tiffany d smith

My Blog has Moved!!!

2010-03-01T13:01:00.001-06:00

It has now become Missional Mayhem @ tiffanydsmith.wordpress.com!
Come join the conversation!
t

Crossing our Own Jordan River: Dealing with Barriers

2009-12-14T16:52:00.019-06:00

The memorial stones in Joshua 4 were designed to be seen and to testify about this time when God had completely held back the waters of the Jordan River in order to lead the Israelites into the land that He had promised. The Israelites had to depend upon God and trust Him to miraculously remove the barrier and to lead them to the fulfillment of His promises. The Israelites did nothing out of their own ability, strength, or cleverness. It was ALL God! The monument of the memorial stones was a dedication to a great miracle, a great crossing, and a new beginning for the Israelites.

There are times when the Christian faces a surmounting challenge that leads only to trusting God for a miracle. As we cross our own Jordan River in life, we are dependent upon God alone. There are simply barriers that are beyond our control that we cannot cross on our own. Thus, we come to a place where our feet touch the edge of the waters and we must wholly trust the Lord God for salvation. When we face these times in our lives of crossing our own Jordan River, we need to carry our memorial stones as we cross so that we may prepare to testify about our great God and His mighty works in the end. Joshua chapter 4 ends with verse 24 that emphasizes the great works of God: “…all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

Etching these moments of God’s faithfulness into our memories will encourage and lift us up when facing the next metaphorical river in our lives. “We remember [the past great works of God] as a point of faith, so we can trust God for greater and greater works in the future, because we have seen and experienced His past faithfulness.”[1] Keeping a written account of these treasured experiences with God is beneficial for the time when memory fades because of overwhelming circumstances or dimming hope. Meditating about God's faithfulness throughout time.... in the lives of the Israelites, the disciples, and our own life provides a renewed spirit in times of despair. Remembering God’s provision, guidance and tender care is foundational to our faith and hope ~ even through the most difficult circumstances in life. Let us make a pile of memorial stones in our own hearts and minds as we cross our own barriers and Jordan Rivers so that we will remember and testify about our Great God – to a great miracle, a great crossing, and to a new beginning in our lives.

[1] “Joshua 4,” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary. Web page. Available from http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=mhc&b=6&c=4.

Feel Misunderstood? Like an Alien in this World?

2009-12-11T12:54:00.008-06:00

The desire to be known and understood intimately can often leave us feeling like Aliens and Strangers in this world... Truly, God is the only one who connects to our hearts and souls deeply.

1 Peter 2:11
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

There are many levels on which I relate to an alien…

-As a Christian, my entire worldview and foundational principles for life are contrary to the cultural norms… the result is a partial disconnectedness from my culture and the majority of those around me… viewing the world with a different set of lenses…

-In reality, I truly am a foreigner on this earth…My true home is in Heaven…Therefore, as an ambassador of Christ in a foreign land (II Cor. 5:20), I am to embrace my alien papers…To become too comfortable and too content in this foreign land is a detriment to my ministry and the hope which is set before me…There are days when this tension of being in this world, but not of it is more difficult than others… if it isn't… then there just might be something amiss… on this side of heaven, there will always be that "soul-ache" that can only be fulfilled when we are finally home with our Heavenly Father…

-Then, there's of course the issue of my quirky personality! =) Being a visionary and artistic-type, I am often misunderstood… or not understood at all…This can be lonely at times… I tend to seek out others who are like me to find some camaraderie… but, for me, it has been difficult to find true connectedness and authentic relationships... It seems that our culture promotes relationships around an event, conference, etc. The day-to-day sense of fellowship and community has been a rare jewel to find in our very individualistic society...I have found myself sitting at a stoplight longing to be somewhere else… in a foreign land… adopted by a foreign village of people… to be truly connected to someone…

We all have a need for connectedness… A desire to be deeply understood by another…

This does not always equate to complete agreement or harmony...But, to be known and understood on the deepest of levels… and then to be loved to the core despite weaknesses or differences is a vital desire of the human heart…

I know that there will always be that "soul-ache" that can only be satisfied by God… As long as we are aliens and strangers on this earth, that "soul-ache" will never completely be fulfilled.

