventually swallowed my pride, listened to the Lord’s promptings, joined, and as of this past Tuesday, completed my second speech at toastmasters.

I have been obedient in joining a toastmasters meeting, but there are still times I catch myself asking why, if I have experience speaking before crowds, am I at toastmasters, revisiting the basics of speech preparation. Until this week.

Possibly my greatest roadblock to being obedient to God's call of pursing public speaking was knowing that Moses wasn’t the most articulate speaker, yet he was chosen by God to transform Egypt’s prime labor force into a seperate nation. If Moses wasn’t the best with words, why must I go through this training that forces me to revisit and reuse skills I have had for years? The answer came in two parts.

First and (perhaps) foremost, Moses wasn’t the one that spoke to the Israelites. His brother, Aaron, spoke to them for Moses. Comparing myself to Moses was irrelevant. Moses barely spoke to the crowds if at all. This comparison could never disqualify me from having to be part of toastmasters.

The second part of the answer had to do with name sakes. If my life was a carbon copy of Moses’ life, I’d still have to go to toast masters, or at least take part in some formal training for public speaking and relearn the basics. Why? Because I’m not Moses, I am Tim. I’m not some adopted son of a pharaoh living as a sheep herder in the Middle East. My name is Tim and I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  So comparing myself to Moses and insisting I don’t need to climb the ranks as a public speaker is just goofy, because I’M NOT MOSES.

And unless your living in the ancient middle east and share the same name, occupation, and lifestyle of the characters in the bible, perhaps your just like me: you’re not Moses (or any other biblical person for that matter), so don’t be surprised when God calls you to do something that no other biblical character has done, regardless of your likeness to any Biblical Patriarch, because, like me, YOU’RE NOT MOSES!!!

A Speech I Gave at Toastmasters This Week

I joined a toast masters club about a month ago and gave my first speech at this weeks meeting. Below is a copy of the speech I gave. I titled it, The Epic Journey of Tim Schmidt and contains snippets of my life story... so far! I hope you enjoy it, and please don’t hesitate to comment and let me know what you think of it, blessings, Tim

____________________

Good evening Mr. Toastmaster, fellow members and guests. I hope you all feel welcome here today. As mentioned in the introduction my name is Tim, and I would like to spend the next few minutes telling you a bit about myself. Because today’s theme has to do with story telling and fables, I want you to listen closely and then afterwards tell me when I was being a mother goose.

The first question people ask when they meet me is: what happened? How did you end up in the wheelchair? I usually respond by saying I was born. Wheelchair and all. That’s why my mother had a C-section when I was born. They couldn’t get the chair through the birth canal.

Okay, really, I was born with cerebral palsy which is the doctor’s way of saying I was born with brain damage. Because of this I use the wheelchair. But having this chair doesn’t mean I just sit there all day, these wheels take me places and I hope to share bit of my journey with you here today.

My fondest memories start at the age of 15 when I discovered a passion for cooking. Earning top marks in foods class filled my head with dreams of going to SAIT and being a chef. Sadly, I never did fullfill that dream. I may not be the sharpest knife in the kitchen but I can still make an orgasmic chicken soup and turn chocolate haters into chocoholics.

my plans for going to SAIT changed when I attempted suicide at 19.  After this I made a life altering decision to go to Bible College and be a youth pastor. It was here that I earned the nickname globe trotter as I embraced a new passion for travelling. If I wasn’t in class I was en route.

For 5 months in 2002 I juggled school work while travelling to the following places:

the country of Belize, Ottawa Ontario, great falls, Montana, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Edmonton, red deer, Grande Prairie, Pine Lake, Taber, and Regina Saskatchewan. I’ve even seen the towers of Isengard and Mount Doom. The last stamp in my passport was in 2005 when I traveled to Poland for 2 weeks.

I think it goes without saying, that after that I cooled my jets, stayed home, and studied. I graduated in 2009 with a bachelor of religious education and since then, my adventure continues. I moved out of my parent’s house, and into a one bedroom apartment in Inglewood. I help lead a small church in McKenzie town and am 2 thirds of the way through editing my first book.

I still like to travel and on Boxing Day in 2009 I took the greyhound to Hamilton Ontario and back. Never do that! That was a LOOOONG trip. That’s 2 and a half days one way.  this past summer I was a counellor at a camp for people with disabilties and a guest speaker at camp Chestermere in august.

Mr toastmaster, fellow members and guests, there you have it. I hope you’ve enjoyed my trip down memory lane and that I have been a good host. there is more to my life then what I’ve shared here today and I look forward to sharing it with you in the days to come. I also hope that I have kept your interest and you’ve been able to pick out my fables.