When The Road Curves

This past Sunday, Cheryl and I said goodbye to some very special people at Christlife Church. It was an emotional day for us for sure. It was also very special. Without question, we have made some great friends over the last 5 yrs. It's been an honor to serve alongside some amazingly godly and talented people.

We've learned a lot through this experience already and I'm sure there will be many more lessons to come as the journey continues. Here are just a few things that God is showing us. Hopefully, they will bring strength and clarity to you during your difficult transitions.

1. When God throws you a curve, hit it! Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." If you truly believe that God is in control and your life is submitted to Him, then it only makes sense to believe that your circumstances will somehow be used by Him to accomplish His plan for your life. And the good news is that God's plans for us are always good!

2. Forgive. We all want to find someone to blame when it seems as if the rug gets pulled out from under us. In these times, we must resist the temptation to become bitter, even when it seems as if the blame is justified. Hebrews 12:15 reminds us to "Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. (Message)" Bitterness does not punish the person you blame, it only hurts you and poisons others.

3. Listen for God's voice. C.S. Lewis once said that "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world." So often it seems that God has forgotten about us during our times of pain. The truth is exactly the opposite. God is right there with us and he often seems so much more real to us. It's in our difficult times that he can do amazing things in and through us.

4. Put your whole trust in God. It's in times like these that our faith is tested. A mentor of mine used to say that our faith is put on the "witness stand" during hard times. In other words, trials show us what our faith is really made of. We must let God fuel our faith during difficult times. It's in doing this that we will be made stronger and He will be glorified!

Praise God that he holds his children in the palm of His hand!

By Faith

It's been a while since I've posted anything and a lot has changed in my life since then. As most of you know, we will be moving on from Christlife Church in the near future. While we don't understand why things have happened the way they did, we are convinced that God will use this in our lives for our good. We also know that He has a good plan in store for us!

A little over a week ago I was reading Heb. 11. What an amazing account of so many great men and women of God. So often we remember the heroes of scripture by the things they did for God; however, as I read it this time something jumped out at me that I have never seen before. It was verse 2! Let's face it, we hear a lot about verse 1 since it talks about the essence of faith.

But have you ever zoned in on verse 2? It says, "The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (Msg). The NIV says, "This is the what the ancients were commended for." The bottom line is that it is our faith that pleases God the most, not what we do in His Name. He's looking for a heart that is completely surrendered to Him, ready to obey his every word. God can use all of us in amazing ways when we come to this place in Him and it doesn't matter if we have known Him for 60 days or 60 years.

So the next time you read about Abraham, Noah, David, and some of the other greats of scripture, remember that God was most pleased by their total trust in Him. Their trust in God was the key to discovering and accomplishing His will for their lives.

Thanks so much for all of your prayers. We love all of you and are praying for you too!

A Blast From The Past

I've been involved in music for as long as I can remember! I thought everyone would enjoy seeing a picture of me when I was 11 (top). Yes, I actually played the drums back then! My mom is the one in the front row with the tape recorder (remember them?). This was a musical production at Sussex Christian School. My dad was the director. The other picture is the group of kids that I am playing along with (bottom). No drum cages back then (notice the soft covers on the drums!).

Revelation Song

I love to worship and I love to lead people in worship! With that in mind, here's a great version of a song many of us have come to love: Revelation Song. Take a few minutes today and worship the Almighty God!

Bye Bye Binkie

The other day, Kyrsten decided that she didn't need her binkie during her nap (she is only allowed to have it when she sleeps). She's almost 3 now, and we have been telling her that she can transition to her "big girl" bed once she gets rid of her binkie. As a token of our firm belief in her ability to change, Cheryl put her in her new bed and closed the door. It was quiet for while. It almost seemed too good to be true and then...Cheryl heard something. It was Kyrsten. She hadn't fallen asleep. Needless to say, the rest of the day was pretty rough! Anyone ever deal with a cranky toddler?

That night, I asked Kyrsten why she didn't want to sleep in her big girl bed. Without hesitation, and with the sweetest little voice, she said, "I like my binkie." Let's face it. Bad habits are hard to break!

All of this got me thinking about the unhealthy practices that plague so many of our own lives. In a way, many of us have a hard time saying goodbye to our "binkies". While some of our "binkies" are seemingly harmless, others can explode into life-altering addictions. In either case, we often hang on to them because, although they are negatively affecting our lives, they bring us comfort in some unexplainable way.

So how do we say bye bye to our binkies? I have found that freedom comes when our willingness to be free exceeds our desire for the pleasure our habit brings. Take a look today at your own life. Is there anything you need to pull the plug on? If so, call out to God. He's the life-changer. With His help we can grow up in the faith and rid ourselves of the sin that so easily entangles us.

