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Groundwire has entered in America’s Giving Challenge. There is an overall goal of $50,000 for the cause that obtains the most contributors. There are also daily awards of $1,000 and $500 to the cause that gets the most people to donate on that calendar date.

We are targeting Tuesday, Nov. 3rd as the day we’d like everyone to donate so we can go after the daily prize that day. Will you join us by contributing that day. You can donate by going to either the Facebook fan page or the Facebook Groundwire cause page and locating the donate link.

The monies raised will go towards placing GW commercials on TV stations such as MTV, VH1, and Cartoon Network.

When we all come together for the cause the result will be thousands of lives impacted by the message of hope found in a relationship with Jesus!

I remember the first time I read this short but powerful chapter. God spoke to me about perspective and attitude. I have reread it many times since and shared it with many. Rereading this book again and wanted to share it with you. Maybe it will speak as clearly to you as it has to me. After you read it, I would love to hear your thoughts.

“It’s quite. It’s early. My coffee is hot. THe sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replace by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so i choose.

I choose love…
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of a lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God created me.

I choose goodness…
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness….
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness…
Nothing is won by force I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist may it only be in prayer. if I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control…
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. i will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influence only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on a pillow and rest.

From, “When God whispers your name.” by Max Lucado.

Something that ran across my desk today has me deep in thought and is pushing me deeper into prayer. I started to read an article about two British teenagers (18 and 16 years old) who were arrested for “plotting a school massacre inspired by the Columbine killings in the United States.”

What gets me is not that they were so desperate and depraved that they were willing to do something that drastic. What jumped out to me is that they were INSPIRED by Columbine.

I have to tell you, that I am tired of students being inspired by anger, hatred, and revenge. It hurts to hear stories about teenagers and young adults who become so warped because of pain, hopelessness, and anxiety that they feel the only answer is to strike back and lash out.

I am fully convinced that the God of Heaven hurts when these young people can’t hear His whispers of love and His invitation to find in Him the peace, joy, and perspective that will transform their world.

When I think of the young people who are frustrated and confused…when I picture those so desperate that they are willing to take their own life or willfully hurt someone else, I see them sitting in front of their television station watching the adult swim programming on Cartoon Network late at night or listening to the angry, vengeful lyrics coming from their radio stations. That is where they spend their time and that is where we can reach them. That is why we aggressively place messages of hope and purpose on those stations. By pointing them towards the One who loves them, we may help them forget about those who have hurt them. By sharing Christ’s message of meaning we can combat the voice that says life isn’t worth it.

Today, I was just reminded how impressionable these students are. They are looking for something to inspire them. If Christ doesn’t, then something else will. Don’t you think that is a cause worth investing in?

If you are like me, you want God to be the voice that is heard. By partnering with Groundwire you can help us broadcast the inspiring message of hope as well as offer live conversations with trained spiritual coaches. You can get involved by praying (we know that prayer advances God’s causes and weakens the enemies’ position), becoming a coach, or by making a donation at this time. If you would like more information about any of these options, or other ways you can be participate in rescuing students let me know. I would love to have that conversation with you.

Yesterday while spending some time in Southern California, I met with a friend of mine who is very focused on pursuing God and loving what God loves. He has an abnormal trust in Jesus and (from my experience) is not looking at how the world is affecting him, his wealth, or his comfort, but how he can affect the world. He truly is a Kingdom warrior.

While together he was telling me about a conversation he had with his wife the night before. She had looked at him and said, “Is there something wrong with us?”

In essence she was saying, “Where are the other people who understand that there is nothing better than complete abandonment to Christ? Where are those who are willing to forgo personal comfort in order to bless others and see Christ’s goals met? Where are those who will love Him more than they love themselves; and care for the marginalized , the poor, the wounded, and the hurting?”

I have to tell you I love hanging out with people who have something like that wrong with them. I want to be that type of person. They inspire me.

If you are one of those people, don’t give up. You are strange…you are abnormal. You aren’t part of the crowd, but that is ok. The crowd isn’t all that exciting anyway.

If, like me, you are still on a journey trying to get to that place, don’t quit. With God’s help, we can become more like God. We can defeat selfishness and overcome pride. As we draw close to Christ and intentionally invest our lives in purposes bigger than ourselves, we will figure it out. One day people will ask you, “Is something wrong with you?” And, with head held high, you can humbly say, “yes. Isn’t it great.”

Are you a writer? Would you like to influence thousands of people with your scripted words?

I am looking for some people to write some e-devotionals that will be distributed to our electronic lists. You will not be paid, but if we use your writings, we will give you credit.

So, interested? Here are the specifics. We are looking for devotional thoughts that are between 300-400 words each. They can be about any practical topic of faith, but must come from a sound Biblical and grace perspective. Pictures work better for our audience than didactic biblical interpretation.

If you have any questions send them my way. If not…get writing. Send me as many as you like. You can email them to me directly at sdunn@groundwire.net. I look forward to seeing how the Lord uses you.

Our new commercial is ready to roll. Check it out on the link below. It is the second one titled “More”. Set to air starting next week.

http://www.groundwire.net/component/content/article/3-newsflash/4-newsflash-3.html

“I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.” Psalm 44:6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

A couple of months ago I bought a GPS to help me navigate through unfamiliar cities in my travels, but within weeks of buying it, I realized something. Sometimes I don’t trust it. There have been many occasions when it has mapped out my route and I wanted to argue…or even worse, I have ignored its suggestions, relied on my experience and recalculated my own route.

I find this amusing. With satellites in place offering perfect perspective, my machine exists to keep me moving in the right direction, yet I don’t trust it.

It reminds me of the way that I and many others respond to God. Even though we have stated our trust in the God who created the Universe and effortlessly holds it together, when it comes to the little details of our own lives we argue. We take back control and try to do it on our own. We ignore the Scriptures given to protect us from our own poor choices and do whatever seems best in our own eyes.

Through scripture, God gives us perfect perspective on relationships, yet we fail to guard our heart and aggressively jump into dangerous relationships that rip us to shreds, put us in temptations way as we try to prove we are the exception.

We sense God calling us to a deep and intimate relationship with Him, yet we complicate our schedules with so many unimportant things that we have no time left for the most important one. We sense Him inviting us deeper and know that means spending more time in His presence, yet our excuses outweigh our convictions and we never experience His heart like we long to.

Even though we say that all we are comes from God and all we have is His, we fight when He nudges us to give back. We ignore the poor, the hungry, the orphaned, and the marginalized because we can’t do without our Starbucks or our new outfit. We refuse to respond to Spirit promptings to invest our time and finances in evangelism because we prefer our comforts and our conveniences.

I hate the fact that I tangibly trust my wisdom more than His direction. I know that His Word is sent to guide me and His Spirit to direct me, but often times I refuse to be led. I hate that. I wish that trust came naturally to me. He has never disappointed me and never let me down. He has proven Himself completely faithful and one hundred percent trust worthy, yet in moments when my will is strong, I either don’t ask Him for wisdom or I completely ignore what He is sharing with me.

I know that it is easy to say, but I am going to work on that. Instead of solely trusting myself, I am going to listen for His voice. Rather than trying to figure it out on my own, I am going to try to submit more quickly. I have a feeling that He will get me where He wants me to go…which ultimately is where I want to go anyway.

It all starts with trust.