Beyond 30 Days - Guest Author Autumn Finney

Completion of 30 Day Prayer Challenge

Back in May, a group of people started praying for their YMCA. It might have been their hometown Y, the Y they are now affiliated with, or another Y. It was set up to be a 30-day challenge. 

I asked Autumn Finney, a young YMCA staff member from the Jeep Rogers YMCA in Columbia SC to share some thoughts about the challenge and what she experienced during the 30 days. Autumn is a wellness coach, a swim team coach and a summer day camp counselor. So she is very engaged in the life of her local Y.

Thank you, Autumn, for sharing! We all wish you the very best. I believe you have a very bright future.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray


Beyond 30 Days by Autumn Finney

Have you ever committed to praying for something bigger than yourself?

To be honest, I am one of the worst people at strictly following thirty-day plans.  I’ve never made it every single day, ever.  But, the concept of a prayer plan for my workplace has pushed me to take myself out of the equation and focus on praying for something bigger, something more substantial.  The very idea that we can change our work culture with prayer is incredibly humbling and motivating.

Through focused prayer for my Y, I have noticed two constants:  First being that prayer in the workplace is not a societal norm, even in the YMCA.  It is primarily reserved for meetings, sports, or other special events.  Secondly, to be the one making that change can be terrifying.

I am a textbook introvert.  My comfort zones are my home, in the company of lifelong friends, and camp.  At camp, in particular, it would be considered socially awkward to be quiet and reserved, as opposed to being silly and carefree.  Children are, for the most part, more gracious and accepting than us crazy adults that think we’ve got life down.  As such, camp is the perfect platform for me to break the stereotypical workplace norms regarding prayer.

At the beginning of the year, even thinking about praying at camp made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially considering the first time I had ever prayed in front of a group was just last summer.  I have come to realize that when I am anxious and not wholly invested in the words I am teaching, I easily lose the attention of my audience.  But, when I let God guide me, the audience stays engaged and big things happen.  Those little moments, five minutes at a time with God as our focus, that’s where change happens.

Prayer is something we have to sincerely dedicate our time to.  It must become a fundamental part of our daily lives to make an impact.  It can be nerve-racking and intimidating to be the one standing out for faith, but it is entirely worth it.  This challenge goes far beyond thirty days, it is a challenge we must take on each and every day if we truly desire to make a difference in our communities.  Fortunately, as Y employees, our entire environment is conducive to change in the biggest of ways.  It all starts by committing to take a moment each day, getting down on our knees, and giving it all to Him.

Triple Braided Strength

While this is aimed at my friends within the YMCA, many can benefit from the wisdom of a YMCA Legend named John R Mott. Mott is recognized as a worldwide leader and served through the YMCA for many years and in many capacities. He led an effort during World War I as general secretary of the National War Work Council. He was recognized with the Distinguished Service Medal for his work.

Reverend Tom Welch wrote “The sum of Mott's work makes an impressive record: he wrote sixteen books in his chosen field; crossed the Atlantic over one hundred times and the Pacific fourteen times, averaging thirty-four days on the ocean per year for fifty years; delivered thousands of speeches; chaired innumerable conferences, and received dozens of awards. At 81, the Nobel committee awarded him one of the highest honors given on earth--the Nobel Peace Prize. He died at his home in Orlando, Florida, at the age of eighty-nine.”

In remarks at the North American Association of YMCA Secretaries Meeting in 1948, Mott described 15 lessons he had learned over a lifetime of Christian work. One of those lessons was: “Christ sent them out “two by two”. At one time, he had five disciples, at another time three, another time eleven, and at another, twelve. Why did Christ attach importance to small groups? I long ago decided that it was wise to follow Christ in this method.“

Small Groups at the Y

Many community citizens use their local YMCAs. And those Ys can be large or small, or somewhere in-between. They may employ hundreds of staff and have a busy community center. Ys no doubt are very impactful. I believe that Mott was telling us that if we want to meet people where they are, we have got to create small groups. Furthermore, I believe the Y is the perfect setting for impactful small groups.

In recent years, Ys have opened up lobby areas, achieved excellent fitness results with group fitness classes and created support groups. This all helps members related to each other and get below the initial layer of another’s personality. David Byrd, now the CEO in Kansas City, wrote: “They (small groups) foster spiritual growth and life-giving connections.”

Wherever two or more are gathered in His name, Christ is present. So does it make sense that we need each other? And by seeking out each other we can be assured that Christ is in our presence.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 explains the strength found in small groups. “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”  You remember that Peter denied Christ three times. We often deny what we are going through when someone passes us by and asks how we are doing. “I’m fine, how are you?” A small group, created carefully and facilitated by a skilled leader, can provide the intimacy to say what’s really on our mind. Let’s be honest, small groups have multiple advantages that large groups and individuals just don’t have. With the right leader, one who will be an encourager, a listener, an inspiration, and a servant, your small group can impact people in special ways. 

