I started a club!

I hate waking up early. I have never been one of those guys who embraces the early morning hours of any given day.

Honestly, I have always been jealous of “those guys” who can get up 7 hours before the sun rises and have time to read their Bibles, pray, plan their weeks, solve world hunger, make breakfast for their wives and children and groom their pets. Of course, I hate having a breakfast meeting with them, as I show up 9 minutes late with my disheveled hair under a baseball cap and my super sexy morning voice while they have that fresh-from-the-salon look, already having accomplished more by 7:30am then I might accomplish all day.

Over the past few years, I’ve had good reason for not being a morning guy. How many youth pastors do you know that are morning guys? (In fact, I’ll say what few others are bold enough to say in such a public forum: never trust a youth pastor who is a morning guy!) Youth ministry often runs late, I’ve always worked well late at night, and my wife and I have, together, found evenings to be a good space for productivity.

However, in prep for 2016, I’ve been reading several books on pursuing God-sized dreams and goals, as well as material written about time and talent management. They all have the same advice when it comes to mornings: those who tackle the biggest goals and achieve the greatest success in their fields, almost universally, embrace the early hours of each day.

I’ve had moments in my life where I tried to make friends with the predawn hours, but I’ve never kept a lasting relationship with them. You know, it’s not them...it’s me.

2016 is different though, and the season of life we’re in, and the situation we find our marriage/family/ministry in, is unique; clearly God has given us an opportunity to chase something, full steam ahead! I don’t want to miss what’s in front of us, so I’ve committed myself to learning more -- both knowledge and skill -- and making the necessary personal changes to embrace this future.

So dreaded thoughts of dreaded thoughts, I’m learning to accept mornings as part of the pathway to watching God unveil His plans in our lives. There...I said it.

Of course, if you’ve ever tried something new, “hating it” doesn’t help you embrace it. If you want to change your diet, hating the option that will bring you the changes you want, is not the key to success. In fact, quite the opposite, it’s a formula for disaster. So what do you do when you hate the change you most need in your life?

You create a club. Because clubs are fun, right?

So now, every night before I lay my 7 3/4” cranium down for sleep, I set the alarm to make sure I’m up in time for Club 555. That’s right, 555 is my new club and already it’s paying dividends. My productivity is up, beginning with more time each day in the Bible and in prayer. My focus on important tasks is more refined and I feel like the big picture items are becoming clearer.

Some of you are mocking me for getting up at 5:55 because you already do 3am. Cut me some slack, because embracing this is new to me! And embracing it as something that’s more than just a short-term fix is even harder. At four weeks in, I think it’s starting to stick, but being a club owner is no easy task. I’ll keep you posted a few weeks from now and let you know how things look at the end of another month.

As you pursue the Overboard Life, what change do you need to embrace? I’m not talking about making a change that becomes a strong habit, I’m talking about making a change that you embrace so that it becomes a strong habit you love. Maybe it’s time for you to start a club? Maybe it’s time for you to join me in my club? Can’t say I love the early morning hours yet, but I don’t hate them any more. At least I know I’m on the right path.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life -- including your club! -- is always better on the water.

Finally 4!

You probably noticed that we’re starting to wear our big-boy pants. You know, the ones that have a zipper and a button, not just an elastic waistband? Sure, they still have the adjustable stretchy thing on the inside, but all pants should have those, right? We’re also sleeping through the night, using silverware somewhat effectively at most of our meals, we know how to count to 25, can use an iPad better than most 50-year-olds and, honestly, I don’t think we’ve had an accident in almost a year -- we’re sooo past that phase. That’s right, Overboard Ministries just turned four.

Now that we’ve grown up so much, it’s already time for us to get out on our own. Wow, feels like just yesterday we were birthed and now we’re being kicked out...er...overboard. (Feels kinda like Megamind: “8 days old and I’m still living with my parents...how embarrassing.”)

Thank you for following us on this exciting/terrifying, exhilarating/sobering, gargantuan/humbling and faith building journey. As we look back over the past four years, we are truly blown away by what God has done, and by the path He has given us to travel. We started Overboard with the idea of publishing one book (Project Joseph), and building a small ministry of encouragement to couples, pastors and youth pastors, and maybe one day expanding into ministry mentorship/coaching for those going into full-time youth ministry.

Today we’ve published 9 titles, we have 2 more that will be released in the next month, and 6 more that are in the editing process. Today we are building a partnership with Starwood Ranch where we are praying about building the first Overboard Ministry Center, a place to invest in pastors and youth pastors and their wives, as well as marriages and families. Already a team of people are gathering around that endeavor and we’ve been in talks with several others about expanding Overboard Ministries’ reach into other areas and fields. A mentorship program for youth ministry majors is being developed and we’re having conversations with others about some pretty big, out-of-the-boat, concepts.

