Expect
[posted December 19, 2007 • 7:43PM • Bill Gibson]

What do you expect? It's been busy!

That's how I respond to myself when the overwhelming guilt hits me that I have not posted an entry on my blog since October 11th. Busy... Yeah... Life gets that way. Heck... Life seems to stay that way, doesn't it? Too many options; too many distractions. What should we expect?

Man, I expect to get it all — get it all done, experience satisfaction, be fulfilled in the moments of life, accomplish my goals... I could go on and on. And so could you. Why do you think we expect so much? And why do we categorize our expectations, as to push them off and try and convince ourselves that we don't expect anything? Don't expect anything? Yeah, OK.

When you think about expectations this time of the year — the Christmas season — all of the sudden, things get put to the 10th power. Our expectations are multiplied this time of the year. We want more. We spend more. We desire this year to be the "perfect" year. Or we try and forget it all and expect to just hide in a corner somewhere. Good, bad, or indifferent, we expect more this time of the year.

What do you — we — expect? We live during a time when we are conditioned to behave this way. Every form of communication is geared to get us to make a buying decision. Question is, what are we "buying in" to? I got to seriously thinking about this.

What do I really expect this time of the year? What if this year I were to expect something different — something beyond the hustle and bustle of the season? What if I were to expect something that really matters? People say all the time to "remember the reason for the season." Truth is, maybe I've been too busy to expect "the reason" too. And I am a pastor. It's been busy. Especially at FaithWalk, our new community of faith in Gibsonville. Even a "good" busy can be a distraction.

But what if we expected this Messiah, whose birth we celebrate this time of the year. Yeah, I know... Jesus didn't begin in a manger. I know that. But the celebration of God's love, given to humanity through the birth of Jesus here on this earth, is celebrated in the midst of what is now the busiest and most commercialized time of the year. How can we "expect" this miracle when it's so busy?

What do you expect?

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6, NLT).

The prophet Isaiah had not seen Him. Yet he expected, just like others who testified of the coming Messiah. Maybe it is time for you and I to expect more this Christmas season. What if instead of expecting more things that offer temporary satisfaction, we expected the Prince of Peace?

Expectation can be a powerful thing. Ask those who will be in Iraq (and in other areas of harm's way) who will be away from family and friends this year. The Prince of Peace then takes on a whole new perspective. Maybe that is what is wrong with us today in this busy life we endure. We expect based on a skewed and twisted perspective...

Are You a Catalyst?
[posted October 11, 2007 • 10:36AM • Bill Gibson]

Are you a catalyst or a stick? Most sticks are "stuck" in the moment, lying dead or dying on the ground. A catalyst is something that institutes a change in direction, behavior, or momentum. Which one are you? Sometimes we say we are a catalyst because we desperately want to be or desire others to see us in this way. But the trail of history and results that lay in our wake tell a different story — one of fear. The dictionary says that a catalyst is a person or event that precipitates something — to cause to move suddenly and with force. Are you a catalyst? [more]

A Gift
[posted October 2, 2007 • 06:13AM • Bill Gibson]

I have a hard time receiving. I would much rather give than get. Before you start cringing, I will admit that is not always the case. I mean, if we are "getting" for ourselves, then it's is a different story. I am a gadget geek and I used to give gifts to myself all the time, but I'm not talking about gadgets, and I am not talking about getting for "me." What I am talking about the humbling feeling of "receiving" a gift from someone else — like an unexpected outcome or a pleasant surprise... [more]

Anticipation... It's making me wait!
[posted September 14, 2007 • 07:41AM • Bill Gibson]

Have you ever been so excited about something that you couldn't wait until that moment in time arrived? It's kind of like waiting for your birthday as a kid, or waiting to leave for vacation, or a special trip, or a visit from someone, or maybe just some much needed quiet time.

That is what it has been like for me and many who await this Sunday's re-launch of FaithWalk... [more]

Our Friend Mo
[posted September 10, 2007 • 06:13AM • Bill Gibson]

Mo is cool. Mo is good. You gotta love Mo! Mo is our friend! In fact, everyone loves Mo! Who is Mo? You guess it... Mo-mentum!