Yet, I truly long for someone to understand me and know me to the core of who I am… How incredibly amazing it is that we have a God who knows us intimately and formed us with His Divine hand…

I find great comfort and peace in this…

Psalm 139:1-18

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

When You Feel... Remember...

2009-12-01T08:56:00.004-06:00

When you feel… weary from the world…

Remember… Isaiah 40:28-31 ~ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

When you feel… that you are not treasured…

Remember… Psalm 17:7-8 ~ Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

When you feel… that things do not make sense…

Remember… Proverbs 3:5-6 ~Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

When you feel…You are not beautiful…

Remember… Psalm 45:11 ~ The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for He is your Lord.

When you feel…You are a failure…

Remember… Romans 8:28 ~ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

When you feel… that no one understands you…

Remember… Psalm 139:2-4,16~ You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD… Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

When you feel…You will never find real love in this life…

Remember… Romans 8;38-39 ~ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[ neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When you feel… You have been rejected…

Remember… Psalm 147:3 ~ He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.

When you feel…There MUST be something wrong with you…

Remember… Psalm 139:14 ~ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

When you feel…No one cares about you…

Remember… 1 Peter 5:6-7 ~ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

When you feel…You are completely alone…

Remember… Joshua 1:9 ~ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

When you feel…That your life is worthless…

Remember… Jeremiah 29:11 ~ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When you feel…confused and vulnerable…

Remember… Isaiah 41:10 ~ So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

When you feel hopeless…

Remember… Psalm 62:5 ~ Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

When you feel shattered …

Remember… Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

Hebrews 13:8

50 Things To Do Before I die

2009-12-01T00:31:00.000-06:00

50 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

1. Fall In Love
2. Ride in a Hot Air Balloon
3. Go on an African Safari
4. See the Northern Lights
5. Dance Under the Stars
6. Learn Spanish
7. Meet George Bush (43)
8. Travel to Ireland
9. Plant a Garden
10. Swim with Dolphins
11. Go to a Firefly Festival
12. Meet Beth Moore
13. Live with no Debt
14. Take an Art Class
15. Learn to Use a Miter Saw
16. Buy a House
17. Go to a Film Festival
18. Learn to Make Pottery
19. Sell a Piece of My Artwork
20. Have My Art in a Show
21. Travel to the Amazon
22. Have coffee in Paris
23. Get my Doctorate
24. Learn Photography
25. Eat Gelato in Italy
26. Plant an Herb Garden

27. Date Someone From Foreign Land

28. Write a Book

29. Travel to New Zealand

30. Go to Venice

31. Travel to New York

32. Get Married

33. Become a Mother

34. Explore the Alaskan wilderness

35. Trek through a Rainforest

36. Go white water rafting

37. Go to a Spa Resort

38. Learn Karate

39. Invest deeply in 3 “Timothys”

40. Share my faith in India

41. Teach Conferences

42. Horseback Ride on a Beach

43. Travel to the Holy Land

44. See the Sistine Chapel

45. Lead a Muslim to Christ

46. Catch a Marlin

47. Lead a Child to Know Christ

48. See Gorillas in the Wild

49. Help Someone Else Thru School

50. Live a Life Worthy of my Calling!

musings...

2008-10-12T16:20:00.001-05:00

The tenacity of my love for Christ is not determined by mere feelings or the flutterings of my heart…it runs deeper than that – to the very core of my being & the marrow of my bones. tiffany d smith

Catalyst 08 w/ Dave Ramsey

2008-10-12T16:15:00.002-05:00

Dave Ramsey

There are enemies to unity.
Unity is an unbelievable power – there is no synergy where there is no unity. Unity is a spiritual happening. You have to be very intentional and proactive to create it. It doesn’t just occur. Nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

The 5 enemies of unity:
1. Poor communication – can take many forms but when the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing, then strife sets in. Foster good communication. Create communication. It doesn’t just happen.

2. Gossip – is degrading and will destroy a church or organization. This is the Christian sin that we don’t talk about. Nasty organizational sin. Zero tolerance policy for gossip. We are trying to do work that matters. A successful leader develops and maintains a culture in which negatives are handed up and positives are handed down. We bail our hate mail. Don’t talk to ppl about a problem that can’t fix the problem – that is gossip. By definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can’t help solve the problem.