While we didn’t get to this place the way we intended, we have clearly been directed by God to be in this place at this time. (Check out this post about unexpected stop signs, or this one about God’s plans for our lives). And we know that as we move forward, our partnerships, with friends like you, will continue to grow. You are the people who read the blog, send the encouraging notes, share our crazy ideas, buy our books, offer helpful criticism, and pray with us believing that God is behind all of this.

Thank you.

We are excited to keep moving toward the big dreams God has placed in our hearts, and as we do, we humbly depend on support from an army of great people. If you would like to join our monthly financial support team, please click here. We are well on our way to finding 100 monthly supporters (So far, gifts have ranged from $10-$125/mo, -- the average has been $50. You can join at any level and share in the work of Overboard thru your giving!), and if you’d like to join that team we would be incredibly humbled and eternally grateful.

Likewise, we truly want to build a prayer team that is informed (weekly) and active in their prayer support for this ministry. Click here to be added to that prayer list and to be updated with current requests each week. If you sign up for our financial team, you will automatically be added to our prayer team.

Stay-tuned, God’s work in and thru Overboard is just beginning, and we are grateful to celebrate our 4th year with you.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life -- including birthday parties -- is always better on the water!

Regardless...what I learned, when God didn't.

Obviously I enjoy writing a blog, but I also enjoy reading blogs. When I come across one that really hits the mark for me, I love sharing it with you so you can add another one to your reading list. My new friend Hannah has a great blog, and today I've asked her to share with you so you can get a sense of who she is. I hope you'll read it and check out her other works on her site. Enjoy!

"You are invited to join us at for a special Hardship Service. 

Come share your darkest moments and hardest seasons with dozens of strangers.  Do you have a health issue that God hasn't healed? Come tell us about it!  Are you facing eviction because you haven't gotten that raise at work? We'd love to hear about it!  Have you been crying over a broken relationship that God hasn't restored? Come cry with us!" 

You will never see this service advertised on a church website or bulletin. Why? Because people love to talk about the amazing things that God does.

When He heals the sick. When He provides in miraculous ways. When He raises the dead to life.

But most people don't want to talk about times that God doesn't.

I am not one of those people. 

It all started with a blazing furnace and a simple declaration.

You've probably heard the story of crazy King Nebuchadnezzar and the furnace. I like to call him Nezzy for short. The story is found in Daniel chapter 3 and tells of three young men who refused to bow to the idol that Nezzy built of himself.

In a nutshell, they refuse to worship the idol so Nezzy throws them into the blazing furnace. But a miracle occurs and the three friends emerge safely from the flames without even a smell of smoke on their clothing.

This story is pretty unbelievable. But I believe the most unbelievable part comes not in the furnace but at the idol when the friends stand before the king. They say with boldness:

"But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Their faith in God gave them the audacity to say, "REGARDLESS of what happens to us, He is our God." Regardless. It means in spite of everything. Despite the prevailing circumstances. In the face of everything that tries to stop or hinder.

Honestly, sometimes it’s really hard to say those words.

In the GOOD times of blessing, provision, and health it's easy to say, "You are my God."

But it’s a different story when things are hard. In the BAD times, when they stay bad, and when God doesn't show up how you expected Him to.

But, I truly believe that if we want to grow into mature Christians we have to learn to praise God when He DOESN'T just as easily as when He DOES.

This was not an easy thing for me to learn.

In college something happened that changed my faith forever. It was a normal Friday night when all of the sudden I got a terrible headache and couldn't even stand. I tried everything to ease the pain but nothing worked. Months went by and I had every test under the sun but the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me.

My grades slipped. My relationships suffered. My faith in God was shaken.

A year later I was diagnosed with something called NDPH (New Daily Persistent Headaches). The doctor said, "This means that for some reason you suddenly got a headache and you will have them for an undetermined time. There is no cure. Many people have it for the rest of their lives."

As you can imagine, that was not very comforting to me. But I knew that the Bible told me I was healed by Jesus stripes. So I prayed. I asked. I sought. I did everything you’re supposed to do. And you know what happened?

God didn't heal me.

I was so angry with Him because it didn't make sense to me that He could be ABLE to do something and still choose NOT to do it.

Months later, still in pain, I sat down to pray. I couldn't even find the strength to ask him one more time. So instead of praying for healing I simply said, "I love you." They were the only words I could muster.

And in that weak moment, I heard His sweet voice: “Daughter, your faith shouldn't be based on what I do. Whether I heal you or not, I’m still your God."

From that moment on I have been free!

To this day I still have headaches every single day. I don't know if God will ever heal me. And frankly...I really don’t care!