As for Kyrsten, it won't be long and we'll hear her say "Bye bye binkie!" What a day that will be!

Social Media Revolution

We live in a day and age of rapid change. One of the greatest examples of this is found in the proliferation of social media. I believe that we as Christians have a responsibility to keep up with these cultural shifts regardless of our age or background in order to best connect with those around us who need to know Christ.
Here's a video with some amazing facts about the revolution going on before our eyes! Enjoy!

Awe Factor

We serve an incredible God! Just one look at His creation reveals to us His incredible majesty and power. Consider for a moment some amazing facts about our planet.

A caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it. Your heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could squirt blood up to 30 feet. There are 3000 different species of trees in one square mile of the Amazon forest.

Spiders produce 3 different kinds of silk. They can create 60 feet of silk per hour while simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that protects them from sticking to their own web. Coral plants are so sensitive that they can die if the water temperature varies by even one or two degrees. When we get goose bumps, the hair in your follicles is actually helping you stay warmer by trapping body heat.

Do you get the idea? Wow! And this is just a small sampling!

R. C. Sproul once wrote, "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God."

Let's take these words to heart. If God is this amazing, isn't he big enough to take care of you?

Nature facts taken from Crazy Love by Francis Chan (c) 2008

Love Your Frenemies

Each year, a new set of words is added to the dictionary. Altogether, 25 words were picked in 2009 to join the ever expanding English language, some of which include vlog, earmark, pharmacogenetics, sock puppet and more. As I read through the list, there was one word that really jumped out at me: frenemy.

A frenemy is one who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy. Do you have any of these? These are people who flower you with niceties to your face and then say mean things about you behind your back. Yikes!

God's word is very clear about how we should respond to our frenemies. Mt. 5:44 tells us that we are to "love our (fr)enemies" How is this possible? I ran across some great thoughts on this from a study by Doug Britton called Let Jesus Transform Your Heart.

• Realize that you may have misinterpreted the other person's words.
• Realize that you may be right: The other person may be your enemy.
• Determine what part you played in the problem.
• See problems as opportunities to grow in Christ.
• Forgive . . . even if your enemy does not apologize.
• Pray for your enemies.

I hope these practical tips help you deal with your frenemies as much as they have helped me deal with mine. Be strong in the Lord, my friend!

Some Skunk Funk

This one is for all you jazz lovers! Wow! Click here.

The GPS Mess!

Ever been lost? Probably nothing like this couple! According to the National Post, "Two Swedes expecting the golden beaches of the Italian island of Capri got a shock when tourist officials told them they were 650 kilometers (400 miles!) off course in the northern town of Carpi, near Modena, after they mistyped the name in their GPS."

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? How on earth could they make such a huge mistake? What's interesting to me about this story is that their initial error was quite small...just the switching of two letters!

We live in a world where we regularly hear about people who commit some of the most egregious acts. It's important to remember that each of these sins started with a much smaller compromise long before (about 400 miles back). No one just wakes up one day and decides to murder someone, cheat on his wife or scam a person out of millions of dollars.

The moral of the story is obvious. Left unchecked, our shortcomings will always lead to greater destruction. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Jesus said in Matthew 5 that those who lust after a woman have already committed adultery in their hearts. Jesus also went on to say that a person who is angry is subject to judgment just as a person is who murders.

So the next time you set your spiritual GPS, make sure you check God's Word to ensure that you have the proper destination. Believe me, the last thing you want is to end up 400 miles of course!

Report Card

Are you one who strives for excellence or are you a perfectionist? Why do I ask? Because not knowing the difference could harm you and the people around you. Striving for excellence can simply be defined as doing the best with what you have been given. Perfectionism on the other hand is demanding perfection (an unreachable goal) out of yourself and others.

I first made this distinction during report card time in elementary school. I remember hearing about some of my friends who would get in trouble if they didn't get all "A's" on their report cards. In these cases, it didn't matter how hard they worked. Nothing less than an "A" was acceptable. Their parents were perfectionists. I, on the other hand, was not afraid to come home with less than an "A", unless I knew that I didn't do my very best in a particular subject. As long as my parents knew that I did my best, they would congratulate me on a job well done.

This is not to say that I always did my best! School was not always my favorite place to go. In fact, one summer, I celebrated my vacation by putting my books in the driveway and setting them on fire! Let's just say that my parents weren't too happy about this!

