Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 2/1/2012
God will always be an enigma to me.
I don't get why He does things the way He does. In fact, I think that I would do things differently sometimes, but I can't say that the things I would do would necessarily be for the better.
I think that's what grace is all about. The fact that God could do one thing but chooses to do another instead.
God is so justified to do some things (even without breaking his word or covenant, there is PLENTY of license for Him to give us what we deserve). I'm not talking about just the simple things...you know, showing us mercy when we deserve punishment or showing us love when we've grieved Him. All those are true, but I'm talking about a deeper level.
When God heals when He really didn't have to intervene.
When He provides when we really could have worked a little harder to earn it.
When He gives us courage when it might even be beneficial for us to face the fear ourselves.
I just don't understand it.
We're the same way. In fact, I believe men and women of character are known by their frequent action when inaction is an option. We could just let that person walk by. We could just do nothing when an undesirable circumstance or fear arises. We could just take it easy when going the extra mile would be beneficial.
We could honor those who are deserving of it when blending into the crowd would be easier.
Friends, life is uphill no matter which way you walk it. You might choose the more gradual path and call it "easier" but the steep path is there waiting to be chosen.
If I'm honest, I should have bailed a long time ago. This steep path is brutal. Something about it intrigues me though.
If I were God would I have even made a steep path? Would I have hoped that I would choose it?
What's so worth reaching?
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 1/26/2012
This isn't so much a blog on missions or the kingdom of God or even good, radical Christian living. In fact, this is more of a challenge to my generation to grow up. I don't mean "stop acting immature," I mean it's time to do things on purpose because you're an adult and it's time to change.
I want to talk for a second about communication. Words are very important to me. My mom has always taught me that everything can be solved with a good talk (thanks Mom :-) ). The words we use become our trademarks, they become our inroad into community, they help articulate the way we feel, the things we say are important and are the vehicle by which we spur one another on to greatness.
Words are an expression of worship. They are the precious packages of prophetic encouragement and challenge to one another and they are the aroma that can spread to the masses...and the world.
Given the value that words have, I would like to see us choose words intentionally. When we don't, I suggest that we betray and misrepresent who we truly are. Our identities, in fact, are misunderstood and we weakly concede to a culture that oppresses our true expression.
This being said, there are a few words and phrases I believe should be eliminated from our vocabulary. We must dominate the oppression of silence and insecurity and face it with courage. I believe the following changes will drastically impact your ability to say what you mean and will bolster your own sense of confidence in who you are as you get liberated by the weakness of our current cultural vernacular and semantic.
1) "Like" - The chief of all filler words. I always think of Mary Poppins explaining the use of  "supercalafragalisticexpialadoshus"...it's the word you say when you don't know what to say. Alternative: silence. I'm not kidding. Learn to take a pause while you're thinking of how you want to express your next thought. "Like" is distracting and immature when used inappropriately and it dilutes your point and makes us all lose respect for you.
2) "Just" - Where did THIS come from?! Listen and count the number of times people who are leading a group in prayer use this word. It means something like "at the most foundational level" as in "God I just pray that you would fill us with your love...and that you would just speak to the core of our being and would just use us." Do this: look at that last sentence and tell me what changes if you remove the "justs"... you know what changes? Nothing. It's weak. Alternative: say what you mean. You're actually expressing what you want and the "just" is actually having the opposite effect: it's NOT making your prayer more sincere, it's actually compromising the integrity of your message.
3) "I don't know" - Sorry to those of you who have heard me get on this soapbox lately, but this is so irritating. We use it as a way to cover our embarrassment at feeling insecure about the statements we're making. This usually accompanies some soul-searching statements such as: "I just (haha) feel so...I don't know...strange about that conversation." Why is it bad you feel that way? Are you not allowed to feel that way? Who's judging you? (If someone IS judging you...you might need new friends.) Alternative: commit to it. It's better if you give what you're trying to say a fair chance and rescind it if it comes out wrong. Learn to say: "You know what? I don't think that's what I meant." I don't think you'll say it as often as you think you will.