Because REGARDLESS of whether He heals me, blesses me, or gives me anything at all, He is still my God!

Today, you need to know that REGARDLESS of what is going on in your life, He is still GOD!

When we are in the tough times of life we tend to think that it’s God who has somehow changed. But in reality it’s us who decide to change, not God!

Malachi 3:6 God says: “I, the Lord, do not change." Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not human. He does not change his mind.”

God doesn't suddenly change on us. It’s us who change under the weight of our worries, pressures and disappointments.

There are three important lessons I learned when God didn't heal me:

1. DON'T LET YOUR FRUSTRATIONS CHOKE YOUR FAITH

Make a decision right now that you will trust Him REGARDLESS of your frustrations.

My struggle with healing left me so frustrated with God because I knew that He was ABLE to heal me but He chose not to. I started to let my frustrations blind me to who God was. This is a dangerous place to walk.

Maybe you are frustrated with yourself. With God. With others. I understand. But I want to challenge you to have a faith that doesn't hinge on what God does for you or in you, but hinges instead on who He is.

Faith isn't faith unless it is faith even if He doesn't.

2. DON'T LET YOUR WANTS CHANGE YOUR WORSHIP

Make a decision right now to praise Him REGARDLESS of what you get out of it.

We all want things. We want to be blessed. To be healed. To have life go a certain way. There's nothing wrong with having those desires. But the problem comes when we let our wants determine our worship.

We must do what is right, even if God doesn't do what we want or expect.

We often do quite the opposite.

Many Christians tell God that once they get what they want, then they will worship. But we don't worship to receive anything from God. We worship because of who He is.

He is worthy REGARDLESS of what we want!

3. DON'T LET YOUR PROBLEMS STOP YOUR PURSUIT.

Make a decision right now to seek Him REGARDLESS of your problems.

I used my problems as an excuse to stop seeking God. I thought because I was in pain that I got some kind of pass from pursuing His Presence. But I was wrong.

Having problems doesn't change the fact that God is the most worthwhile PURSUIT we will ever have!

REGARDLESS of what is going on in your life, God is still God.

If you ever get misguided in thinking that your hard life exempts you from giving everything to God, let me remind you that not only is He worthy, but He did the same for you.

REGARDLESS of your past. IN SPITE OF all your sin. AGAINST ALL ODDS of having a relationship. IN THE FACE OF EVERY OPPOSITION that tried to stop Him...

He came. He lived. He died. He loved. All for you.

I don't know about you but that is enough for me to say, "REGARDLESS of what is happening in me, to me or around me:

"Oh God, You are my God. Give me nothing  And I will still give you everything."

As you can see, Hannah has a great style, and I've really come to enjoy her blog. It's raw, challenging and she writes with humor and passion. Please take a moment to check out her site, A Wasted Life.

Two years ago we began preparing for THIS day!

On March 20th, 2013, right around 5pm, we pulled into the back driveway of a snowy Lake Ann Camp, having just completed a 2,500 mile van ride from Salem, Oregon. We had spent five days on the road seeing family along the way, and the kids looked at their new home for the first time (Traci and I had seen it just once before). We were all nervous, we were all excited and we were all...VERY hungry! We grabbed dinner at Papa’s J’s pizza across the street and spent the first night in our new digs. No mattresses, no couches -- no furniture of any kind -- but a lot of hope and energy about our future in God’s grand plan. Today, one day shy of what would have been our second anniversary at the camp, we’re officially launching the next phase of our lives and ministry. Who knew that two years ago today, we were already preparing for this moment?

Thankfully...God knew!

Traci and I have been on this wild journey, and we count it a true honor that so many of you have journeyed with us! When we left Salem in 2013, we left behind a great church with awesome friendships and meaningful relationships, and we headed to Northern Michigan, unsure of what was waiting. Our hearts truly ached to leave a place that had been home for over 12 years to our family, a church that had been the only ones our children knew and a city where most of my family still lived. Montana was the furthest “east” any of our family had settled.

On March 20th 2013, Lake Ann Camp became our new home and we quickly settled into life and work God had so clearly called us to. Although our time at LAC ended abruptly with heart break just two years later, the time of ministry God gave us was awesome! We wouldn’t trade it for anything. And clearly, through it all, God was already preparing us for this day.

So today, we are excited to officially launch Overboard Ministries, full-time, and begin chasing after the big dreams that God has placed in our hearts.

Back in April of 2011, I published my first book, Project Joseph. In the process of writing the first manuscript, I began researching how to get the book published. I read blogs (started this one, too), interviewed authors, called publishing companies and submitted several letters with a copy of my book. Through many rejections, one letter was returned by a publisher that had clearly done two things: first, the respondent had actually read my book and second, he had taken the time to send a personal response.

