All in a life's work

Faith like a Fist

2011-06-13T17:04:00.002-04:00

And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. -1 Kings 18:41-45

If you don’t know the context of this verse, here it is. There has been no rain in 3 years. None. Dry. Barren. For 3 years. If you see the wildfires going on in Arizona right now, and you think that’s dry, remember there has been NO rain here.

But, look at the faith that Elijah has in this account.

As the story is retold, we see Elijah asking his servant to go look for rain. When the servant reports nothing, Elijah sends him back again. And again. Seven times Elijah sent him out, and finally the servant tells Elijah there’s a cloud the size of a man’s fist. A cloud the servant probably wouldn’t even have noticed, except that he was probably sick and tired of Elijah sending him out to look at the sea! Elijah was so insistent. Think about this – the servant sees this tiny little cloud, and Elijah says, “Oh, buddy! Here. It. Comes. This little cloud appears and here’s what he says to his servant, “Go and tell Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down, before the rain stops you.” Because Elijah was expectant in his prayers, this little bitty cloud, to him, meant rain was coming. And not just a gentle, soaking rain, but heavy rain. Driving rain. The kind of rain that could stop a chariot from being able to travel. From a little tiny cloud the size of a man’s fist, Elijah prayed expecting God to do something amazing in his life, and God delivered – verse 45 tells us that “the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on, and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

When we pray, we need to pray like we’re expecting something from the prayer. We need to pray like there’s an entire course of history going on but, because we prayed, something new is going to happen. Like life is being changed because we prayed. Like God is going to do something amazing in our lives because we prayed. We can boldly go before the throne of grace.

So many times, we fail to see the signs that God is working in our lives. We tend to think things won’t change, or that what we’re asking for is too great for God to do, and we miss the cloud the size of a man’s fist in our lives. We get frustrated that this person we’ve been praying for still isn’t coming to church every week, but we miss the fact that they’re asking us questions about God, they’re asking us to pray, God is changing their life and we just refuse to see it. Or we’ve been praying about our financial situation, and we’re still not out of debt, but we ignore the way God has brought discipline into our life, or he’s finally put us on the same page with our spouse, but the changes are small, and we don’t expect God is going to fix it. Or the cancer refuses to go away, but we miss the sign that it’s not growing – it’s stabilized and we feel better and that could just be a sign from God that something amazing is about to happen because we’ve prayed. Or, we’ve been praying for direction in our life, and we still don’t have clarity about what God wants us to do, but we miss the fact that God has stripped away a lot of the things he doesn’t want us to do… He’s narrowed the field for us and yet we refuse to see that as a sign of progress. Or maybe… just maybe… we see it, but we refuse to believe.

Faith is so important in our prayers. Many of us who have entered a relationship with Christ have seen the changes he’s made in our lives and our hearts. So, why do we not believe he can solve our problems? Jesus once said, “if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

What is it for you? Where in your life is there a cloud the size of a man’s fist that you need to acknowledge is God’s sign that there’s a change coming? Where do you need to be expectant about your prayers that God is going to answer them?

What a cold bike ride taught me about quitting my job.

2011-06-08T07:22:00.000-04:00

I know it’s hard to remember now that it’s routinely hitting 90 degrees outside, but just 3 weeks ago, our mornings were starting in the 30’s. It was just such a morning that I was scheduled to ride my bicycle into work… I had laid out my cycling kit the night before, inflated the tires, filled my water bottle, and packed my work clothes. I woke up the required half-hour before normal wake time and turned on the news to find the temperature at a not-so-balmy 36 degrees. Fahrenheit. Ahhh, Indiana in May.

My initial response, much like yours might have been, was to turn over, pull the 300 thread-count sheets up over my head, and snooze for another 30 minutes rather than face the cold. But then I remembered a truth I’d recently discovered: I have never ridden my bike to work and then though, “Man, I wish I’d drove this morning!”

So, I endeavored to rise and grind, put on the right clothes, and ride without complaint. After all, I’ve invested several hundred dollars in clothing specifically designed to let me run or ride in the cold. Don’t tell my wife.