You may have noticed that I didn't choose a musical example to illustrate my point. I did this on purpose because I believe that excellence is a way of life. Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

I believe that we should strive for excellence in everything: our relationships, our vocation, our devotion to God, our health, our financial management, our talents, etc. Why? So that we can glorify God in all that we do.

Oh, and by the way, striving for excellence brings freedom. How so? When you really know that you did your best at something, you don't look back and condemn yourself no matter the result. Instead, you find fulfillment in the fact that you gave it your all!

First Class Allegiance

Ran across this quote today from Rick Warren on Twitter:

"So many talented people give 1st class allegiance to 2nd class causes that diffuse their energy, weaken impact & waste their lives."

I don't know about you, but I have no desire to waste my life! Are you doing what God has called you to do in life? It's the best way to find fulfillment and make a true difference for His Kingdom!

I'm Sure I Read That Somewhere

I ran across this blog today. It hit me right between the eyes! Fasten your seat belts.

I'm Sure I Read that Somewhere
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

There are six things which the Lord hates... Proverbs 6:16

Ordinary day number 10,099, give or take, in my life as a born again Christian. Let's see what's on tap for me to do today...

Hmmm, probably not much need to pray; things are pretty good. I got it under control for now. Definitely don't need to read the Bible. 10,000 days into the journey a guy gets pretty tight with God. Knows his stuff. Remembers the Word fairly clearly. Gets pretty skilled at pointing out how others break the commandments and fail to trust the promises.

So I guess it'll be more of the same today.

• Denounce political candidate without same convictions as me.
• Complain about salary.
• Build tower of righteous anger because the definition of marriage should be so obvious.
• Get warm fuzzies while writing tithe check.
• Tell sad friend I'm praying for him (but not really). Then, call other friend to disparage sad friend for the misery he's caused himself.
• Rail against injustice. Stay firmly planted on seat.
• Marvel at idiots who give in to sinful addictions. While doing, let out the buckle on that size 40 belt and relax a bit.
• Bark at wife.
• Write uplifting devotional.

Wow, full day. But feels a lot like yesterday. Kinda rote. Well, that's just the cross I carry. Because after all, I happen to know a few things about the Word of God.

I know that there are "six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him." And I'm pretty sure those are: gay people, terrorists, atheists, liberals, SUV drivers, and the French.

Likewise, I'm sure I read that it's best to be unwilling to listen, first to speak, and quick to get angry (or righteously indignant. Take your pick. Both are good).

I must have read those things because they seem so prevalent as the outward tenets of Basic Christianity circa 2009. But, since I'm all about passing on the love, give me just a minute to dig up the ol' Bible here so I can find the references for you, so you can have the same "joy" I do.

Okay, here they are:

Proverbs 6:16-19: There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

James 1:19-20: This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Wait a minute.

That can't be right.

If those things are right, then I must be... wrong?

Haughty eyes? Come on, Father, haughty eyes? How else are my eyes supposed to look? And You're telling me my EYES and PLANS bother you more than that guy's crime?

(In MY eyes, they all get you into trouble, keep you out of My will. One thing leads to another. Pride leads to destruction).

Okay, but what about taking a stand? You know, "speak ye first"?! Ignore the arguments of the infidels! Be unyielding!

(What do you want Me to say? Are you going to trust in your own righteousness, or believe My Word that you're not achieving MY righteousness?).

Wow, Lord. I got some thinking to do here. I was so sure I read those things somewhere, so sure You had my back. How do I know one of those things You hate isn't... me?

(I'm instructing and disciplining you, aren't I? Take a look at Proverbs 3:11-12).

Good point. Bring on day number 10,100. Give or take.

Intersecting Faith & Life: The balance between pursuing holiness and loving those who persecute us is tricky, but God is always faithful to instruct us, and shepherd us when we stray too far to either side. Ask Him to reveal to you places you've forgotten or neglected from the Word, so that you may accept His valued instruction.

Further Reading

Proverbs 15:32-33
James 2:14-20
James 4:17
James 1:26-27

A Thousand Questions

Click here to watch!

How He Loves

The song How He Loves has been around for a while and it has ALWAYS touched me so powerfully at the core of my being. How amazing is God's love for us! This version is hot off the press. David Crowder just released it today! It's a great recording. When I have more time, I also listen to the Kim Walker version of it. Enjoy!

Chewing the Cud

I was reading Psalm 1 the other day and a part of verse 2 jumped out at me. It says, "...and on his law he meditates day and night." What do you think of when you hear the word "meditate"? Perhaps the first picture that comes to mind is a person sitting with their legs crossed and their hands in the air chanting some type of mantra. Or maybe you see a monk isolated deep within a cave somewhere pouring over ancient scrolls.