We are a powerful generation friends. God's anointing is upon us and He fully intends to use us. Don't compromise, don't relent and don't give in to weakness. Your words are reflecting your fears not your courage. Speak boldly! Say what you mean! Be men and women of courage! I believe in you!
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 1/20/2012
I. Love. McDonalds French Fries.
I'm talking: I am a connoisseur (I won't lie, I had to look up how to spell that word) of french fries. For example, Burger King fries are too "potato-y", Wendy's are better now that they do the sea salt thing. Chick-Fil-A waffle fries are okay but are kind of in their own special category and any restaurant that does seasoned/curly fries (ie. Arby's, Checkers, Rallys, etc.) needs to be judged separately.
But McDonalds are my favorite. I don't care how fattening they are, what kind of oil they're fried in, there's just something about them that makes me happy when I eat them.
I wonder if they make me happy because I've found the fries I like (and I'm happy because I've determined that THOSE are the fries that are my favorite) or if I just like the fries (and...is that okay? can I like those better than the other ones?)
There's some strange fear we have about determining things that are important to us, or the things we like. I'm not sure why it is, but I have some theories.
1) If I choose something I can't choose something else. That's right friends. When you determine that something is important, you have to accept that something else is less important. It's a trade off. You'll have to determine for yourself if the benefits outweigh the sacrifices.
2) What if I learn new information or decide I don't like what I've chosen. Wow, this victimization mentality is pervasive in our culture. We have this belief that things are done to us, that circumstances have violated us or robbed us of our freedom. Listen up (me included): commitment isn't the root of all evil. In fact, great things require it. Here's what you're really saying: I'm scared of what I don't know and I'd rather avoid something that COULD happen rather than maximize what IS happening. You're trading a good future for a nondescript now.
3) I don't know what I want. Join the club. We're so information drenched and feel so entitled to have information easily accessible (seriously, who can't just "ask Siri" nowadays) that we've moved from inside our heads to determine truth (like our postmodern friends told us to) to highly externalized loci of control. We want to know what they chose and why they chose it. We've taken on a huge burden to be experts at everything and that's just not the case. Some things you have to jump in to to determine if they're right for you.
4) Things aren't that bad, I'll get around to it. No you won't. Because it clearly isn't important to you to do this. When it is, you'll do it. This issue isn't timing, it's motivation.
This is a hugely valuable practice my friends. Define the things that are important to you, then live the life with the people that reflect it. It's not hard, so why is it?
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 1/6/2012
"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission." Eleanor Roosevelt
Do you know why this quote is true? Because it goes down to the core of who we are and who we were made to be. It also exposes the most fundamental of obstacles innate within humanity.
I've mentioned in previous posts about being somewhat engrossed in Genesis 3 for the past couple of weeks. It's the story of Adam and Eve being tempted in the Garden of Eden, the choice they made, its ramifications on their relationship with God and the corresponding consequences.
You see, life is about choices. Some might say you're defined by them, but I would somewhat disagree. I don't believe your choices define you, but they do express who you are. You can tell a lot about the person by the choices they make...and even more importantly, you can learn a great deal about a person by deducing why they made those decisions.
The motivations and intentions of our hearts are critical to our identity as individuals. Thank God right? If he judged us on the quality of our actions we'd never get anywhere, but he loves honoring the intentions of our heart.
Those closest to me would tell you that, with a few exceptions, I'm pretty even keel. One of these "exceptions" however is a complete intolerance for a victim mentality. In my travels around the world, I've SEEN people who were truly victimized. I'm talking hurt, imprisoned, violated, segregated, prejudiced against, even being forced to react to natural disasters. There are genuine, unfortunate realities in this world and we all have our hurts, stories and baggage to deal with.
But there is never a point in time when you do not have the right to decide for yourself.