I know publishing houses don’t have time to read every submission and don’t have the man-power to personally respond to every request, but I was grateful for this one letter. In it, the reviewer of my book encouraged me to complete the manuscript and finish the project to completion. He told me that his company published a very narrow style of book, and my writing wasn’t in that style. However, he assured me that it was a book worth writing and that I should pursue it all the way to publishing.

That letter is one of the main reasons Overboard Ministries exists.

As we approach the four year anniversary of Overboard Ministries this April, we have published 9 books by 8 authors, and 3 more books will be out within the next month or two. We have several projects lining up in the ranks, and by the end of 2015 it is likely we will have close to 20 books in our arsenal! But publishing books is only part of the dream of Overboard Ministries.

Honestly, when Traci and I first began to dream up the Overboard Ministries concept, we hoped that the publishing arm would become a financial tool by which we could fund other facets of the ministry. We thought Overboard would involve:

1. Speaking to high school and middle school students
2. Investing in couples and marriages through classes, seminars and retreats
3. Ministry to those in ministry -- coming alongside pastors and their wives
4. Mentoring youth pastors and those going into full-time student ministry
5. Publishing books that are intensely biblical and intensely practical.

But these things aren’t being done to simply maintain the status quo. Overboard Ministries is about helping believers live their God-designed lives out of the comfort of the boat, and out on the water where Jesus is building His Kingdom. We want to challenge students to live-out their faith in radical ways on their school campuses, sports teams and in their own homes. Traci and I have a passion to see couples put faith in to practice in how they approach every aspect of their marriages. We know too many pastors (and wives!) in ministry who have been so beat up and wounded, that they’re simply existing day-by day; we want to encourage them and help restore their passions to dream God-sized dreams for their organizations! I have met too many youth pastors who fit the young youth pastor stereotype (it’s not a good one!). I love to help young guys develop a faith-driven philosophy of ministry that will challenge students -- and parents! -- to put faith into practice every day, while also helping these guys develop long-term ministry strategies. And our books must continue to be intensely biblical and intensely practical, challenging readers to make their faith an everyday experience.

As God has walked us through this amazing journey together, and brought us to the place of taking this thing full-time, Traci and I know that Overboard Ministries will only be as strong as the team He continues to put around us. So many of you have encouraged us over the past two months with financial gifts that have brought us to tears, and many more have overwhelmed us with words of encouragements, powerful passages of Scripture and timely texts. THANK YOU.

So we’re asking you to continue your relationship with Overboard -- with Traci and me -- as we move into the next phase of this ministry. We are looking to gain true partners in ministry in two main areas: prayer and financial support. First of all, we know the heart of Overboard is going to be our prayer team. Not just people who say, “hey, I’ll pray for you...” (I’ve been guilty of that more times that I care to admit!), but people who will add us to their daily prayer list, will read over our regular prayer updates and will ask God to do amazing work in, and through, us. CLICK HERE to be added to the Overboard Ministries prayer list.

Secondly, we are anxious to find people who believe in Traci and me, and the vision we have for Overboard, and who will come along side us with monthly financial support. We have supported friends in the past, so we know what a huge commitment this is, and yet we also know the joy of sharing in the work of others through our financial gifts. While prayer is the heart of Overboard, monthly support is the backbone. Would you consider supporting Overboard Ministries with a monthly gift? Whether it’s $10 a month or $1,000 a month, your investment in Overboard is an investment in the work that God is going to continue to do through this ministry. (Maybe for you, you’d like to make a one-time gift to help jump-start our work today. That’s awesome!) All gifts are tax-deductible through our partnership with Ripe for Harvest, and if you want to be a part of our monthly support, click HERE. (choose one of the payment options, and then select "Joe Castaneda" from the drop-down list)

I believe God loves it when His children step out in faith and express audacious goals! Our audacious goal for raising support is this: we want to find at least 100 monthly financial partners between now and April 30th (just six weeks away!). That number seems so obnoxiously large to me, but our God is so obnoxiously bigger than anything I could ever dream up! A big verse for me the past few years has been Ephesians 3:20 (in The Message) “God can do anything, you know, far more than you could ever imagine, guess or request in your wildest dreams...” I love that! Our audacious goals are nothing in God’s eyes, and so even as we set this one, we know He can do more.

And as our team, our Overboard family, grows, we long to keep our relationship a two-way connection. Traci and I are already preparing a prayer wall where the names and faces of our supporters will be prominent so that we remember to pray for, and support, you, too. From day one we want to build lasting relationships so that all of us can share in the great work that God will do as Overboard Ministries moves forward.