A closer look at this word paints a much different picture. The word "meditate" is best translated as the English word "muse" which means to "become absorbed in thought". Interestingly, its main synonym is the word "ruminate" which comes from a Latin word which means "to chew the cud".

For those of you not familiar with chewing the cud, this is the process by which cows and a few other animals (goats, sheep, antelope) regurgitate their food repeatedly and chew on it. Without getting too complicated, the animals do this because they lack some of the necessary enzymes that most other animals have for digestion.

Now, back to Psalm 1. Biblical meditation has a lot to do with calling up (or regurgitating) God's Word that is hidden in our hearts. How's that for a word picture? I must admit, I am sometimes guilty of grazing (since we are using cow terms!) on God's word. Instead of taking the time to let God's word ruminate, I feed on appetizers and desserts. Let's face it, there is always so much competing for my time with God!

So why meditate on God's Word? Read the rest of the Psalm and you will find that this practice leads to blessing and fruitfulness. Grazing, on the other hand, leads to malnourishment. So the next time you read God's Word, take a lesson from the cow and keep on chewing.
___________________

Sources: Webster's Third New International Dictionary, OT Hebrew Lexicon, Wikipedia

By Your Side

Fear. It's completely irrational. I've known this for much of my life, but this truth has become more real to me over the years as I've dealt with my son Zachary. For those of you who know him, Zachary is not afraid of much. In fact, he's one of the boldest 8 year olds you may ever meet! Nonetheless, there is something that scares him to death: thunderstorms.

Zachary begins to cry and will not leave my side during a storm. There is nothing logical that I can say to him that calms him down. We pray, we talk, I explain statistics about lightning strikes...nothing works, except....for me to stay by his side.

Interestingly enough, someone (with a lot of spare time!) has compiled a list of 530 known phobias. I must admit, there are some crazy ones on the list! How about...amathaphobia: the fear of dust or homoliphobia: the fear of sermons (not touching that one with a 10-foot pole!)...or numerophobia: fear of numbers (I definitely have this one!!). Find the full list here.

While our fear may not be as outlandish as some of the ones on the phobia list, we all struggle with fear at times. We fear losing our job or getting a life-threatening disease. We fear financial ruin or losing a good friend. Satan uses fear to terrorize us and keep us from living in peace. Whatever your fears are, I want you to know that you can overcome them with God's help.

Through my experience with Zachary, I've learned that overcoming fear does not come once we arrive at some logical understanding to the reason behind it. Instead, we beat our fear when we come to the place where we realize that God is with us and we can trust him to protect us. This is exactly why Zachary calms down when he's by my side.

Are you struggling with fear today? Draw near to God. You will find that He's right there by your side and He holds your life in his hands. Here are some great scriptures about all this: 2 Tim. 1:7 and 1 Jn. 4:18.

Holy Headlock!

Ever wrestle with God? I have. Wrestling with God usually takes place in the middle of a trial: a job loss, an unexpected death, an unrealized dream, a prolonged sickness. Recently, I read the account of Jacob's wrestling match with the Angel of God in Gen. 32:24-32. Take note of a few of the amazing things that take place in the middle of our God-struggles.

First, it's important to realize that God's ultimate purpose was to strengthen Jacob and not to crush him. God wanted to bring him to a higher level in his spiritual walk. And so, in order for all of this to happen...

1. God initiated the struggle. Notice that it says that the angel wrestled with him (not him with the angel). God had to bring Jacob to a point of yieldedness. In fact, it took all night! Jacob had to come to the end of himself. We must be emptied before God can fill us.

2. God refined him. I think it's interesting that the angel asks Jacob for his name. Obviously, God knew his name! Most likely, God did this because of what Jacob's name meant: deceiver. God wanted Jacob to come to grips with the sin in his heart. Spiritual greatness is always preceded by humility and a repentant heart.

3. God left His mark. After a long night of struggle, the angel touches Jacob's hip and knocks it out of socket. Ouch!! Why? I think he wanted Jacob to remember that his striving was worthless and that He was still much more powerful than him.

4. God blessed Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to Israel which means: "You have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." God's blessings didn't come in the form of great riches or status. Instead, God changed Jacob on the inside. He went from a deceiver to one who overcomes. Wow! Now that's blessing!

Are you currently in a holy headlock? If so, know that His heart is for you to experience His greatest blessing. He loves you. Yield to Him. He has great things in store for you!

My Bride!

Today is a very special day! It's my 13th wedding anniversary. I must say, I still can't believe that God paired me up with such an incredible woman!