Here’s the thing- it turned out to be one of the best rides of the year. The fog was rising over the frosty grass, the birds were particularly chatty, and with the right gear on, I never once got cold.

And the ride reminded me… life is like that, too. We can choose to get down about the circumstances we find ourselves in- our job, our family issues, our economic situation- or we can “dress” ourselves in the right attitude to deal with it. The weather doesn’t bother you so much if you have on the right clothes, and your circumstances won’t bother you if you put on the right attitude.

Many of you know I’m in the middle of a job transition. In April, I announced I was quitting my job with my employer of 21 years to do “something else.” The only thing was, I didn’t know what “something else” would be. Fact is, I’m still not sure. But, I suspect it will pay less, so I’ve recently sold my house. Faster than I expected. Oh, yeah… now I have to find a place to live. About 5 years ago, this would have put me into the St. Vincent stress center, but throughout these transitions, I have found myself to be remarkably calm. And here’s why: I believe God is in the middle of all of it. I’ve seen him work so faithfully in the job transition, in preparing my heart and my family for a new adventure, and even in selling our house (at that price? In this economy?)

Charles Swindoll once wrote, “I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

So, as you get dressed each morning, remember: you get to pick your attitude each and every day. I hope you pick a good one.

What were you made for?

2011-06-07T17:35:00.000-04:00

Paraphrased from Sir Ken Robinson at the 2010 SHRM Strategy Conference:

For countless generations, many circumstances had to conspire for you to even exist. People had to live in the right town, attend the right events, eat at the right restaurants, and so on in order to meet and have children, just so you could have your turn on earth. You are a miracle. Congratulations.

Now why would you want to waste the one chance you have on earth doing something you hate?

The Beautiful Children of Haiti

2011-01-19T22:07:00.011-05:00

I've been home from Haiti for one week now. I still can't completely understand how it has affected me. When people ask me now what was most powerful, or what I miss about Haiti, though, that's easy. The people. The lovely, happy, beautiful people. Especially the kids.

I've been convicted that I should start blogging about my experience, but I'm not quite sure what to write. I think I heard one time that a picture says a thousand words. So, without further ado, I present my first 7,000 word blog about the kids of Haiti.

On The Holy Spirit and luxury cars

2010-12-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

It’s the time of year when commercials seem specifically designed to make us believe we’re a bad husband, bad friend, bad parent, if we don’t get a tremendous gift for someone, right? I mean, maybe you spend weeks pouring over catalogs, surfing the web late at night, looking for just the right gift for that special someone, and finally you think you’ve got it. Then, the next night you turn on the TV. All you want to do is watch a little football, or maybe catch the end of Elf and there it is – you know the one. The commercial with soothing music and the garage door opens and in the bay is a shiny black Lexus with a red bow on top, and the cute, perky wife leans over and gives the man a deep, lasting hug. All of a sudden, you are the worst husband ever!

Now, I don’t know anyone who’s actually ever received a Lexus for Christmas, and I certainly don’t know anyone who’s given one. But imagine just for a minute, that you did. Imagine you saved up for years and years, and just once, for that special someone, you plunked down 50 large and brought home a Lexus LS and because you’re a good negotiator, you got the dealer to throw in, at no cost, one of those big red bows. And you drive it home, and park it in your neighbor’s garage until the big day, and on Christmas morning, that special someone wakes up and walks out into the driveway and sees it. And the reaction? Well, it’s a little subdued – not quite what you expected, but you know you did the right thing, so you wait. And days go by, but the Lexus never moves. And Winter goes and Spring comes, and you walk out into the garage and the red bow still sits on top and the odometer still reads 0. When you question your spouse as to why they are still driving the 8-year-old minivan, they just shrug. How do you feel? It was a perfect gift, you paid a high price for it, and it’s going unused.

Did you know God paid a price for you? Did you know He saved you not just so he could spend eternity with you, because he wants that – he’s crazy about you. But he also saved you so you could help advance His kingdom. I know this because if he just wanted you in heaven, he could have taken you away right then. Instead, he left you here and gave you, along with His very spirit, spiritual gifts you can use to help Him find others to spend eternity with. How are you doing with that? Are you giving everything you have to build His Kingdom here on earth? Is your heart broken for people who are far from God?