Where to Start

I’d suggest that a YMCA might start by looking for a church partner. Because the Y is such a melting pot in most communities, a local church might be very interested in an outreach project at your YMCA. Some churches may be familiar with a program called Alpha. This would be a very appropriate way for a church and a Y to partner. If you are with a YMCA (or a church) and want to know more about an Alpha/YMCA/church small group contact Joe Pfeiffer at the US Mission Network (jpfeiffer@ymcacw.org).

Another highly successful small group ministry that was actually developed by a YMCA professional is called Restore Small Group Ministries. These small groups are also led by trained facilitators and are growing rapidly in number across the country, at YMCAs as well as through other agencies. For more information, you can contact them at www.restoresmallgroups.org. 

Final Thoughts

Mott’s credibility is unquestionable. His 15 lessons outline timeless lessons for an organization like the YMCA. It makes sense to me that a Y with an active small group ministry will have a huge impact on the community they serve. The Y is about transforming lives and I would think any Y would find small groups to be of great value.

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Filtering the Sounds

It was an outstanding day in the upstate. Seeing a promising forecast I decided to make a day trip to the foothills and visit some state parks. My plan was to take a short walk at one park to a waterfall. This area is known for its waterfalls so I was excited and imagining the scene in my head. 

As my son and I walked and I attempted to determine if we were getting close I began to carefully filter through the sounds of the forest. I thought for certain that as we got closer I could differentiate the distinct sound of water flowing mightily over a high point and down into a pool below. Yet, the nearby creek had a sound that could have been the falls. It wasn't until the falls were actually in view that the sound became clearly that of the water making its way down the tiered change of elevation. It was a beautiful sound, relaxing and invigorating at the same time. 

I think that we sometimes struggle to pick out God's voice until we take steps to ensure that we can distinguish His voice from all the others. Wouldn't you agree that many forces are trying to imitate God's voice and lead us astray? We have to be able to filter them out. However, when we do affirm that we indeed hear His voice, isn't it relaxing and invigorating at the same time?

Ignatius of Loyola said “The good angel touches the soul gently, lightly, sweetly, like a drop of water going into a sponge. The evil spirit touches it sharply with noise and disturbance, like a drop of water falling onto a stone.” His voice is powerful and personal.

When we hear God’s voice we’ll recognize that it is Biblical. It will never contradict God’s Word. Bill Gaultiere wrote, “To listen to God is a spiritual discipline. It’s a discipline that we practice alongside of other disciplines like Bible study, meditation, and contemplative forms of prayer. It’s like learning a subject in school or exercise at the gym in that as you gain new knowledge and strength it becomes part of your foundation that helps you to gain still more knowledge and strength. So the more we take God’s Word into us and recognize his hand moving in our life and in our heart the easier it is for us to recognize God’s voice with clarity and confidence going forward.”

Stay close to God’s Word (read and study daily), go to Him daily in prayer because He wants to hear from you, and be ready to take the time to truly listen for God’s voice!

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Can You Be a Peacemaker?

We have a great deal of brokenness in our world. Even in our little corner, we have broken relationships, broken lives and broken hearts. How can we manage to put those things back together? Aren’t forces working against us?

I’d like to suggest that you can be a “Peacemaker” because Jesus calls us all to use our skills and love one another.

In James, we are told, “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:18 (NLT)

There is a difference between this and peacekeeping. When I think about it, I remember the term “UN Peacekeeping Forces”. I just think about how peacekeepers likely focus on the rising tensions and work hard so that things don’t boil over! They seem to want to put up barriers between opposing sides, so they can just ‘keep the peace.’ 

Pastor Rick Warren offers keys to being a peacemaker !!! Why, because we “plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” That’s a pretty good reward!

1. Make the first move - “While we were still sinners….” Jesus didn’t wait for us to apologize or anything else. Look at Romans 5:8.
2. Ask God for wisdom. Look at James 1:5. Seek the ability to make wise decisions in this circumstance!!
3. Start with your own confession. No matter how small a part you played…
4. Listen to the other person's point of view. Read Philippians 2:4-5. This is a positive step in bringing about unity.
5. Speak truth tactfully. How you say it matters. Read Ephesians 4:15. Speak the truth but do it in a loving manner.
6. Fix the problem, not the blame.
7. Focus on reconciliation. Sometimes we cannot resolve all the issues but we can re-establish a relationship. 

Rick Warren said “Peacemakers can disagree without being disagreeable. That’s called maturity.”

Where might it be necessary for your realm to simply have peacekeepers?

Can you think of a time when you needed to focus more on 'reconciliation'?

Go forth and seek out those opportunities where you can plant seeds of peace.

Peace be with all of you who are in Christ!

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Lord Over All

On the Back Porch Again

The scene is much different today. It's been a steady rain for hours now. While I sit on the porch under the protective cover of the roof I get a great view of what's happening right in front of me. 