For those of you who haven't heard the story, Cheryl and I have known each other for a very long time. In fact, we actually met in the 6th grade. We've been best friends ever since. We started dating officially in the 10th grade, went to the same college, and eventually decided to spend our lives together. She was 20 and I was 21 when we got married!

If you've spent any time with my wife, you know that she is an amazing person. Cheryl loves Jesus more than anyone or anything in this world and this is very evident in the way she lives her life. She is most passionate about her family. She also loves going on missions trips. Her first trip was to Guatamala when she was only 15. She was there for 10 weeks!! Boy, was I sad! Cheryl is avidly involved in MOPS and enjoys helping other moms to grow in their walk with God.

Here are a few more interesting fact about Cheryl:

-Cheryl is one of the fastest people I've ever met! She shops fast, drives fast, cooks fast, walks fast...well, you get the idea!

-Cheryl hates to cook.

-Cheryl was born in Wimbledon, England.

-Back when we were teenagers, Cheryl actually fell asleep one day while I was practicing my trumpet. My mom declared on that day that she would be my wife!!!

-Cheryl was the Children's Pastor at our church in Chicago for 8 years before coming to NC.

Well, as you can imagine, I could go on all day. Instead, I'll leave you with Proverbs 18:22 which says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD."

This has definitely been true for me!

Flies Own Ants

Did you get a chance to read the article about the parasitic flies? According to a recent article in the Baltimore Sun, researchers in Texas are trying to combat fire ants by deploying parasitic flies that turn the pesky insects into zombies whose heads fall off. No joke! Called the phorid fly, this South American fly is native to a region where the ants originated.

Here's how it works. The flies lay eggs on the ant. The eggs hatch into maggots which eventually eat away at the fire ant's tiny brain. The ant begins to wander aimlessly for a period of 2 weeks until his head falls off. By then the maggot has become a fly which is ready to destroy another fire ant. This is absolutely hilarious!

While I laughed a good bit after hearing about the zombie ants, I couldn't help but see a parallel to the spiritual lives of believers. The truth is that there is one who has every intention of destroying us. His name is Satan.

The parasites that he sends our way are many: pornography, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, adultery, bitterness, jealousy, etc. Unfortunately, the more we give in, the more we have the very life sucked out of us. We become spiritually useless, wandering around like zombies until we finally experience spiritual death.

Perhaps you've been attacked by a parasite or perhaps you are playing "host" to one right now. Unlike the ants, the good news is that God's power is greater than the battle you face. Confess your sin and surrender to God. Get help from others around you if you can't shake the parasite on your own. While this may be difficult, I can guarantee you that it will be much better than having your head pop off!

Here's a cool video showing the phorid flies at work (for strong stomachs only!).

God's Chisel

Click here to watch video!

The Package

Everything comes in a package. Everything! Think about it...the food you eat, the lyrics to the songs you hear, the car you drive, the commercials you watch on TV. It's all packaged a certain way for its intended purpose.

Packages exist for different reasons. Some are good and some are bad. Some packages are meant to protect; others to disguise. Some are designed solely for the purpose of making its contents look attractive.

Have you ever noticed that God's communication to us is often packaged? We are all familiar with the package of the Bible. But God speaks to us in other ways, too. Sometimes he speaks through the package of our circumstances--good and bad. Sometimes his package includes things said by people we love or a spiritual authority in our lives. We know it's Him when it lines up with the scriptures.

I'm convinced that there are times that I don't hear God completely because I get so hung up with the package. "Why would God use that person or that church or that pastor or this circumstance? I know better than them. I could do this better." Ever been there?

God is always speaking. In my life, I often have to ask him to help me to get past the "package". Once this happens, I begin to hear his voice much more frequently. Oh, by the way, it's good to remember, too, that all God's packages are ones that are rooted in his goodness and his love. He's not trying to keep you from hearing his voice nor is He trying to deceive you.

I encourage you to think about the "packages" in your life. Are you hearing what God is saying? If not, rip them open and look inside. You will not only find His words to you; you will find Him!

Reading the Fine Print

Play Video

Can you imagine if people could see the legal copy of our lives? Thankfully, most people cannot...at least so it seems. All of us struggle with some fine print at times. It shows up every time we state things about ourselves that are not completely true.

Why is it that we try to hide the truth about who we are from others around us? We do this for various reasons. On the surface, it's because we are trying to maintain some type of image. Dig a little deeper and you will find that it stems from a fear of rejection. At the very root, it's because we really don't comprehend God's love.

There's nothing greater than being loved by God. Experiencing God's love takes away the fear of rejection. In fact, 1 John 4:18 says that "...perfect love drives out all fear..." Once the fear of rejection is gone, we are able to truthfully represent ourselves to others in a healthy way.