I guess that's what I've been processing a lot lately. If my circumstances, environment and what people tell me is possible are not in control over my identity and reaction, then what should my "north star" be? I have some thoughts for you:
1) Decide what role God plays in the direction and definition of your life. Does God get the right to give you an assignment? Would you listen if God warned you about a dangerous path? What if God is silent and is just content to let you follow what your heart finds to do?
2) Find a way to articulate the things that are important to you. I've seen this again and again that two major obstacles impede our progress to destiny. First, not knowing what's important leaves you directionless and passionless. Second, living a life where the things that are important to you are missing or devalued can be disillusioning and frustrating.
3) Pick your poison. I don't mean that as cynical as it sounds...or maybe I do. The truth is, you will have to tolerate something no matter where you end up. Figure out what battles you're willing to fight...then be done with it. Never complain about things you're unwilling to help change. Never look at things in terms of what's been done to you but instead in how you can be a part of collaboration and creative solutions.
4) Choose your allies. I read this on another blog recently and really liked it. You're going into a warzone with someone, might as well be someone you like. But even deeper than that is surrounding yourself with people who share the things that are important with you. I'm talking values, mutual commitments to certain life practices, things that are promoted, practiced and protected. These people should know you and you should know them. If you can help it, don't tolerate a hostile environment. A wise man told me: you deserve what you tolerate.
I have always liked Joshua's charge to Israel: choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 1/2/2012
I've had two conversations in the last couple days that have me thinking.
It's a new year. It's a man-made marker in history, our way of dividing time into manageable pieces. There's no natural way of things that would demand that it gets cataloged that way. The only rationale is that the natural change in seasons seems to follow a pattern (winter, spring, summer, fall) and so we might as well track that natural progression of things.
This year, we'll have a leap year because really, it takes 365.25 days for the earth to circle the sun so we have to account for it on the calendar so we don't get "off".
But the calendar could move forward without attention. It could progress without us barely even noticing. It's just the next revolution, the next loop.
And yet, humanity anticipates it. This change, this "new-ness" does something within us. Deep in our psyches we reflect on our lives, we make "resolutions", we make plans, we hope next year is better than last, there's something about "new" that either frightens us, inspires us, forces us to retreat, or in some cases, move forward with complete indifference.
It's the way of the world to see new-ness. It's irrational to think that because you've seen new-ness before that it's any less inspiring to see it again. Think about a sunrise, a sunset, the birth of spring, the changing of colors of fall, or a new baby. New-ness brings something to our lives. It's the way of things.
I read a friend's blog who talked about the thoughts he had this time last year. He began last year never knowing that in 2011 he'd meet the love of his life and marry her. (Congrats Nick and Kayla!) It's made me reflective to think of all the new-ness that awaits 2012...the things I don't even know about yet.
When I get to this time next "revolution of the earth around the sun"...what will I look back to this moment and remember what I was thinking?
I hope that I'll remember today as a day of anticipation, a day of optimism, a day of dreams and a day of intentions. I hope that this day is remembered as a day I took risks, faced fears, made resolutions, made decisions, got what I wanted, looked at something in a new way, cherished my relationships, forged new ones, and heard God's voice.
I have the choice to see the glass as half-empty and wonder if any of that will really happen or maybe I just fabricated some inspiration to motivate me to lose some weight...or maybe it's worth shooting for the moon and seeing what comes of it.
It may be the way of the world, but it's my world. Bring on the new!
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 12/9/2011
This week I just want to give you a peek inside my heart. Statistically I won't get as many hits or even comments on a blog like this compared to something with a jazzy title or pictures of orphans in Africa, but it's what's most relevant to me right now...it's special.
This week at my twice-monthly house church meeting, The Gathering, we talked about fear.
Fear just isn't something you think a lot about until you feel it. That's the way a lot of things in life are. Things are never more important than when they directly affect you. I don't really think a lot about fear, or if I'm afraid of something, or what my response would be in a moment of fear.
And yet...I've been afraid.
