chillydog1's Xanga

go to: www.InsomniaChronicles.com thanks!

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:10:27 GMT

Hey, take the 'GoodNight Quiz' at:

INSOMNIA CHRONICLES!
come check it out!

(just click INSOMNIA CHRONICLES - above - and then bookmark it)

insomnia chronicles is moving.

Sat, 19 May 2007 02:58:01 GMT

Friends, after prayerful consideration and lots of research, I have decided to start posting my blog at a new location. Ahhhh!

Yeah, I threatened to quit completely when my xanga reached 100,000 visits - well that happened yesterday - but instead of quitting, I'm simply moving to something new ... my own commencement perhaps.

I have chosen "typepad" as my new format. Here's my reasons: it offers me the opportunity to list my posts in catergories that are easy to search - plus, I can also list what I'm reading, listening to, etc and share my friends & mentors blogs (via links). It's still kind of an experiment for me - who knows maybe I'll crash & come running back to xanga. Know this: I'll still keep this site so that I can read your stuff and leave comments.

Soooo, off to typepad. By the way, I'll be listing some of my previous posts as well as new ones in order to bring my new friends up to speed and also add searchable categories to my old posts for easy navigation.

Please check out my new site and let me know what you think. It's not too posh (yet) but it's functional. Just click the following link and you're there!

NEW Insomnia Chronicles!

... more than duct tape.

Thu, 17 May 2007 02:48:57 GMT

I often wonder: "Is the church broken?" ... and, IF it is broken, "who or what broke it?"

Now, obviously the problem rests with individuals - since we, ourselves, are the "temple" - yet the problem becomes all the more complicated as we become organized into a corporate entity. Certainly, there is strength in numbers (if correct) but that means there is also danger in numbers (if incorrect).

I suppose every generation of church leaders, pastors and passionate servants have been grieved by the complacency of the previous generation. Today's leaders in this are called emergent, postmodern and relevant - and they are committed to saving the church or reinventing it.

Yet, ironically, the church seems to out survive all of those trying to save it.

Yes, someday our kids may be referring to Rick Warren, Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, Craig Groeshel, and, yeah, Chilly Chilton as old-school, out-of-touch, religious has-beens... ouch.

And the church? It will still be alive.

Now, I'm not suggesting that we don't seek to improve or fix what's broken - but simply be honest enough to admit that we are not the saviors of the church - Jesus died and rose for that honor - He's always interceding for it - and His prayers are PERFECT.

I think lots of things need to change, and I'm called to provoke such changes. God created me and others to think differently, to be culturally sensitive, and missionally motivated. I have a purpose and task - I will be judged for how I did. But, I don't need another new book - I need more of the old, true & perfect book. It's more relevant than any other title or writer. And, its author made me... and you... and the church.

just me rambling at 2:48am...
chilly

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Wed, 16 May 2007 11:51:52 GMT

i woke up this morning and pulled my youngest son, chase truth, into bed with me. we snuggled.

i prayed late last night and I was lifted by my Father, I AM, into His loving arms. we snuggled.

yeah, i get it. do you?

The principle of simplicity

Tue, 15 May 2007 16:53:54 GMT

Materialism is an obsession with material things.
Asceticism is the denial of the good gifts of the Creator.
Pharisaism is binding ourselves and other people with rules.

Instead, we should stick to principles. The principle of simplicity is clear. Simplicity is the first cousin of contentment. Its motto is, 'We brought nothing into this world, and we can certainly carry nothing out.'

It recognizes that we are pilgrims.

It concentrates on what we *need*, and measures this by what we *use*. It rejoices in the good things of creation, but hates waste and greed and clutter. It knows how easily the seed of the Word is smothered by the 'cares and riches of this life'.

It wants to be free of distractions, in order to love and serve God and others.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sun, 13 May 2007 22:20:52 GMT

there's a new podcast and video
available for today's sermon:
YOUR MOM!
enjoy it!

psst, just click 'your mom' for direct link to iTunes - then click subscribe

oh, also, PRAISE GOD, several people accepted Christ this morning!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sun, 13 May 2007 13:40:52 GMT

Happy Mother's Day!!
to my mom, my mother-in-law,
and to my gorgeous wife!

church planting - done with love not loot

Fri, 11 May 2007 11:57:24 GMT

i was at a minister's breakfast yesterday that showcased various church plants (including us) as well as introduced endeavors to assist in planting new churches. good stuff. i love doing what i'm doing. but, as i listened and heard the challenge to plant more churches... i kind of felt discouraged. i thought, "we can barely meet our financial obligations right now... how will i ever be able to start another church?" and, God being cool like He is, answered my thoughts and said, "a church is an individual, when new churches & ministries were started in the New Testament, it was the result of individuals planted by their discipler into new places. you, have planted lots of 'churches' all over the place because you have discipled and released others." - so cool!

"You should know that your body is a CHURCH for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have
received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves" 1 Corinthians 6:19
-- see, you are a church plant!!

so, i'm connected with ministries all over the world because i have answered the great commission and made disciples and then released them to make even more. as a result new ministries, outreaches, and churches have begun and grown & grown! hundreds and hundreds of people have accepted Christ! there are disciples of some of my disciples that i don't even know but yet, i'm connected to...

my availability is God's opportunity to do a great work through me.