This sets us free to do what God has made us to do: to know and be known. This obviously happens at different levels with different people. Not everyone will know us intimately. But God reveals himself through relationships with other believers. In this way, we know God more and the Enemy has less of a hold on us.

If you struggle with those tiny letters in your life, take some time to read about God's love for you (Romans 8; 1 John 3). Let his love wash away the fear in you and begin speaking the truth about who you are to others. Remember, He loves you no matter what!

The Heart of a Child

I used to be afraid to pray in public. I was concerned that I would say the wrong thing or sound dumb in front of others. As I matured in my faith, I began to realize that prayer was simply talking to God. I also realized that God is most concerned with our hearts and not simply if we just say the right words.

Cheryl and I allow our kids to pray in public on a regular basis. Kyrsten is learning now. In fact, she will not let us eat or go to bed unless she gets to pray first. The other night at the dinner table she prayed the funniest prayer. The first part was the same as normal. It was the last part that jumped out at me. It went something like this:

"My belly hurts, my belly hurts...my belly hurts, the food, daddy, mommy...(and this was the funny part!)and thank you for our food...in Cheezit's name, Amen."

IN CHEEZIT'S NAME? I just about died laughing. It brought such joy to my heart to hear Kyrsten pray. She's learning to talk to God. She doesn't always get the words right and neither do I for that matter, but there is no doubt in my mind that she connects with God.

I want to encourage you to talk regularly to God. Whether it's in public or in private, what matters most is the intent of your heart. By the way, take some time to listen too. He always gets the words right.

Anonymous Intimacy

We live in a digital world. In many ways, we are more connected than we have ever been. Think about it for a minute. We communicate with cell phones, texts, emails, instant messages, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, satellite, blogging, Skype...the list goes on and on. All of these forms of communication have their purpose; however, it's important that they never take the place of authentic community.

In his book Flickering Pixels, Shane Hipps warns against the trap of 'anonymous intimacy'. He says, "It provides just enough connection to keep us from pursuing real intimacy. In a virtual community, our contacts involve very little real risk and demand even less of us personally. Vulnerability is optional. A community that promises freedom from rejection and makes authentic emotional investment optional can be extremely appealing, remarkably efficient, and a lot more convenient."

True relationship building is often inconvenient and difficult, but it can be very rewarding! In fact, it's all a part of God's plan for his children. He never meant for us to be alone. We experience the blessings of Christ through relationships with others in a way that we do not when we are alone.

So the next time you send a text or make a "friend" on Facebook (I have 400 or so now!!!), remember that this kind of connecting can only take you so far. Lunch anyone?

Disproportionate

Life gets pretty crazy sometimes. Without God's help, our lives can easily slip out of balance. When this happens, things that aren't really important in the grand scheme of life have a way of getting way too much attention. This, of course, causes the things that are valuable and necessary to shrink to unusual proportions! I've noticed that many times others see them before we do...

I wonder if it would be different if we could literally see our priorities...if we had to carry them around or try to hide them from others. They may look as ridiculous as the pictures below. Do these remind you of anything that is out of balance in your life?

This Samsung phone is fully functional.
It's size is 15ft long, 13ft high, and 3 fit deep!

First news is the world's smallest newspaper.
Created by Leonidas Schwindt in the 1930's.

World's largest rideable motorcycle
6500lbs, 15 ft tall

Smallest cat in the world. Only 3 lbs.

Take a moment and do an inventory of your life. Is anything bigger or smaller than it should be? Let God be at the center and he will help you with this!

Three Precious Gifts

I thought I'd take some time this week to talk about my three precious children. Why? I've written much about ministry in the church and to our culture, but there is one ministry that comes before both of these: our family!

Yet sometimes it seems so hard to balance work and family. How do you do it? I encourage you to leave a comment. Without a doubt there are other readers who could benefit from your wisdom.

So here it goes...I apologize if this reads like a Christmas letter!!!

Zachary (middle) is 8. He's in the 2nd grade and he wants to be a firefighter someday. He spends a good deal of his free time riding his bike, playing baseball, and practicing the piano. Zachary has a voracious appetite for music. Probably his favorite thing to do is to hide behind things and then jump out and scare the living daylights out of his dad!

Trevor (right) is 5. He's in Kindergarten and he wants to be a baseball player when he grows up. He play tee ball and is very athletic for his age. Trevor loves to play board games and he's also the family comedian. He loves his Gameboy and weather.com. He would do just about anything to play baseball in the backyard with his brother and his dad.