I can’t wait to share with you all that God is going to do, and I can’t wait to hear about all that God is doing in your life as you come along side and partner with us. If the past few months have been any indication of what He has in store...then the next part of this journey will be an adventure worth sharing!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Check out this 10-minute video that explains even more about Overboard Ministries, and be sure to visit our web site to learn more, or to join our team: www.overboardministries.com

When God gives you a stop sign

Today when I woke up, I laid in bed for a few extra minutes, thinking about the roller coaster weekend Traci and I just finished. I didn’t have to get out of bed right away, because -- with the exception of many glorious vacation days -- this was the first Monday in my adult life that I didn’t have to get up and go to work. On Friday, God put up a giant stop sign on our present journey!

Have you ever had those kinds of experiences? You know, where you had your life well planned-out in one direction, but then God steps in and mixes things up? When our family moved out to Michigan 22 months ago, Traci and I had the sense that this was going to be a long-term partnership with potential for our family to stay here for many years. We have come to love the camp and the people we work with, love the churches, youth pastors, pastors and students that we see throughout the year, and we’ve even come to embrace the snow (yes, all five months of it!) that covers the ground all winter. And Spring. And part of Fall.

So our plans included a long-term stop at Lake Ann Camp, but God’s plans were different. I thought we’d be at the camp for years to come, now we will be wrapping up our time here in the next six weeks. This morning I realize that there are key moments in life where our plans and God’s plans come into conflict, and the question we all must answer in those moments is simple: what do you do, when God puts up a stop sign in the middle of your plans?

As many of you know, I have really grown to love the sport of baseball. It’s a great game with such a rich American heritage, and it is full of life analogies (non baseball fans just stay with me, there’s a good analogy here!). A few days back I was watching a documentary about this beloved pastime and I saw some footage of famous plays in baseball history. I watched many classic baseball storylines like this one:

Bottom of the ninth, the home team is up to bat, and they are losing by two runs. There are runners on first and second, and of course, there are two outs. The pitcher and batter are dueling, it’s a 2-2 count (two balls and two strikes), but the batter has fouled off four extra pitches. So on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, the hitter made contact and sent the ball slicing into the right field corner.

The right fielder played the ball poorly, it bounced over his head and hit against the wall. The runner from second rounded third and scored easily, but the runner from first stumbled at second base before picking up a head of steam as he got to third. Seeing the runner’s mistake at second, the third base coach held up both hands as his player came to third, indicating he wanted him to stop running and not try for home. I don’t know if it was just the adrenaline racing through his veins, or if the noise of the crowd blinded him to the motions of the coach, but the baserunner ignored the stop sign and raced toward home plate.

At this point, the defender in right grabbed the ball after it bounced off the wall and made an amazing throw to the second baseman. The second baseman caught the ball, turned, and rifled it to the catcher at home plate. As the runner slid into home, the catcher blocked the plate, applied the tag and held on to the ball. The runner was out and the home team lost by one run. The roaring crowd was instantly silenced and everyone -- with the exception of a few visiting fans and 25 visiting players with their coaches -- went home deflated. 

Stop signs are important.

I get that baseball is just a game (although I’m inclined to agree with George Will who wrote, “Baseball is just a game. And the Grand Canyon is just a hole in the ground.”), and ignoring a stop at third generally won’t cost you your life. However, I’ve driven in countries where stop signs were treated as vague suggestions, and the amount of accidents and traffic fatalities was astounding. Ignoring a stop sign while driving could be fatal!

God doesn’t throw up stop signs lightly. He has a plan and a purpose for every stop sign, every detour, every U-turn, every dead end and every part of your (and mine!) journey. When He turns the green light, red, when He abruptly (abruptly to us) halts the flow of traffic or changes the map you’re following, He is sticking to a bigger plan that you and I don’t have the privilege of knowing. God knows where He ultimately wants us to finish this journey, and our job is simply to trust Him and hold to the course He has given us.

Sometimes, God lets us see far into the future of where a particular path leads. Sometimes He throws up a giant stop sign and gives you six weeks to figure out what He’s got in store for you next. In either case, God is still leading.

And while we wait I’ve discovered something not that remarkable, and honestly, a bit boring (I was really hoping to have one of those profound spiritual Ah-ha’s that would lead to a best-selling book). When you wait, you do the same things you should be doing on the journey. You pray, and seek God’s wisdom, favor and direction. You pray believing that He is in control, He is good, and He will not leave His children without purpose or direction. Waiting isn’t an excuse to abandon our roles as believers (Love God, love others), it’s an opportunity to serve in ways we couldn’t while we were in motion. You read the Bible and draw comfort for your aching heart, you gain wisdom for future work and you keep letting the Word reveal areas of your life where you need to grow. You surround yourself with God’s people and let them help you along the way. Traci and I have truly been overwhelmed throughout the weekend by the number of people who have offered us housing, jobs, money, wisdom, food and most all, friendship and prayer during this unexpected stop. Having habits of prayer, Bible reading and true Christian fellowship during the journey, make it easier (easier...not easy) to keep them while hanging out at a stop sign.