In his book, Forgotten God, Francis Chan writes that his youth pastor used to ask: “what would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?”

What would your church look like if everyone was as committed as you? Would there be a band on stage every week? Would it have enough people to teach kids on Sunday morning? What would small groups look like if everyone were as committed as you? What would neighborhood outreach look like? What would the weekly offering look like? What would your city look like?

On the other hand, what would your church look like if everyone were engaged in using their gifts to the extreme?

If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. –Romans 12:6-8

Don’t leave your spiritual gifts in your garage. It’s time to get out the key and fire those babies up!

The only appropriate response to prayer

2010-11-16T20:35:00.004-05:00

I woke up early this morning to go to a prayer meeting.

As I was walking into the building, I found myself shaking. At first, I wondered if it was from the chill of the morning, but I soon realized I was nervous. Nervous? Why? I've been to hundreds of prayer meetings, and prayed in public a lot. No need to be nervous.

Then it hit me...it wasn't nerves, it was excitement. Clear as day, I heard my own voice in my head say, "I get to go before the throne today." Then it all made sense.

Daddy, I don't think you can!

2010-10-20T21:32:00.002-04:00

I was sitting on the couch this evening, winding down from my day, and watching/listening to my girls do the same. One was finishing her bath, while the other was sitting in front of the computer, writing a note to her mom. From the office, I heard a loud noise that sounded like someone hitting a keyboard, then a loud, sustained cry. I got up and immediately rushed in to see what was the matter.

When I saw my 6-year-old standing in front of the screen, her face red and tear-streaked, her eyes puffy, the chair pushed back from the desk, I assumed she had fallen off her seat. So imagine my surprise, when I asked her what was wrong and she said, "the thing won't go back to the center of the page!"

"What do you mean?" I asked. Through deep sobs she replied, "The thing. The blinking thing. I push enter and it goes all the way over here (to the left side of the page). I want it in the middle."

I felt a sudden sense of relief. This was one I could finally handle! "Well, just calm down and listen, and I'll show you how to fix it," I told her.

That's when the bomb dropped. She grabbed the keyboard, clutched it tight and said, "Daddy, I don't think you can!" Well now, this was insulting. I thought I could do anything in my daughters eyes. She has a problem that's so simple, I've solved it hundreds of times. Why doesn't she just trust me to fix it?

And then it hit me. This must be exactly how God feels when I don't trust him with my problems. And that's exactly how I often act. I just want to grab my keyboard and go home.

"I can do it," I told her reassuringly. "I know how." And once she let go of the keyboard and let me take control, I showed her exactly how to fix her problem.

Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. -Psalm 55:10

Top ten benefits of turning 40.

2010-04-14T06:05:00.002-04:00

I've been really down on turning 40 lately, but I thought to celebrate the milestone, I would look on the bright side. So, here are my Top Ten benefits of turning 40:

10. Not so offended when the young lady at the gas station calls me "sir."
9. Lower car insurance rates.
8. I don't feel self-conscious saying, "back in the day."
7. New (slower) qualifying standard for the Boston Marathon!
6. The clothes and hair I had in high school are now in style again.
5. With old(er) age comes great perspective - little things seem little.
4. When college students say, "wow, I didn't realize you were that old," now I just agree with them.
3. Built-in excuse for achy muscles.
2. Oh, now the gray hair makes sense!

and the number 1 benefit of turning 40:

1. Three words: New Age Group.

Why the 2010 Census matters to the Church

2010-01-20T17:17:00.001-05:00

The Church and government don’t often mix well.

When Jesus was asked if we should pay taxes, he said, “Give to Caeser what is Caeser’s, and give to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Many Christians, and even church leaders, have taken Jesus’s statement as permission to completely disassociate the Church from any government initiative.

But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we will realize that some government programs can be useful tools to help with our great commandment to love others as we love ourselves. When God commands us to feed the poor, or to take care of orphans, there are obviously lots of things we can do personally to make that happen. But, there are also existing programs we can take advantage of, and many of those are funded by the federal government.