Kyrsten (left) is 2. Well, what can I say? For all the dads out there that have daughters, you know that having a little girl is special. Let's just say, I hope I can toughen up by the time she becomes a teenager or I'll be in big trouble! Kyrsten loves to eat and talk on the phone (her pretend one, that is!). She's quite independent. She's currently learning to go potty and put her shoes on.

I hope this helps you to get to know my family a little bit more. For those of you who are wondering why I left out my wife, I didn't forget her. I will talk about her in a later post.

What Holds Us Together

This is an amazing video of Louie Giglio speaking about laminin, the building blocks of our DNA and the greatness of God. I hope it inspires you to worship the Lord. Enjoy!

Ishmaels and Isaacs

A couple of days ago I was reading about Abraham...

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?"

And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!"(Genesis 17:17-18)

Study the life of Abraham and you will quickly find that Ishmael came as a result of Abraham's attempt to fulfill God's plan his own way. Ever done that before? It's easy to do.

God had told Abraham many years earlier that he would have a son with Sarah and that he (Isaac) would be the child of the promise. Isaac would be the channel of blessing and further God's plan on the earth. But Abraham couldn't wait. Along came Ishmael...and then...if it wasn't enough...he asked God to "bless" Ishmael!

Do you see the imagery here? Have you ever asked God to "bless" your Ishmael?


We are like Abraham when we pray for God to bless our finances while continuing to purchase things that we can't afford. We are like Abraham when we ask God to bless the plans we've formulated apart from Him. We are like Abraham when we ask God to bless our marriages while treating our spouse in ungodly ways. We are like Abraham when we ask God to bless ministries that may be good ideas, but were never birthed of the Spirit.

I think the most amazing part of this scripture (keep reading...) is that God didn't give up on Abraham or His plan. Abraham clearly screwed up; however, God waited until he had accomplished what he wanted in Abraham...and then came Isaac.

If there is anything to remember about this part of Abraham's life, it's this:

God's promises are the channels of His blessing in our life. Let's not try to fulfill them on our own. And for those of us who have brought Ishmael's into our lives and even have had the audacity to ask God to bless them, remember that God's mercy and forgiveness overflows to those who seek it. Just as Isaac was given to Abraham, so God will fulfill His promises to you and me!

Back to the Basics

What do you think? I'd love to hear from you!

Startling Statistics About Pastors

This past week I ran across some statistics that stopped me dead in my tracks. As someone who grew up as a pastor's kid and has been in full-time pastoral ministry for 11 years, these facts hit close to home. I share them not to bring discouragement to you or disrepute to pastors. Instead, my prayer is that they will spur you on to pray for the Church and its leadership. In fact, will you pause and pray after reading this blog entry? My hope is that we will never forget the incredible spiritual battle that wages against us.

• 80% of pastors believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor’s children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
• 90% of pastors feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the demands of ministry.
• 80% of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• 85% of pastors said their greatest struggle is dealing with problem people such as disgruntled members, elders, deacons, worship leaders, worship teams, board members, and associate pastors.
• 90% said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be before they began.
• 80% of pastors’ wives wish their spouse would choose another profession.
• 70% of pastors constantly fight depression.
• More than 1500 pastors leave the ministry every month.

Statistics cited from Phil Pike's blog post called Pastors -- Wimps or Endangered Species?

Amazing Grace...

Every once in a while, I run across something that just about blows my socks off. The following video is definitely in that category. Hang on to your seat!

FYI...it takes Victor Wooten a minute or so to get to Amazing Grace. You'll know it when you hear it. BTW, I posted a couple more great music videos on the bottom right of the blog...

Have a great week and keep on worshiping!

Meat and Vegetables

Last night we were sitting at the dinner table and Trevor brought up his Kindergarten teacher and her pregnancy. It sounded as if the class had been proposing different theories that day as to how the doctors could tell the gender of the baby. There was one in particular that really stuck with Trevor and he was convinced of its truth: boys eat meat and girls eat vegetables.

Well, after we chuckled a bit, we explained to him how an ultrasound worked (in 5 yr. old terms). He listened intently, but you could tell he really liked the meat and vegetables explanation much better. Oh, to be 5 again!!!

Trevor's limited perspective on biology got me thinking about what we must sound like sometimes to God. Have you ever told God how you think a plan should come together or somehow believed that you had His ways all figured out? Our vision is pretty narrow compared to our Creator.

The other day I was reading Ps. 8. and I was struck by the fact that God set the heavens in place with his fingers! That's pretty amazing. What's even more amazing? It also says that in spite of his greatness, he is mindful of us. He cares so much about us and shows incredible patience even when we don't quite have all of our facts right.