We don’t know what’s next for us on this remarkable God-given journey. Right now, we’re at a stop sign waiting for some new direction. What we do know is this: following God’s stop sign is better than making our own path. So we’ll wait for Him to show us what’s next.

Thanks for your prayers, friendship and support. Over the next 42 days we look forward to seeing what doors God will open, what doors God will close, and where our family will land next. Everything is open right now, and that’s what makes this time so exciting. Yes, elements of anxiety and fear can exist, but there is also a great sense of expectation as we wait for a new adventure to unfold. Yes, we’re working through a whole range of emotions during this break-from-the-action, but we’re resting firm in our faith in a God who loves us deeply.

The Overboard Life -- living the life of faith out of the comfort of the boat, and out on the water where Jesus is building His Kingdom -- is a daily commitment. While I wait for God to remove the stop sign, I’m renewing my desire to follow His lead where ever He chooses to take us. How about you? Has God thrown up a big stop sign in your life? Has the path suddenly taken an unexpected detour or U-turn? Will you commit anew to trust Him?

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

How routine is your routine?

When Traci and I vacation, I love to have a very loose schedule with some super relaxed guidelines. I don’t want to fill every inch of my schedule with activity, instead, I want the freedom to do, or not do things, based on how I feel in the moment. Schedules cramp my vacation style.  

Being free with a schedule on vacation is one thing, but people who go through the rest of life without much of a routine usually struggle to accomplish the work God has for them. It’s hard to live remarkably when you’re trying to cram it in “when you feel like it” in the moment!

As a youth pastor for almost 17 years, I have seen a lot of students who illustrate the truth of this point. The students who live by a schedule, who get up at a certain time each morning, run through a routine that doesn’t include a last minute panic to get out the door, come home from school and follow a similar routine with homework, chores and entertainment, always did so much better than the students who just raced around frantically all the time, responding to whims and in-the-moment feelings.

I tended to be one of the latter students when I was growing up. It was easy for me to stay up late, cram for tests and live on relatively little sleep. I’m not saying I functioned at my best, but I could get by, so I allowed myself to be easily distracted by social invitations and last-minute Taco Bell runs. And when I look back at my high school years, I realize that I missed a lot of opportunities with friends, family, work and youth group, because I was so busy not living by a schedule!

Some of you, like us, have little kids in the house, and you know how important schedules can be. There is something profoundly important about living by a fairly steady routine that makes it easier for all of us in the family to function. And I’m convinced it is one of the qualities of those that live most remarkably; those that live the Overboard Life to its fullest.

Jesus was a man of habit. Luke 4:16 says it was his habit, “his custom,” to go up to the synagogue on the sabbath and to read the Scriptures. At least 20 times in the Gospels we’re told that Jesus set out to pray, and in Mark 1:35 we’re told He went out to His “scheduled place” to pray. Jesus established regular habits of filling Himself up with God’s Word and spending time connecting in prayer.

He also served others regularly, He spent time with friends, He had time for strangers, He met with religious leaders, He helped the poor and He confronted the wicked and He did it all with plenty of time to spare. When His life was over He prayed to the Father and said, “I have accomplished everything you set for me to do.” Somehow, Jesus had enough time for all the work God gave Him.

I know from my own experience, as well as the experience and wisdom of others, that a routine is crucial to maximizing success in life. As I approach 40 and think about what the next 40 years will look like, I have some big goals and God-sized dreams that will need a tighter daily routine if they are going to be accomplished in whatever years I have left. For example, one of my goals, inspired by author and speaker John Townsend, is to write a book every year, for the next 20 years. That’s an impossible goal if my daily routines don’t adjust for it.

How routine are your routines? Where could you make an adjustment to your schedule that might help you maximize your effectiveness? Are you intentionally making time to connect each day with God? Today, take a moment to have an honest look at your routine and maybe start by making one small adjustment. Share with us in the comments what change you can make and maybe you’ll inspire others to make the same change!

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Are you being bold?

By Joe Castaneda I’ve become convinced that “bold” is one of those words that can go either way -- you can like it or hate it depending on how you’ve seen it used in your life. Sometimes boldness is the explanation a person gives for being a jerk or for stepping all over people. But being bold is not an excuse to be mean, arrogant, rude or uncaring.

It seems to me boldness is the blending of courage and bravery. I’ll define bravery as the sense of duty that comes when we must stand up to fierce opposition (whether that opposition is internal or external), and courage is the character quality by which we do the right thing, even when others falter.