Censuses didn’t have a great reputation in biblical times. They were usually associated with collecting money. David angered the Lord when he decided to take a census of his men. And, of course, it was because of a census in Bethlehem that Jesus was born in a manger, instead of more comfortable digs.

The US Census to be held in 2010, however, is different from these. The census is a mechanism used to allocated billions of dollars in government funding for important community facilities like schools, roads, hospitals, child care centers, and more. Over $300 billion a year, to be more specific. How these dollars are allocated, in many cases, is dependent on how many people are counted in each area. That’s why it’s important for our communities for everyone to be counted.

Why should the Church care? Well, the very groups that God calls us to defend (the poor, the marginalized, the orphans and widows) are the groups that are the least likely to be counted. In 2010, America has a higher population of historically undercounted groups than ever. Many of these groups don’t trust the government to do what’s right, but they trust their local church. Therefore, the Church should step up and encourage all groups to be counted.

So, as a church leader, pastor, or not-for-profit director, what can you do?

1. Ensure your congregation or constituents that the census is simple and safe. The questionnaire is only a few questions, and every household’s personal information will be kept confidential for 72 years.

2. Offer to help those who don’t understand or read English If you have a cross-cultural ministry, this can be especially helpful.

3. Create a campaign. Hang signs or posters in your church or office. Make sure everyone’s aware that census questionnaires are coming in March, and that April 1 is census day.

Every person matters to Jesus, so they should matter to us. It’s in our hands. Let’s all do our part to make sure each and every person is counted.

Pumpkin Theology

2009-10-27T17:22:00.001-04:00

Fall break has come and gone, which means Halloween is knocking at the proverbial door. This weekend, my family took the time to pick out and carve pumpkins. As we were cleaning out the gooey insides, my daughter Grace said, "Daddy, this is so gross." I immediately thought about God, and wondered if He says the same thing when He goes through the cleansing process with me? That got me to thinking deeper about our relationship with Him, and how closely a few minutes with this orange squash resembled our relationship with Christ.

So, we used the whole process as a teaching moment. I invite you to try it with your kids this week if you are pumpkin carvers...

We didn't choose God, he chose us. Just like the pumpkins didn't choose us. God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart...."

We scoop out the seeds and pulp. In the same way, once we decide to follow Jesus, he cleans out the nasty stuff from inside us. The Psalm says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Micah says God, "hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea." I just put the pulp on some newspaper, but still.

Then, we put the new face on the pumpkin. Just like we become new in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Finally, we insert a candle and light it, so everyone can see our great new Jack O'lanterns. After all, we want everyone to see what's happened to them, right? In the same way, we are called to shine our light so people see the difference in our lives. "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light." -Luke 8:16

So, we get quality time with the family, fall decorations, and a memorable bible lesson all for around $10. Pretty good investment, I'd say.

God in the whisper

2009-08-31T20:40:00.003-04:00

If you're at all like me, (and for your sake, I hope you're not) you may doubt God from time to time. Maybe you're in a situation you don't like or don't understand, or maybe you're searching for direction in some part of your life, or maybe you just want to know if He's listening to your prayers. My tendency is often to pray for a sign. Lord, just show me who you are... show me that you are God.

But, as I read scripture, I really need to stop praying this. Have you done this lately? Look how God often proves Himself. It's almost always with death and destruction. There are very few fleece moments in the bible. It's more like this:

And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars...

You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

If it's been awhile since you read the bible, think about it. Do you remember a passage that says, "I will deliver the job into your hands, then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or how about, "I will heal your ailing spouse/child/brother then you will know that I am the LORD?" Or even, "I will present to you the lottery numbers BEFORE they are drawn, then you will know that I am the LORD?" No. I mean there is the staff turning into a snake thing. And the time that Elijah called on God to set the altar ablaze. But generally, in scripture, the LORD makes Himself known in ways that we wouldn't really want to see Him. But, it also means that He has the power to make Himself known.

