Chris Tomlinson's Blog: Crave Something More, page 11

To Pastors, Today

Let me start by saying I have no ecclesiastical authority to be giving pastors advice at all.  And God's servants who minister to their local flocks should be esteemed for their service in a holy calling.  So I begin this post with the humility of a member of the universal body, under the authority of the elders of a local body, encouraging pastors in the global body in the care of their flocks.

I know some churches will have their normal Sunday evening services tonight, and that's great. ...

Why _____?

Why…

Write?

Create?

Speak?

Sing?

Paint?

Draw?

Film?

Shape?

We ______ to express ourselves.

Why should we express ourselves?

Because we want to share with the world what we value most.

Why should we share with the world what we value most?

Because it fulfills our unique sense of purpose.

Why should we seek our sense of purpose?

Because we are "created in Christ Jesus for good works…that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10).

Why should we walk in these good works?

So that "whatever [we:] do, [we:] do it all for...

He Didn't Even Notice

This is Part 3 of the Unseen Fruit of Obedience Series (Part 1:  "Go Tell Him I Love Him;" Part 2: "Unseen Fruit of Obedience").

We had a pretty big snowstorm in Northern Virginia recently.  By pretty big, I mean 4 more inches than I ever experienced when I lived in Los Angeles.  Any of you in colder climates probably scoff at rookie drivers like me that are affected by a light dusting like this.  But it seemed to me that my car was buried under an avalanche.

I've never actually cleared off a...

The State of My Union

The state of my union is not that good. I don't think you're supposed to say that sort of thing, but it's true, so I guess it's worth saying.

I'm not talking about our country, which remains strong despite its many issues.  And I'm not talking about my marriage, which is still my greatest earthly delight.  The union I'm talking about is the union that matters most:  my union with Christ.

The struggle I face today is the cavern that exists between what I know and what I live.  I say that Jesus i...

I Hate To Read…Well, Then, Here's A Book

I am a man of habit. If I could eat the same thing every day for the rest of my life, I probably would.  In fact, in some ways, I do.  Which is why I have become a regular at this one Subway over the past few months.

I travel each week for work, and the company I'm consulting for right now is in the great state of Connecticut.  And nearly every night after work, I stop by the local Subway on my way back to the hotel.  There seem to be two primary crews I see while I'm there—one is fairly...

I'm Feeling Sentimental

The goal of this blog is to proclaim Jesus as the greatest satisfaction to every human need by pointing to His superior worth over anything else life can offer.  I try to write every post with this in mind, and it tends to lead to posts that are sometimes serious, sometimes reflective, sometimes uplifting–but typically Christ-centered.

This post is for fun.  Because I think Jesus likes fun too.  I'm feeling sentimental as I look at the Smilebox my wife, Anna, created for our 2009 Christmas...

Unseen Fruit of Obedience

This is Part 2 of the Unseen Fruit of Obedience Series (Part 1 was titled "Go Tell Him I Love Him")

I woke up as the hurricane struck right outside my window. It was 4am, and the wind howled like a pack of a thousand wolves.  I was awake almost instantly, wondering if the walls would hold or if they would give way to the ferocity outside my window.

I guess I should clarify.  It wasn't hurricane season, and I was in my bed in Northern Virginia, and we don't get hurricanes here at all.  So I...

Live With Haiti In Your Heart

Haiti saddens me.  It saddens me in part because so many have lost so much.  It also saddens me because I care so little.

I don't say this flippantly.  I say this because it's the reaction I have right now.  It's not something I'm proud of; it's simply what's going on at this moment in my head and in my heart.  Perhaps it's because I don't have a personal connection with anyone in Haiti.  Perhaps it's because I don't have the kind of compassion I know I should have.

But this news does do...

Publisher's Weekly Reviews Crave

One of the things I'm getting used to in publishing is the concept of reviews.  It's strange to put such personal thoughts down on paper and then have professionals tell me what is worthwhile and what is lacking in what I've written.  I know it's part of the business, and I realize my thoughts are in a book on store shelves rather than in my personal journal, but it's strange nonetheless.

More than strange, I'm finding it's both a blessing and a danger.  It's a blessing because these kinds ...

Crave Giveaway

If you believe you get what you pay for, you should go to Amazon to get a copy of Crave: Wanting So Much More of God.  However, if you're into free stuff, then this is the post for you.

I wrote a guest post today on Mike Hyatt's blog entitled "7 Ways to Build Your Online Platform From Scratch," and the traffic to my site increased almost tenfold in just a few hours.  I should probably add an 8th way to build your online platform:  write for Mike Hyatt's blog.

I didn't tell my publisher about...