Boldness then is standing in a strong sense of duty, while still doing the right thing even if others falter. Boldness is action. It makes me think of the writer of Hebrews who wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are -- yet without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence...” One translation reads this way: “Let us boldly enter the throne room of grace...” (Hebrews 4:15-16). Our flesh is opposing us, trying to keep us from living richly in the grace of God. Boldness is required to stand up and to courageously do what’s right -- enter the presence of God to seek help.

Today I want to be bold in pursuing those things before me as I keep trusting the Lord to move and to act. Below is a Tenthdot Devotional I wrote on this particular topic. Maybe these words will help embolden you, as they did me.

Be Bold

Paul told young Timothy, “For God did not give you a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). In other words, be brave and courageous and go after those things God has put before you. I think it’s easy as Christians to mask our fear in piety or holiness, claiming a desire “let go and let God” when in fact, God has already released us to do His work. I’m convinced God opens doors of ministry and life-change and we sit outside in fear, saying, “As soon as [X] happens, I’ll walk through this door” because we lack boldness to follow God’s leading. In doing so, we miss out on the blessing of being the vessel used by God to accomplish His work.

David said, “When I called, you answered me, and made me bold and stouthearted” (Psalm 138:3) and Solomon wrote, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as lions” (Proverbs 28:1). In Acts 4, Peter prayed for boldness and God delivered (4:29, 4:31). Paul and Barnabas spoke the Gospel boldly (Acts 13:46, 14:3), and later Paul told the Corinthian believers that our hope gives us great boldness before God (2 Corinthians 3:12).

The author of Hebrews reminds us that because of Christ’s sacrifice by which He gained experience through His humanity, we can boldly enter God’s throne room and ask for grace and mercy. Boldness is a christian quality! God wants us to boldly ask for grace. God wants us to do His work boldly! God wants us to step out in holy ambition and boldly do the work He has given us! God wants bold children!

Today, ask God to help you be bold. Ask Him to make you “bold and stouthearted” so you will have the bravery to stand up to opposition, and the courage to do what’s right even if others fall away. Be bold for God in all your choices today.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Prayer vs Action

I was speaking this past weekend for a group of students at a camp in Iowa. We had a great time together. During our group meetings, I had the chance to talk with these students and leaders about the importance of making time to pray and time to serve.

With a lot of people who are trying to live the Overboard Life (and all-too-often in my own life!), there seems to be a tension between prayer and action. On the one hand, I do believe that God is capable of accomplishing anything He chooses without any of my help. God is not in need of me, I’m in need of Him. Yet, on the other hand, in His ultimate wisdom and planning, God chooses to use me to do His work. And that’s where the tension lies (for us, not Him!): how much am I supposed to just sit back, praying and waiting for God vs how much am I supposed to get out and “get er’ done”?

As I thought through this tension for my messages in Iowa (and Oregon before that), I started realizing this critical truth: prayer and action aren’t in competition, they are both made complete in each other. In fact, the more I thought about this and looked at it through Scripture, the more I realized that when we pray and seek God’s will, help, favor and blessing, and then act on those prayers, the more likely we are to see God show up in BIG ways!

I’ve become convinced that too many of us think it’s all up to us -- we work every day by serving others and chasing down our goals with the belief that it’s up to us and our wisdom and ability. We tend to pray little, work hard, and we achieve results that lie within who we are. But then there’s another segment of people who sit back and pray, while doing little. They have a belief that if they just pray hard enough, everything will work out (which has a partial theological truth to it, making it even more dangerous!).

However, even a casual search of the pages of the Bible will reveal that God is a multiplying God -- He loves to show up and multiply the efforts of His children who are seeking Him and trying to live Overboard. In fact, the more I looked for it, the less I could find people in the Bible who only prayed and didn’t act on those prayers. It’s like the great men and women of the Bible believed that prayer was a call to action, not a call to waiting. When they asked God to show up (prayer), they went to work and waited for Him to multiply their efforts (action).

I can sit here and pray all I want for good health and for energy and better sleep. Obviously, God could miraculously intervene and zap me to restore my health. But God’s Word is full of proof and instruction that while God loves to show His power, He most often does so in multiplying our efforts, not in pulling miracles out of thin air. Here are just a few examples that you might already be familiar with:

• When Jesus fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, He only performed His miracle after the disciples gathered up what they could find. Then Jesus sat down, prayed and started breaking the bread. Could He have just pulled the bread and fish out of thin air? Of course! But Jesus’ miracle was a multiplication of the disciples’ work. (Matthew 14)
• Before Esther saved the Jews from total annihilation, she asked her uncle to pray, and then she sought the king’s favor. Could God have simply changed the king’s mind without Esther? Without a doubt! Instead, God changed the King’s heart when Esther prayed for God’s favor and then went to work. God multiplied! (Esther 4:15-16)
• In Genesis 6-8, God saved Noah and his family from a world-wide flood. Did that ark that saved 8 people just appear from the forest? Nope. Noah and his family spent 100 years building the boat that would save them!
• In Mark 2, Jesus was teaching in a packed-out house. Literally. Four friends had a buddy who was a paralytic and they desperately wanted Jesus to perform a miracle. Could Jesus have healed the man while he was begging on his mat on some street corner in Capernaum? Of course! But Jesus didn’t respond to the faith of these men until they did the work of bringing their friend to Him. And then Jesus multiplied their effort by healing the man physically and spiritually! (Mark 2:1-11).