So, what does this mean for us? It means we need to have faith. Faith that His plan is better than ours. Faith that he's the same God He has been- yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Faith that He's still on His throne.

When nothing wheron to lean remains,
When strongholds crumble to dust;
When nothing is sure but that God still reigns,
That is just the time to trust.

'Tis better to walk by faith than sight,
In this path of yours and mine;
And the pitch-black night, when there's no outer light
Is the time for faith to shine. - Joseph Parker

God has told us who He is, and He's probably shown you in your life time and again. Maybe you can't hear him now because life SCREAMS at you. Your circumstances YELL at you to ignore that still small voice inside your head. But, scripture tells us that God is in the whisper. Be still and listen... and know that He is God.

Lord, make me more stubborn

2009-08-26T21:21:00.003-04:00

"But it won't work that way with the family of Israel. They won't listen to you because they won't listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I'll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I'll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don't let them intimidate you. Don't be afraid of them, even though they're a bunch of rebels." -Ezekiel 3:7-9 (The Message, emphasis added)

At first, this seems like a pretty strange passage to me. I mean, who wants their face to be as hard as a rock? C'mon God, make my abs as hard as a rock, maybe, but my face?

But, what a cool thing God did for Ezekiel. He was sending him to speak to the Israelites and warn them about their sin. But in His sovereignty, God knew they would be stubborn about it, so he promised to make Ezekiel more stubborn.

I have to tell you that so many times, when I find myself in a similar situation, I pray about the others. I pray for the ones I'm speaking to and say, "Lord, soften their hearts. Help them see it my way."

But, maybe God wants to teach me something sometimes by making people stubborn. Maybe people who don't just follow me blindly are meant to test my perserverance. Maybe I should pray for God to change me more than I pray for Him to change other people. Like Ezekiel, I need to ask him to make my face harder than granite. After all, as James wrote, "You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-3 (the Message)

I want to be mature and complete. I want not to be deficient in any way. So, Lord, make me more stubborn.

And, about those abs...

On making great people

2009-08-25T18:46:00.002-04:00

Dads, let's talk. I think if we were to sit down face-to-face over a cup of coffee (or a large Diet Coke for me), we'd agree that one of the most important things we'll do in this life is raise great kids. Can we just agree on that now? Good.

So, why don't we always act like it's a priority? If we're to be honest with one another, I'd bet we both spend a lot more time thinking about our career development, financial future, or even our vacations than we do about how to build into our children. Look at it this way: we driven, ambitious career types are always looking for a way to add more value at work, right? We wouldn't think of just occupying a seat and getting by with the minimum required to get the job done. We strive to get better, we invest in our skills and knowledge, we bring ideas to people. We aren't static, we are in motion in our careers.

Why, then, when it's our turn to watch the kids, do we look for the easy way out? Why do we wonder which DVD we should put in to occupy the time while we rest or read or do what we need to do? Why don't we invest in our parenting skills, spend quality time playing with our kids, reading to them, coloring with them, doing things that build them up?

In his book Outliers, Malcom Gladwell suggests that great performers are made largely by great opportunities. In other words, if you want to be a great piano player, you need lots and lots of hours at the piano. If you want to be a great runner, you need a chance to put in miles and miles. Likewise, if you want to raise great kids (thereby making them into great people), you need to invest the time in them, not just spend time with them, but really spend time building them.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go and he will not stray from it." That's what most of us want as parents, right? A child who is raised right and turns into a great person - one who doesn't stray. So, let's take every opportunity God has given us to invest a part of ourselves in our kids. We don't have very much time- our opportunity is limited.

Nehemiah Vision Ministries

2009-07-31T21:12:00.001-04:00

In case you missed this last weekend, here is the video about some of what God is doing in Haiti.

Nehemiah Vision Ministries from Northernlight Filmworks on Vimeo.

MOVE Conference Roundup

2009-07-04T19:54:00.003-04:00

So, we returned yesterday from the MOVE Conference at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. I think that most of the students were somewhat underwhelmed or maybe even a little disappointed at the conference... that is, at least, until the last day.