3. Unresolved disagreements – unresolved disagreements happen when a leader doesn’t know they exist or when that leader avoids confrontation. You have to deal with it. Leaders have to have a back bone. A little confrontation cleanses the wound and allows the parties to go forward in a spirit of unity. We need to know we got each others back even though we have different styles and approaches. The leadership leads! There is drama and you better deal with it. Act quickly and decisively. When you are aware there are hurt feelings and/or disagreements, act quickly and decisively. Don’t act with squirrel theology! Like a squirrel in the middle of the street not knowing which way to go with oncoming traffic. You never kill anything if you say: Ready...aim, aim, aim…. Leaders make a call. It might be the wrong one, then you get to make another call..

4. Lack of shared purpose – lack of shared purpose is caused when a leader doesn’t restate the goal, the vision and mission early and often. Know where the goal is. The team better knows where they are going. Drop and do push ups for others… shared purpose. Think big picture. It is not all about me.

5. Sanctioned Incompetence – it has been said that sanctioned incompetence demoralizes. We are all incompetent at something. Do not allow someone (or self) to goof off… when you sanction that in leadership, then you damage your witness. If we are gonna be Christians should have a level of excellence that is STUNNING! Don’t shoot the wounded… have grace and mercy when people are dealing with stuff. Team members will evetnualy become demotivated if incompetence of others is not dealt with appropriately. For the sake of unity in the entire group the leader must deal with it.

When unity is valued in the culture, the team will also act to keep these enemies from the gate.

Very few things are unified. Few churches or organizations experience real unity. Only when you are on the same page can you get things done. In unity, you can pull four times the weight and work harder and smarter.

Catalyst 08 w/ Craig Groeschel

2008-10-12T16:03:00.002-05:00

Joel 2:12
Return to me with all your heart…
"It" - That thing that we seek...
I want it. I want more of it.
Something special of God that He oftens does in people and thru people.
When people are critical about church and what/how the church is functioning.... Craig says, "Please do not insult the work of God by saying something so careless…"

"It" is a special work of God….
We often say, "This place has 'it'." or "This place doesn't have 'it'!"

What are the things that contribute to “it”?
Holy SpirIT
God makes IT happen… from him, by him and for his glory.
We cannot create it or manufacture it.
It is not a model. It is not a system or a program.
It has an upside. Lives are changed forever.
People are healed. Eternity is differenct because of the presence of God.
It does have a downside. It has critics.

The most important ingredient of all others… is that you have IT. Not about location, money, the right music, etc. It is about you being overcome with the power and presence of God. It is you feeling that and believing that and being consumed with that.

Somewhere along the way… something happened… like the ministry started to beat IT out of me… the ministry actually quenches it… like a slow leak in a tire…. That something special of God leaked out… rather than measuring success b the inward promptings of God, I measured success by the outward things I could see. I wasn’t about building His church, I was about building my church.

Full time pastor, and a part time follower of Christ.
I had it and I lost it… and so have many of you.
What do you do when you are in ministry and you have lost IT?

You have to do something drastic… because if something small would have worked, you would have already done that!!!

God, stretch me. If we are not careful, then we transfer my faith into my own abilities….
You could say that I had a $5 faith…but not a $100 faith…
God, stretch me…

Did you see?? There is more in you… don’t let any board of trustees, elders, or whomever talk you out of it… stretch me, God! Obey the voice of God. Heal me. I am addict to: People pleasing. Adrenaline. Technology. Don’t care more about what people think… care more about what God thinks. Step into the authority and the anointing of God…

I will not sacrifice my children on the altar of ministry. I need to get transparent with God. Who or what will stretch you? Who or what will bring healing in your life?? Be around them. Why do we lose IT?? We care more about what others think..

Before God can stretch you.. he needs to heal you.. before he can heal you, he needs to ruin you. God, ruin me. Rip your heart before God. I return to you with weeping and fasting and mourning.

Do not seek to be above the pain. Break my heart God. I want to willingly step into it. God do whatever it takes. Ruin me for your glory.

This was Craig's ending prayer (by Sir Francis Drake) from Catalyst 07 ~ which still impacts my heart:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Catalyst 08 w/ Seth Godin

2008-10-12T15:54:00.002-05:00

Seth Godin – (Seth gave every one in the Catalyst audiece his new book, Tribes!)
More people to touch, more interaction, more goodness, more growth…
Not a lot of tactics, but a lot of strategy.

