Carroll Marr is the senior pastor of Southcliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. "I don't really want to bore you with the facts about me. I'm just a normal guy. A pastor. A husband. A Dad. A wannabe Granddad. If you'd like more information about all things Carroll, well just read on."
I feel that I must give you some insight into the purpose of this blog. Actually, I am not sure of its purpose but can tell you what you might expect. I will use this space to chat about things that I observe, think, experience, or otherwise encounter. To me, a blog is an opportunity to openly dialogue and stimulate thinking. I will not always answer questions raised; in fact, at times, I will raise them and challenge you to answer. I will always, I think, leave the topic incomplete. That, to me, is the nature of a blog. If I complete the topic it should be a book and not a blog. Sometimes the thoughts will be fun sometimes serious. I do not intend to give you a daily devotional though I would be happy to recommend a couple. My hope is to inspire at times, encourage at others, entertain at others and occasionally make you think a little. We will see if I accomplish any of the above.
I have A.D.D. I just know it. Now, I have never been diagnosed with this disorder, but I have displayed the symptoms for years. I might need to tell you at this point that I was in a doctor’s office some years ago reading an outdated Red Book magazine and discovered a list of P.M.S. symptoms and I had 8 of the 10. I say this to say that maybe my symptoms are psychosomatic – maybe I really do not have A.D.D. but it feels like it.
There was no such thing when I was a kid. If you displayed the symptoms of A.D.D. they just thought you were B.A.D. I was falsely labeled B.A.D. as a child I am certain of it because I was really A.D.D. I believe I still am. It seems this is not necessarily a disorder that one grows out of. I am not saying that this is not a serious issue or down playing the importance of this disorder, I know that A.D.D. is a challenge many struggle with on a daily basis. Seriously, I think I would have been diagnosed with it as a child if that had been an option.
I will use this A.D.D. thing to address what I think is a bigger issue in our society and certainly in our Christian world. I believe there is a growing number of Christians that are suffering from a spiritual form of Attention Deficit Disorder (and I am not just talking about the short attention span that most have in worship services or at least when the pastor gets up to preach). I am taking about the ability to stay focused on God and the things of God for an extended period of time. It seems that today most of us are so easily distracted. I know it is a struggle for me to stay focused on God when there are so many things competing for my attention. I am certain that distraction is a tactic of the enemy as he works at it nonstop lest we hear and respond to that still, small voice of God. I know many at this point might say “why does God choose so often to speak through that still small voice anyway if He wants us to stay focused why doesn’t He speak in a more concise manner?” I would simply say it is my experience that His still, small voice can be awfully loud at times, easy to hear, and clear to discern. The problem is not with His voice but with my attention.
Sound familiar? Do you struggle to concentrate to stay focused in prayer and engaged in Bible study? Do you have a hard time staying focused in the worship time or as a pastor teaches? Does your mind drift to outside interests only to return when you are out of time or the opportunity is gone? Well, maybe you too suffer from a chronic case of spiritual A.D.D. So, what can we do about it? I believe there are …
For the longest time, I do have trouble staying focused on certain tasks or, alot of times, loose intrest in things. But, one thing I’ve found out, one good thing about this deployment is, that I feel the Lord God has spoken to me and has opened my eyes and ears. Ive gone to work, but haven’t really interacted with all the activities that everyone else seems to be involved in. I feel like God has called my heart for something more. Its hard to explain, but I know that he wants me to go and help other people. So a few weeks ago, i started looking on line on volunteer work in fort worth. Luckily I remembered an outreach program I did when i was in highschool. I went to the website and sure enough found the info I was looking for. It was really exciting to know that I could come home and volunteer my two weeks of leave in helping out other’s in need. I talked to my gf about it and she didn’t seem to thrilled but, then again, its not about what she or I want. Its what’s being called and that’s the most important part of all. Seeing how people really are, you really can see the lost and the one’s who are not. It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before and it honestly feel’s good. All my life, I’ve always enjoyed helping people in time of need. I can finally put it to some good use lol. I’m sure you get a million email’s, but I wanted to drop a line and say that I understand and finally see what people are talking about. Thanks once again for your sermons online as well. Keep’m coming.