They say there are 3 responses to fear:
Fight
Flight
Freeze
I have a weird hybrid of the three...it's called anxiety. I usually get it when my world is out of whack, in turmoil, or especially (and most predictably) in transition. The "unknown" is my monster in the closet. Michael Hindes (my spiritual father) told me recently that he knows that to feel better about things in my life I need a game plan. I don't need to cry on a shoulder, I don't need to vent (although I will until I have a game plan), I don't even need to be "taken care of"...I need some reassurance that there's a path through the quagmire.
This anxiety, at least for me, lives in my mind. The second I wake up my mind goes from 0 to 100 mph in about 3 seconds. I think about what's happened, what's likely to happen, what should have happened, what might happen, who might be there, how they reacted, how they should have reacted, how they might react, how I hope they won't react, what I'll do when that happens, and in between all of that I'll actually try living out my life.
It's an exhausting existence...
And yet, I wouldn't have said I was afraid... but I was.
Fear is more than getting scared of the dark or snakes or getting startled. It's worry, terror, horror, timidity, anxiety...it's a simple emotion with a multitude of expressions.
Fear was the first negative emotion. I'm serious. Think about Genesis 3. Adam and Eve disobey God, their eyes are opened and Scripture says they 1) got embarrassed because they were naked and so they covered themselves...they were afraid to be seen, then 2) when Adam HEARD God, he hid...and he even says "I was afraid..."
If you look at life, at humanity, we are collectively striving to overcome this most instinctual of emotions...fear.
In Timothy Paul is very clear however: GOD hasn't give you a spirit of FEAR. GOD has given YOU a spirit of POWER, a spirit of LOVE and a SOUND MIND.
Monday night I got delivered from this attack of fear. I surrendered my display of faithlessness and got a reprieve from the Spirit from my revved up mind...and I found peace. I had to fight for it...then surrender it. Courage isn't the absence of fear. Faith isn't either.
As Jesus said, have faith! don't you know the wind and the waves are at my command?! why are you SO afraid?!
I'm not afraid. Not because I don't feel anxious, but because I choose peace, I choose faith. I am not a coward. I am a man of courage. Fear has no mastery over me and I am not at its mercy. So be joyful, heart.
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 12/2/2011
I was at the National Youth Workers Conference a couple of weeks ago. It was a gathering of youth pastors from all over the country. It was a time for people committed to the development of teenagers to share their joys, sorrows and dreams together and it was a beautiful thing.
Adolescence is a fascinating period of development. It's a time when we begin to pull away and establish ourselves a part from all of the other influences in our lives and strive for some independence. The period from 13-21 is integral to the formation of each of our identities. It's when we decide who we want to be, the principles by which we'll live, the people with whom we find chemistry and the beginning discovery of why we might have been put on this earth.
But in simple terms, it's a period of change.
One of my best friends (a married couple) just had a baby. Zeke is absolutely the most beautiful child... and I seriously mean that objectively, rock.star.baby. (WTG Corey and Laura). Despite watching five younger siblings be born and grow up, it's been unbelievable to watch how quickly Zeke has grown. Weeks go by with monumental growth and improvement. Things he couldn't do last week, he can do now. It's incredible. His life is in the most intense period of change he'll ever experience.
And you know what? It would be unhealthy for him if he didn't experience that change.
This has been incredibly relevant to me the last couple weeks. The director I've served under the past three years, my personal mentor and a Spiritual father to me, left AIM unexpectedly. I came into work one day and in a couple hours everything had changed. He walked out the door and hasn't been back. He's not out of my life, in fact I had coffee with him this morning.
But my dad gave me some wise words: "no matter how optimistic you are, no matter how calmly you approach the new days ahead, this will change your life."
...and it has.
In short, I miss him being a part of my job. I want him to be just a phone call away. I want the security of knowing he's there to back me and counsel me. He'll always be in my life, but this role has changed for this season.