All sports teams love Mo. Everyone (almost) wants Mo on their team. And even in the midst of uncertain change, Mo-mentum is a wonderful booster for energy and excitement. It fosters a contagious energy. [more]

Creating Culture...
[posted August 24, 2007 • 11:53PM • Bill Gibson]

I've been in the midst of a lot of change and evaluation lately. All to come to the realization that as much as we talk about culture, we also have to fully realize that we create culture. Webster says that "culture" is "the act of developing by education and training; refinement of intellectual and artistic taste; the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group." So as much as we are a part of culture, we are directly a part of creating it — "It" being the environment we find ourselves living, interacting, and learning. [more]

Post-Contemporary
[posted August 16, 2007 • 10:13AM • Bill Gibson]

Last week at the 2007 Leadership Summit of Willow Creek, I was having a deep discussion with a new friend, John Isley. We were talking about the continuous changing trends in worship and how we are "doing church" in a post-modern world. I jokingly told John that we were doing "post-contemporary" worship at FaithWalk because we have pushed passed the description of "contemporary." I was actually making fun of how those of us who strive to understand emerging culture and the emerging church continuously use the word "post." Then John said, "Man, you need to blog that!" So here you go! [more]

It's Been 2 Weeks!!
[posted August 14, 2007 • 09:23AM • Bill Gibson]

It's been two weeks!!! I woke this morning with great anxiety as I said to myself, "It's been 2 weeks since I have posted a blog!" To be honest, I can't believe that. Time has been flying. Exciting things are going on and we are having a blast preparing for the re-launch of FaithWalk. I am so excited that it has been hard for me to sleep at night. And to be honest, I am having the most fun than I have had in a long, long time. So... who needs sleep? [more]

Believe...
[posted July 30, 2007 • 10:44PM • Bill Gibson]

Well, the family and I arrived back in lovely Gibsonville, NC yesterday, after a vacation in hot and humid Orlando, Florida. No, we did not go to Disney. Nope... Instead, this year we decided on a new experience for everyone. We had never been to Universal Studios and Tyler really wanted to go there. And I was the only one who had ever been to Seaworld, but it was when I was very young. Did I say it was hot in Orlando? It was dang hot. And humid... [more]

Pool Cleaning 101
[posted July 17, 2007 • 8:21AM • Bill Gibson]

There are just some things we can't see. Like the bottom of the deep end when the cover gets pulled off the pool for the first time of the season. When this happens, the long and arduous task of pool cleaning begins. It's like a holy quest for crystal clear water! I don't know anything about pool cleaning. There are just some things we don't know. But I am learning — learning on the fly... [more]

Lost in Transition...
[posted July 16, 2007 • 7:13AM • Bill Gibson]

Yo! I hope that I am getting back on track. I feel like I have been derailed and lost for a couple of weeks. Discombobulated may be more accurate. We've been moving. And moving. Yes... moving. And for almost a week, I (we) had an overlapping disconnect of services — cable TV, telephone, Internet/Email, and mobile phone. As someone who was on the verge of entering a 12-step program for addiction to communication overload (compliments of a BlackBerry), I found myself in serious withdrawal! I was lost in transition. Lost between where I was and where I was going... [more]

Making It Up: A Pirate's Life for Me!
[posted June 24, 2007 • 10:34PM • Bill Gibson]

A few days ago my family and I went to see the movie, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." We have become fond of Disney's Pirate movies. I am particularly impressed that they (Disney) have developed a very engaging story line around a prior existing ride at the theme parks. That's some creative work... [more]

On Top of the World! (Almost...)
[posted June 19, 2007 • 8:21PM • Bill Gibson]

It was last week when I found myself sitting on top of the world... Well, almost. I was at one of my favorite places — the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Perched on a rock at 6643 feet, I was enjoying the view from atop Clingman's Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. Visibility was wonderful and I could see for miles and miles. Blue skies, green mountain peaks, clouds moving by, and a slight chilly wind. Man, it was awesome... [more]