Over and over again the pattern is the same -- prayer and action are in partnership. James 2:15-16 speaks to this very issue by pointing out that if you just pray for a person who is in need of food, clothing or shelter but do nothing about meeting their needs, you are not demonstrating faith! Faith -- the root of the Overboard Life -- is displayed when we trust fully in God’s power, provision and presence (prayer) while using the gifts He has given us to serve others, faithfully being administrators of His grace (action). And that combination can lead us to the place where God becomes a multiplier of our effort, showing His power for His glory!

So what are you waiting for? Want God to show up in big ways? Are you eager for God to multiply your efforts for something even better than you imagined? While God is never obligated to answer our requests according to our will, He is in the multiplying business. And when you and I live in obedience to His Word and busy ourselves with His work (loving others!), we can find ourselves in the sweet spot of His goodness.

Go ahead and take the plunge, life is always better on the water!

Project Nehemiah is my second book, written to help people who are trying to figure out what kind of work they can do for God. Check it out, and other resources, at our BRAND NEW online bookstore: www.bookstore.overboardministries.com.

Political prediction

I already know the results of tomorrow’s election. Call it divine clarity. Call it a spiritual gift of prophetic vision. I actually don’t care what you call it, but the fact remains: I know the outcome of the election, and I know I’m right. Here it is: Wednesday morning, millions of Americans will wake up fearful, sad and even angry.

On Wednesday, feel free to come back to this blog and comment on just how right this prophetic vision is! (Unless the election outcome is still unknown, at which time I hold the right to extend the application of this prophecy to whatever time I deem appropriate.)

Of course, if you have been engaged with year’s election at all (and it’s been hard to avoid it!), you know how contentious things have been. In my 38 years of living, spanning 12 presidential elections (including seven that I remember, six that I remember moderately well) I don’t remember one being so filled with animosity. And because of that, I’m confident of this: The “losing” team will not be happy come Wednesday morning.

So what are we supposed to do Wednesday morning? Here are a few commitments each of us should make today, regardless of our party affiliations.

1. Pray for your leaders: Nothing is simpler, yet has more power to create change, than praying for leaders. For some reason we only employ this tactic when our guy doesn’t win, basically praying prayers for God to remove the other guy at the next election. Paul reminds us that prayers are to be offered for everyone in authority, all the time: “our guy” or not! On Wednesday, whatever the outcome, commit to pray. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone -- for kings and all those in authority...” (1 Timothy 2:1).
2. Respect those in leadership: It’s Peter that reminds us to “show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17), yet I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read something like this on facebook: “I know I’m supposed to respect the president, but....” But? There is no “but” clause in 1 Peter 2:17, or in Romans 13:7 where we are commanded to respect and honor those in authority. The point is this: Don’t “but” your way out of obedience. President Obama or President Romney, it doesn’t matter, we owe them respect and honor. You don’t have to like their politics or policies, but you don’t have permission to badmouth them to coworkers, audiences or family members. Show respect to your leaders for the position they hold, even if you didn’t vote them there. I think we have a duty to fight for the right leaders (see also: #1 above), to converse (strongly), debate (graciously) and vote our conscience in light of Scripture. We don’t have the right to tear down God-appointed leaders. You don’t have to like him (or her), but you do have to respect him.
3. Make joy your daily habit: If your party wins on Tuesday, joy will be a whole easier on Wednesday. But it shouldn’t be. Joy should be your daily habit, whether your guy is president or not. Why? Because Jesus is your king! Paul told us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) Win or lose on Tuesday, make joy your response on Wednesday. And Thursday. And Friday... Jesus will still be king. In the midst of the political storms, joy could be your greatest witnessing tool.

Will you make these three commitments on Wednesday morning? Will you continue them on Thursday, regardless of the outcome of this year’s election? Politics is serious business, and the election (appointment) of the president of the United Sates (or whatever country/official rules in your home land) is not to be taken lightly. But God’s commands about such things trump man’s rule.

Put your name in the comments if you will commit to prayer, respect and joy.

Go ahead, take the plunge -- life is always better on the water!