Isn't it good to know that God loves us in spite of ourselves? What a great God we serve!

Worship to Internet Radio

In case you haven't noticed, radio is moving to the internet. The other day, my brother recommended a station to me called Pandora Radio. Pandora was created as a result of The Music Genome Project. Basically, a group of music technologists set out to capture the unique identity (genes) of songs from tens of thousands of artists. Their analysis led them to hundreds of musical attributes. They used this information to categorize the songs according to their similar "genes".

Now that you have the explanation, give it a try. Go to www.pandora.com, type in your favorite artist, and see how it customizes a radio station to fit your taste. My hope is that this will be yet another tool to help you worship the Lord during your week.

The Other You

The other you. You know, it's that part of you that seemingly rises up out of nowhere now and then. For some, the other you has shown up on the highway when you were stuck behind a person driving below the speed limit. Suddenly, your once peaceful heart erupted in anger and demeaning words flew out. For others, the other you has appeared while you were at the office. An attractive person caught your eye. Instead of one quick look, you found yourself staring and wondering what it might be like to be with them.

Most of the time the other you sneaks up on you. Perhaps it has shown up as a hint of pride after discovering that you had greater talent than another person on the team. Or maybe you once saw someone suffering and turned the other way because of how inconvenient it would have been for you to help them.

Can I be honest? The other you came out in me a couple of days ago when my phone rang at 4:15AM (for all of you morning people, this is the middle of the night for me!). It was the alarm company. A motion sensor had been activated in the Academy and it was my responsibility to meet the police at the church. It was 14 degrees out (I now consider that cold!), my kids had been up for some of the night with the stomach virus, and I was extremely tired. The other you took control. I was so short with the police that I was afraid to tell them I was a pastor. After all, pastors never lose their cool, right? I played it off as being half asleep, but I was simply angry.

As I drove home, I was reminded of Romans 7 when Paul talks about how he does things that he doesn't want to do. He's talking about the other you. The old life has a way of creeping back in sometimes. It's the Enemy's desire to make us a slave again to the other you. I then remembered Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

My guess is that this won't be the last time I see the other you. However, with God's help all of us can submit to Christ in our given situations and he will give us the victory. He died so that we might live!

Your Best!

I ran across this great Martin Luther King quote today. As you can see, it clearly reinforces God's Word to us about our work.

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven will pause to say, 'There lived a great street sweeper who did his job well'."

MLK

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Colossians 3:23-24

A Wise Father

One day a boy named Isaac Watts was walking home with his dad from church. Isaac began to complain about the music. At the time (late 1600's), music in the church was sung without instruments (they were considered worldly) and only the psalms could be put to music. Being the wise man that he was, Isaac's dad responded in a way all of us can learn from. He said, "Son, why don't you mend the matter?" In other words--write some music of your own.

The rest is history. Isaac went on to write over 500 hymns, some of which can still be heard today (one of his famous hymns is When I Survey the Wondrous Cross). His hymns quickly spread throughout New England. They initially caused a large upheaval (new music always has throughout history!); however, they went on to inspire many Christians through the ages to express their worship to God.

So the next time you hear someone (especially your children) complaining about music in the church, take a lesson from Isaac Watts' dad. Don't react and lash out defensively. Instead, encourage them to write their own songs. Imagine if Mr. Watts would have responded differently?

The 10,000 Hour Rule

A study was done in the early 90's by psychologist K. Anders Eriksson to determine what a person had to do to become an expert in his or her particular field. For years, many had believed that innate talent was the primary source, but Eriksson believed there was another key component. His findings proved this to be true.

He and two colleagues from Berlin's elite Academy of Music divided the school's violinists into 3 groups. The 1st group were the stars. In the 2nd were those deemed to be merely "good". The 3rd group were those who would never play professionally.

All the violinists were asked the same question: Over the course of your entire career, since the day you picked up the violin, how many hours have you practiced? Over the first couple of years all the violinists practiced the same amount. However, around age eight differences emerged. The group that became the star performers began practicing much more than the others. In fact, the experts had practiced 10,000 hours by the age of 20!

Eriksson went on to study other stars throughout history such as Mozart, The Beatles, Bill Gates, and many more. Once again, he found that 10,000 hours was the magic number!

Why do I write this? It's certainly not to discourage you! Instead, it's to encourage you not to give up on excelling in your God-given gifts. Keep working hard to become a better singer, songwriter, musician, actor, businessman, leader, banker, parent, spouse, etc. In many cases, you may be getting yourself ready for something great that God has for you in the future!

Study info from Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell