Beaumont Enterprise Article

I recently had the privilege to write an article for a special publication in the Beaumont Enterprise. It is an Entertainment & Fun Guide for Southeast Texas and the parameters were to represent the faith of the community and appeal to the broad audience of people from all faiths/no faith. The magazine will have a circulation of well over 60,000 people and be placed in local hotels & Chamber of Commerce.

Please pray that it makes an impact and plants seeds in the hearts of many. Look for it this Sunday as an insert in the Beaumont Enterprise titled FYI 2009.

Let me know what you think of it, I'm posting it below!

REFRESH YOUR SPIRIT!

Communities of Faith flourish in Southeast Texas making it a great place to Refresh Your Spirit. With rich history, great opportunities, and hundreds of houses of worship, Southeast Texas is truly a wonderful place to live!

Nine out of ten adults admit that their faith plays a meaningful role in their lives. There is nothing on the horizon to suggest that this is likely to change in the foreseeable future. In fact, people are suggesting that they want more of God and less of the stuff that gets between them and their relationship with God. With today’s increased demands on our time, families, and activities, life can make it difficult to take proper care of you. So here are a few keys to help you Refresh Your Spirit…

Read the Bible.

For centuries, the Scriptures have been an overflowing source of encouragement, inspiration, & wisdom to people of all faiths and religious backgrounds. Whether, Christian or Jew, Muslim or Buddhist – even agnostics and atheists can find something of value contained in its pages. In the Bible, you’ll find practical instructions and great advice on just about anything from raising children to managing a business – from building wealth to living a life of significance. Not only is the Bible the all-time international, multi-generational, trans-cultural, best-selling book, but it is also a KEY to helping you nurture your spirit! So grab a modern translation (NLT, The Message, NIV), pick a place (Psalms, Proverbs, John), and dive in! Just a few minutes a day will go a long way in keeping your tank full!

Pray & Meditate

A second key to refreshing your spirit is prayer and meditation. These are other tried-and-true means to de-stress, reconnect, refocus, and keep your life centered. Prayer is simply “talking to God” – anywhere, anytime, any way, about any thing. Recent studies even show prayer and meditation to be significant means of maintaining emotional, mental, and spiritual health. Prayer keeps you connected, and meditation gives you an important time of introspection and solitude. Time spent in these enriching activities helps to slow the pace of life for a brief moment and ensure you’re being true to your purpose. Take a few minutes today to reconnect through prayer & meditation!

Nurture Relationships

Relationships are the glue of life; however sticky they may be, relationships give meaning and purpose to our lives. The key to refreshing your spirit is to make sure your relationships are “life-giving” and not “life-taking.” Of course, all relationships require work, effort, sacrifice, and patience; but they should also nourish you and energize your life’s journey. Take time regularly for a relationship check-up. Ask yourself, “Which relationships energize me? Deplete me? Encourage me? Pull negatively on me?” It might be time to reprioritize the energy spent on an unhealthy relationship, or to focus more on people who are going with you in the same direction.

A local church or house of worship is a great place to connect with God AND find key relationships for life. Many churches provide a loving, safe environment, filled with people who are living in community with God and each other. Hundreds of churches in Southeast Texas provide regular opportunities to grow in your relationships each week. Remember, whom you surround yourself with will indelibly affect the quality of your life. Refresh your spirit by connecting with others. Give a church a try!

Make a difference…Serve!

A final but paramount key in refreshing your spirit is to get involved in serving others. Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Albert Einstein also stated, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” I believe Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Southeast Texas is home to dozens of Faith-based and community organizations that provide help to the poor, destitute, and troubled, as well as respond to times of personal crisis by offering hope to thousands. Find a place of service – great or small – publically or privately – give a portion of your time, energy, and life away to benefit another. Jesus summed it up, “It is more blessed to give, than to receive.” Serving will rejuvenate your life and inspire your journey!

For thousands of years, faith has been a significant source of hope, encouragement, and the primary foundation of purpose in life. Take time today to give your faith meaning and your life purpose by reading the Bible, praying, nurturing valuable relationships, and changing your world through service. Take time to Refresh Your Spirit!

Deamon Scapin is the pastor of Triumph Church in Nederland, and serves as the coordinator of the Mid-County Pastors Network; a network of local pastors who unite for fellowship and service to the community.