His church planter, chilly

p.s. IF you're one of those "churches" God used me to plant... thank you for trusting me. I love YOU!

hopelessly hopeful

Wed, 09 May 2007 20:38:27 GMT

i returned to Real Church late this afternoon from spending the day in "business meetings" for the fellowship that i am a part of... to be honest, i was tired, frustrated and saddened. it's hard to put in words. i think there are really cool people sincerely wanting change yet trapped within the parameters of a system that is difficult to change. i don't want to be critical. i know i don't have all the answers... i have few answers... but i know THE answer: Jesus Christ!

... and with Him on my heart, i simply became very transparent to group of 35 teenagers tonight. we looked at Acts 3 - and talked about making our life matter right now. i gave a really tough challenge and yet 6 fearless teenagers stood up in the middle of their peers and stepped out to declare that "my life will be different from this day forward on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis." Christ came into their lives. and right now, as i type, they are in one-on-one discipleship settings with my key leaders. we are going to meet with them, pray with them, and love them every day until they can walk strong on their own.

others in the group who know & live for Christ, with teers streaming down their faces, joined together in groups to pray & challenge eachother to great steps of holiness and to be zealous with their daily witness lived out and proclaimed.

hope exists. fight for it.

alive on purpose, chilly

it doesn't have to stink...

Mon, 07 May 2007 03:45:15 GMT

have you ever really looked at the story of the "rich young ruler" in the Bible (mark 10, luke 18)?

i see something so amazingly sad in this story. now, before i go on, you've got to remember that this is a real account from the life of Christ - not a parable. it proves the timelessness of the Word of God - for this is a clear depiction of today's generation - yeah, from our american culture... ok, back to the story:

with great passion & sincere desire, this young man throws himself at Jesus' feet and says, what do i need to do to get a free pass to the promise land? he's basically saying, i'm down with your whole new way of doing things, i like it... a lot, and i want in! but this isn't like any other job interview he's ever had. it seems great at first, Jesus throws the little dog a bone: He basically says, you want to go to Heaven? - no problem, be a good boy and obey the 10 commandments. the young guy thinks to himself "i'm IN!" as he humbly responds, "i've done those things my whole life." thinkin' Jesus will now toss him the keys, he begins to breathe easier... then Jesus drops the bomb! He says, oh one other thing, you've got to get rid of ALL of your stuff: money, music, toys, relationships, and anything else that competes for the Lordship of your life. give that stuff away and I'll make you my disciple. don't miss that part: He said "MY DISCIPLE" - Jesus loved this guy and was ready to break manmade superstitions and add a 13th dude to his team. what an offer!

... but, with the dark cloud of selfishness, pride, and greed looming over his life, the young guy turns his back to Jesus and walks away into the shadows of time ... tragic. modern Bible translations simply say, "sad." - trust me this is a loaded little 3 letter word.

this encounter with Jesus could have had such a cool ending: the kid runs back, sells off all of his stuff, blesses a bunch of poor people and returns to become the 13th warrior! YES! ummm... it doesn't happen.

what's really painful is that this story is relived again, and again, and again.

it's like Jesus says to the guy, look, I know you've got the whole "church" thing down pat... you're not a monster - you stay out of trouble - everyone says you're a good guy... but you spend too much time on the internet, your ipod is always on, you text everyone, you worry about your image all the time, and you've got way too much stuff. basically, He's saying your life stinks like everyone else. bummer... wait, but he doesn't just point His finger, no way, He opens His loving arms to say, and I'M THE CURE TO A STINKY LIFE. telling the guy to sell his stuff & bless the poor wasn't just a command, it was a cure.

why would anyone keep something temporary and refuse something eternal? stupid, right? now wait, before we get too judgemental about the young guy, take a look at you - go ahead, do a little inventory check - invite the Holy Spirit to point out any unwanted/unneeded stuff in you. hmmm. does your life stink like the guy in the story? are you counting on your religion and church attendance to cover for your greed? Jesus doesn't want converts, He wants disciples. the key here is, you gotta die to all your stuff - everything! you see, before a person meets Jesus they are dead, eph. 2:1. dead to spiritual things, but alive to the world. after salvation, they are to be dead to the world, but alive to God, rom. 6:11; gal. 2:20. there's NO other way.

HE doesn't want your life to stink. it shouldn't. are your possessions holding you back? i'm not saying that you can never have anything - that's not what this story is about. it's about making Jesus LORD. the young guy wanted Jesus to tell him the way, but Jesus instead showed him that He IS the way (John 14:6). He must be Lord of ALL - this means He has rights to everything that we have, everything we are and everything we will be. and yes, that kind of loss in control is actually liberating and exciting - HE obviously knows best. HE is trustworthy. and HE loves you!

some have suggested the rich young ruler was later converted and was none other than Barnabas, others have said perhaps it was Mark. either would be awesome... but we don't know for sure. and we should never assume another chance will come. act on what the Lord is saying to you right now... be His disciple.

dying to live, chilly

* to hear more about this story, check out my podcast this week. it's part 2 in the sermon series:
"mind your business" - this week's message is: "still fly" (act your wage). click here > iChilly

note: there are some similar thoughts in this month's relevant magazine..