How do we grow?
Marketers used to grow by advertising…
Marketers figured that interrupting people and poking… the model of cramming it down their throats doesn’t work any more… something that is better, more organic, more reliable… people talk to each other… who else is going to be there?? And who is going to lead us??

The idea of tribes… people like to tdo things with eachother. There used to be only 3 tribes: church, community and work tribes.

To be part of a tribe… makes people feel good. Connection… the internet has allowed the pockets of differences to stick together…. Tells people what we stand for , who we are… people like being w people they like being with…

Tribes at work – part of our identity…
A crowd is not the same is the tribe – a grop of people, self selected, always with a leader, connected… tribes have insiders and outsiders. We definie ourselves by who isn’t there as well. Crowds don’t matter. What matters is how connected people are. The more powerful your connections are… the more valuable…. Having leverage… connect those fans to eachother…. Tribes work within organizations. Build a platform where people can connect.

You lead a tribe…. Used to be a one directional leadership motion
Tribes want a cultural movement… if you want to grow, then a cultural movement is what you want!

When you work with a tribe, and understand the strategies behind what you are doing, then there is more growth. It is not a top down thing. It is a side to side thing.
It is important to them. The idea that there is somthg vital to who you are and who you connect to when it really matters. You can make the tribe tighter. You can make the tribe bigger. – marketing management is now tribal leadership.

The idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive…
Tactics for building a tribe…
There are a million tools to choose from…

Find someone who is naturally leading and give them a platform.
Start with 1000 true fans. Or maybe 10. Who can be persuaded and led and inspired?

The first thing that works is that you have to do something that people can criticize.
Things that tribes do to grow:
Find people that thought they were alone in the world
Find people that always knew there were people like them

It is about leading, not controlling…
Sheepwalking is another giant problem – no one follows those people.
No one follows who is mediocre. If you are in the middle of the bell curve, then you won’t grow.

I am begging you to become heretics - Someone whose faith is so deep that they are willing to deal with critics b/c they believe that they are right. Doing something that they believe in and something that matters. There is a giant distinction between faith and religion. Heretics challenge the religion and embraces the faith. Controlling through a series of rules squelches the growth. The rules get piled on… sometimes heretics seek out a rule and break it on purpose. Acknowledge their faith but not let the rules stand in the way. Push against the boundaries.

You can lead
Leadership is the same thing as marketing and marketing is the same thing a as leadership
Challenge the tribe
Intentionally create a culture for the tribe
They have curiosity – always pushing probing finding out what is next
Charisma – you get charisma b/c you are a ldr.
Communicate – they figure out how and when and where to talk WITH, not TO the tribe
Connect – how to connect the tribe… let the people talk to eachother
Leaders commit – they do things that are often uncomfortable

The tribe wants to connect and create meaning.. they want to make a difference in the world. They want to be noticed. They want to matter and they want to be missed.

I want to inspire you to be inspiring.. it doesn’t have to be something right out of a movie…
"4V2" – Is the decision you got to make every day …
Are you do something 4 the tribe or 2 the tribe?? - "4V2"

Catalyst 08 w/ Jim Collins

2008-10-12T15:48:00.003-05:00

Jim Collins –
The greatest chief executives most signature characteristic is humility – defined as a passionate burning ambition of the values, not themselves.

You cannot build a successful church based on you. It cannot be about you.

Think about the difference between the flywheel of the church and the flywheel of the faith –
Those who understand how to build an organization, know that the success is really measured when you are not there. If it goes on without you. It endures.

What is the direction on the flywheel? The hedgehog concept. The hedgehog knows opne big thing and really focus on the one big thing. You want to push the flywheel in the intersection of three circles: what you are passionate about, what you contribute uniquely, and the resources (ppl, $, and brand reputation)

The WHO is more impt than the what.
Part of being a great leader is disciplined action:
The critical thing is not wking more hours… the critical question is not what to do, but what to NOT do. Focus. Focus on priorities. If you have too many priorities... then, you really have none.

There is always a duality about A or B. Is about leadership OR followship. It is about leadership AND followship. It is about financial strength or serving the needy? AND. There is a lovely symbiotic tension. AND. Preserve the core and stimulate progress.

