Sunday morning service, January 1, 2012, at The Assembly at Broken Arrow.

Part of the 2011 Christmas services at The Assembly at Broken Arrow. Barry (vocals) and Garrison (iphone guitar) were part of this group.

The past 4 years have been some of the toughest economic years in our country’s modern history. Wide fluctuations in the stock market, the unemployment rate, and the weekly barrage of negative reports about the state of our economy have affected the families of America. Not too long ago our family heard an economic report that wasn’t encouraging and one of our kids asked if we were rich. What an opportunity to teach a lesson and to remind myself….

Our American mentality has skewed so many of us into believing that if we don’t have everything that a neighbor has, we’re not wealthy. If we don’t have the new iphone or ipad, trendy clothes, or the new car… then we’re “not rich”. A few years ago I found a website that gave me a dose of reality when it came to comparisons I was making. Take a look at globalrichlist.com. Enter your family income and it will compare your income to the income of families worldwide.
You will see very quickly that you indeed are “rich” and that God has blessed you. Perspective is key in times like these.

I have to admit I’m not that great with directions. As much as it pains me as a man to say, my wife has a better sense of direction than I do. That doesn’t mean, however, that I’m quick to stop and ask for directions when I am lost. I’m often convinced that the place I am trying to reach is just around the next corner.

Seth Godin writes about Dr. Jan Souman, a researcher for the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. He studied what happens when a person has no map, no compass, no way to determine landmarks…. No setting sun or North Star….

The research showed that without these landmarks and other tools in determining direction… even if we are concentrating and trying to walk in a straight line and arrive at a new destination… we actually walk in circles… In Dr. Souman’s own words “Don’t trust your senses because even though you might think you are walking in a straight line… you’re not.”

I’ve met a lot of people who think they’re walking in a straight line when it comes to life decisions and choices… and often, after some time, they recognize that all they have really done is walk in circles. In our changing culture where right and wrong have been blurred and tolerance and independence has created so many paths, it’s often hard to recognize the best path for your life.

There’s a Scripture that I memorized years ago that helps me bring clarity to the fact that we are not alone and without a compass or guide.

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Do you feel like you are walking in circles? God promises that He will be a lamp to your feet and a light on your path. Life is too short for you to fool yourself about the direction you are taking. This promise of God is especially true when we are approaching a major life decision. Take a few minutes today and recalibrate your soul by finding a few verses to meditate. It will change your life’s direction. Don’t walk in circles.

Here’s a video recap of our Mpact Student Ministries (The Assembly at Broken Arrow) fall outreach we call, “One Big Party”. Garrison and Audrey are both in the video. It was a great night. Justin Weaver and Chris Cunningham, our student ministries pastors, and a wonderful group of staff and volunteers created an amazing experience.