The patio surface becomes slicker with each raindrop. The blooms in the planter fall over just a little bit more with each passing hour of rainfall. Blooms on the fragile rose bushes fall over and kiss the ground. With a strong breeze the trees that surround my yard drop more water from their leaves to the ground. You ‘hear’ the wind as a result of that water dropping from the trees. 

There’s a different quietness today. I hear the drops on the rooftop. I can hear the water flowing down the gutter and downspout. Cars that go by in the distant have a different sound today. The tires spread the standing water and there's a swoosh as they go by. 

I remember years ago a friend by the name of Frank Schell accompanied me and several other dads and their children on an “Indian Guides” campout. We had to adjust our plans a little bit as we had a similar rainfall that only lasted a few minutes. But Frank called the rainfall 'liquid sunshine.' He stressed how the water just helped us in the long run enjoy the sunshine that much more. He always said to look forward to when the sun was out because so much will just come to life.

Isn’t God’s creation just fantastic? All these things work so well together in His Master plan. He is Lord over all.

“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Gen 1:31 (NLT)

Let’s praise Him today!

Creator God, we praise you today.

“You alone are the LORD. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.” Neh 9:6 (NLT)

"His faithful love endures forever."

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Persistence in Prayer

In August 2010, the attention of the world was focused on a mine shaft near Copiapó, Chile. Thirty-three miners huddled in the dark, trapped 2,300 feet underground. They had no idea if help would ever arrive. After seventeen days of waiting, they heard drilling. Rescuers produced a small hole in the mine shaft ceiling, and that hole was followed by three more, establishing a delivery path for water, food, and medicine. The miners depended on those conduits to the surface above ground, where rescuers had the provisions they would need to survive. On day sixty-nine, rescuers pulled the last miner to safety.

Like the drill holes for those miners, prayer connects us to the Giving God.

Prayer is the key to our relationship with the Lord. Its a conversation with our Savior and we know the power of prayer, yet, do we stumble, get lazy or maybe even ignore this? If you are like me, you want to strengthen your prayer life.

In Luke 11:2-4 Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He instructed them to begin by praising God, then we can make our requests. He then focused on forgiveness. We must understand that God has forgiven our sins and we are to do the same for those who have wronged us.

Jesus then used an example to show how persistence is important. 

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10 (NLT)

We can’t jump to the conclusion that we can ask for just any ‘want’. In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus tells the disciples that God knows the things we need, He doesn’t just give what we ask for. I know God as a loving Father and I believe we will learn to ask for what is good for us. Since God is the creator of kindness, you know that He can be kind also.

Finally, Paul reminds us in a popular verse in his letter to the Philippians (4:6) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”

Enhance your prayer life beginning today. 

Keep a prayer journal of what you pray about and record when you see or know the Lord has answered your prayer. You can use a spiral notebook, a bound journal or find some ‘app’ to use. 

My other suggestion is to pray for others by name. Our God wants a personal relationship with us and with our friends and family. Doesn’t it make sense to ‘be personal’ and pray for people by name?

Keep on asking!

His faithful love endures forever.

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray

Be Still

My Office This Afternoon 

Composed on the afternoon of May 16.

As I sit on the screen porch this afternoon to do some thinking, reading and studying I've noticed several things. It's a very quiet time of the day and it's very warm this afternoon. I hear the birds; however, it's not feeding time so it must be 'water cooler chatter' they have going on among themselves.

Occasionally a breeze kicks up and the trees that surround our yard seem to be waving at me saying "oh, we love the sunshine." Some of these very trees are providing important shade for a row of roses during this hot afternoon.

I look out at the patio and I see one corner where the sun is shining brightly down on the big planter. The many flowers and plants are just soaking up the rays and adding brilliance to their color.

Our God is such an awesome God!!!

"Be still in the presence of the LORD,

and wait patiently for him to act." Psalm 37:7a (NLT)

It was in this stillness that I prayed to God and asked Him to point me in His Word to what He wanted me to see today. It's my desire to find some thoughts and ideas for development into devotions or presentations. He answered my prayer! I came across a wonderful devotion and in the notes were items for further study. I followed His lead and was truly blessed!!! He led me to two wonderful topics to develop into messages.

Do you have a place where you can pray, soak in the sights and sounds around you, and listen for the voice of God? In the busyness of the day, amazing things can happen when we take a few minutes, retreat from the hustle and bustle and fellowship with our God.

An Evening Encounter
Updated after dark the same day

I couldn't help myself. It has cooled down and is such a nice evening I returned to the back porch with a book and some music to listen to through my headphones. Once again, in the stillness and quietness that surrounded me, I was able to find yet another topic that really spoke to me. That is the third one today! I'm constantly amazed at the Lord's timing. All Praise to Him, the Lord of Lords!

His faithful love endures forever.

Until next time...

Chaplain Gray