What is the core are the values. What must never change is the core values. But where we get in trouble is confusing values with practices. How is this up and coming generation of church ldrship different than before… it is not about the set of denominational practices, it is about the values. Every generation needs to create its own practices to passionately exemplify the eternal values that cut across all generations.

BHAG – Big Harry Audacious Goal -

Ten things Jim Collins would like you to consider doing and not doing:
1. Go to website. Good to Great diagnostic tool with your team to self assess how are we doing?

2. How many key seats are on your bus? How many are filled with the right ppl? How close are you filling them 100%?

3. Build a personal board of directors. Of true leaders and people you look up to.

4. Get young people in your face. Have them pushing you and challenging you. There is something very special about this upcoming generation of leaders. Get them in the keys of leadership asap. You want the right young people in your face.

5. Asking what job, what career, etc. The question is WHO. Who will you allow to be your mentors. That is far more impt than what organization, career, etc.

6. Build a counsel. Use your counsel as disciplined thought.

7. What is your questions to statement ratio??? Don’t give answers. Ask them questions. Can you double your ratio in the next year? You spend way too much of your life trying to be interesting… why don’t you invest more time being interested.

8. In the age of great electronics, then you need to turn off the gadgets. Take white space days. Nothing can be scheduled. Quiet days. NO gadgets! Work is infinite and time is finite.

9. How do you become level 5? The level 5's always began with how do I commit myself that I have the passion that I can endure the pain of level 5 decisions. They engage themselves in a worthy cause that they have such passion that they can endure the pain of level 5 leadership.

10. Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Of conscious choice and to discipline. WE are not imprisoned by our environment our setbacks our mistakes, staggering defeats… we are freed by our choices. It is the choices that no on can see.

Peter Drucker: Pay your mentors back by mentoring others. We are put here for a reason and that is to be useful.

Catalyst 08 Lab w/ Tim Stevens -

2008-10-12T15:46:00.001-05:00

Tim Stevens – Pop Goes the Church

Two realities that are true in our culture today.
In so many communities, churches are not making an impact. As a matter of fact, in some places, churches are actually in the way of communicating the gospel.

Barna: attendance is in decline b/c ch is irrelevant, or bad personal experiences, etc.
We are not getting the job done as far as connecting with the unchurched.
Spiritual interest is growing. People want to develop their inner life, but they do not know where to seek. People love the jesus, but not the church.

Publically talking about spiritual issues, but the church is not in that dialogue.
Church is answering questions people are not asking. The church is not typically a safe place to ask the questions that they want to ask.

John 1:14 – Christ became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. He moved to where the people were. He immersed himself into the culture to communicate the gospel.

Catalyst 08 Lab w/ Ed Stetzer

2008-10-12T15:43:00.001-05:00

Ed Stetzer:
Jesus – Who do you say that I am?

God has chosen the church to make known his manifold wisdom.
The more talented and gifted you are, the more likely you are to depend upon those gifts rather than the Lord Jesus Christ! Surrender your gifts to Christ for the Kingdom of Christ.

Make sure Jesus is the hero of the church, not your creativity. The message should be: “what a great God.” - Not “what a great church.”
Alan Hirsch – we’ve got to “re-Jesus” the church… church planting… our lives.

As much as it is your church,
Grab hold of it… be "mean about the vision" to reach the unchurched!
Jesus says: I will build my church – not you!

There are more verses in the bible that justify you having a concubine than forming a denomination…

If the kingdom of God is advanced,
Do not denigrate our bros and sisters in Christ – who are doing the work of the King.

Plant because the Kingdom has birthed the church. At the end of the day, the keys of the kingdom are given to the church.

Catalyst Lab w/ Jim Henderson & Matt Casper

2008-10-12T15:40:00.001-05:00

Henderson: Interview w an atheist.
Taking an atheist to church would be a good experience for all of us.

Casper: The music is too contrived. Too much polish and you lose the soul in music.

What was one of the most offensive things that you experienced?
Casper: The incessant demands for money. Jesus was anything but an enterprising capitalist. Wished churches were more like AA. They just barely cover expenses. There is no excessive demands for money.

How can pastors communicate better?
Casper: Promises of heaven and threats of hell do not work as they have in the past. Talking about the difference in peoples lives. Not just bringing them into belief. That is a means, not an end.