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

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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

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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?