As the seasons outside change, the leaves that were green and lush turned into a fireworks display of fiery color but they've eventually given their last breath to fall as we enter winter. It's a season of dormancy and rest and waiting. I find winter to be incredibly reflective. It's a season to think about what happened and prepare for the next spectacular display of growth.
Ever heard of "growing pains"? It's when you grow so fast it hurts. Change must happen...it simply must. In fact, it's unhealthy if it doesn't. But sometimes whether slow or quick, change hurts. What matters is whether I celebrate the adventure or kick and scream through the inevitable (thank God He's mature enough to just laugh at me when I do...).
I watched "The Polar Express" last night for the first time...I loved the quote at the end: "The thing with trains is...it's not about where they're going, it's about deciding to get on."
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Posted in Ministry Development by Jimmy McCarty on 11/17/2011
"The World Race has always been deeply passionate about ending Human
Trafficking. A World Race alumnus, Laura Meyers, had her heart deeply
broken for the women and children who are victims of the sex trade in
India. Through some personal relationships and multiple visits to India,
she believes God is calling her to India long term.
Through partnerships with ministry partners in India, we have been
broken for the need to replicate a safe- house style ministry in Mumbai,
India. While the safe house will be a strong portion of this vision, it
is in no way limited by that goal.
India is home to millions of street children needing safety and rehab.
The caste system fuels an overwhelming number of beggars, diseased and
unemployed individuals who accept this undignified life because their
culture, quite frankly, says they must.
The India Initiative is looking for a team to come in and dream, to find
a business strategy to come alongside a strong passion for the women,
children, and "untouchables" in Indian society. India needs
opportunities for employment for those that would otherwise not have it.
India needs a safe place for the victims of sex and human trafficking
rings. India needs to hear the voice of God in the midst of the other 33
million voices of other gods of the Hindu religion.
India is a harsh environment with great need. It is a place deeply loved
by God and needs a team willing to learn how to operate in the midst of
a strong culture vastly different than the Western world. The India
team is ready to start development in October 2011."
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Posted in Ministry Development by Jimmy McCarty on 11/3/2011
This just in from the Kenya Initiative! See what they've accomplished early!
"When our team came back to Kenya in July, there still was no water in
the camp. Women and children would walk 3 kilometers carrying jugs of
water. These jugs of water are used for everything... drinking, cooking,
cleaning, laundry, occasional bathing...
 
The Polish Embassy dug a borehole and installed a pump in the Jikaze
IDP camp about 2 kilometers away from Camp Vision. The water was so hot
(140 degrees Fahrenheit) that the first pump they installed melted.
Months later (and a few headaches with customs), a new $20,000 pump was
installed that could handle the heat. On October 5th, we
went to the water pump dedication in the Jikaze camp and rejoiced with
them as the water filled the holding tanks. This meant that not only did
the Jikaze camp have water, but they would now be able to channel water
to Camp Vision and other camps through connected piping!
 
Our team helped get pipes, and members from the community put them in
the ground to connect a tank in Camp Vision to the water source.
 
Now, nearly 4 years later... Camp Vision has WATER!!!!
We rejoice and praise God for providing! We
never cease to be amazed by His provision. We realize that on our own
there is no way we would have been able to get water to Camp Vision in a
year and a half... God began this process long before we got here and
used us as a final step to make it happen!
There is WATER in Camp Vision!!!"
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Posted in General Articles by Jimmy McCarty on 10/22/2011
There's nothing like it.
One minute they're one way, saying one thing, acting like one person, then the moment happens.
I saw that happen today...
I saw the calm fade into fear. I saw fear move into panic. I saw panic move into...
...trust...
It was beautiful. That guy will never be the same. He'll never be that afraid again. He'll never believe the impossible things he once thought will be impossible any longer. He'll tell his story differently. He'll speak up where he would have been silent before. He'll hunt down others with fear and walk them through the same journey he had to walk.
He'll change the world because of that moment.
Isn't that what it's all about?
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