The entire conference focused on the book of Exodus, and the story of the people of God. The worship, by the Aaron Pelsue Band, was really good, but it took the students awhile to learn the new songs. Once they caught on, though, it was phenomenal!

On the first night, we talked about God appearing to Moses in the burning bush, and how he calls us all in different ways. The second day, we discussed what it means to be a slave to sin, and how we can be free. Day 3, we talked about the crossing of the Red Sea, and how we all come to a point in our lives where we have a crossing to make. Day four, we talked about worship, and what it means to worship God and to worship idols. On this day, each of the participants build their idol out of Play-Doh and we smashed them underfoot. Then came day five, the day that rocked our world. On this day, we talked about living with God and in God, and what that means. Each person at the conference got an envelope that they had to commit to do what it said before they opened it (they didn't have to open it, but if they wanted to, they were committed). Well, every student in our group committed to do it, and each one got a challenge that, by God's grace, was appropriately hard for them. One student now has to sell 50 items of clothing and give the money to a family who needs it. One has to skip one lunch per week and use the money to provide a meal for someone who can't afford it. One student has to memorize the book of Ephesians. My challenge is to not buy gas for a month and give the money to an environmental cause. I started today.

Then, by some ridiculously funny manipulation by God, we got the biggest challenge. If you want to know about that, or to know the story, you need to look here.

I'm really excited to see what God is going to do in our students and in our community in the next year. Stay tuned.

MOVE updates

2009-06-30T23:11:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for MOVE conference updates, follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stevewallen or on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/steve.wallen Can't really blog from here.

3 days until camp

2009-06-26T12:14:00.003-04:00

Just 3 more days until we leave with the high school students from Genesis Church to go to Move camp in Holland, Michigan. Once again this year, I will be blogging each day from the camp (assuming I can grab an internet connection somewhere) so parents and interested parties can keep up with our good times, crazy fun, and what we learn.

Stay tuned!
Steve

The dangers of an authentic life

2009-06-20T16:56:00.004-04:00

Well, I've learned a lesson this week. Maybe a few.

A few years after I first started following Christ as an adult, I got introduced to a church that values authenicity. Actually, to say it like that kind of undersells the concept. This church believed and lived the ideal that you can be who you are, in any circumstance, you are who God made you and how He made you, and to pretend to be anything else is to deny your maker. I bought in hook, line and sinker. In fact, around that same time was when I first started having a presence online. Because of my belief in the importance of authenticity and transparency, I decided I would live my online life just like my real life... no alias, no persona. I have never had an e-mail like BigHotDaddy@... or IronMan2632@... My e-mails, this Blog, my Facebook page all have my real name. No hiding. I see this as a kind of accountability for me. By doing this, I can live a life of integrity everywhere, even among those who don't know me.

Well, I started to doubt my decision this week when I found out that I was being cyber-stalked. Someone (I think I know who, though I won't say) had been going through my FB pages, looking for anything that could be inflammatory or insulting when taken out of context. It was sad to me, too, because I like working with her. I also have a very important job, caring for people I love at a company I love, and there have been some really tough times there this year. But, this person implied (and probably really believed) that what I had written (and when) made me unfit for my job. Fortunately, the people who saw it know me well enough not to doubt my intentions, but it made me recoil. In fact, my immediate response was to make everything private. I protected this Blog, my FB page, I unfriended anyone at work (sorry to my friends there). I acted just how I would have if I'd been physically attacked.

Over the last two days, though, my response is changing. I need to not let the fact that someone doesn't want to see me succeed not change who I am. Those of you who know me well, I think, know that I am not insensitive, callous, or mean. I am, however, sarchastic, and I can be prideful. Very prideful, and I need to let Christ work in that area of my life. But, I will not go subterranean.

Many of you have told me that something on these blog pages has touched you. Several of you have enjoyed reading my race reports from time to time. And, I think it's cool that some people may be attracted to a Jesus who is madly in love with them just because some offbeat, occasionally funny runner writes about Him sometimes.

So, what have I learned? Well, being authentic is dangerous. Just as it allows you not to surprise anyone when they get to know you, it allows people who don't know you to see into all your junk. I still think that's a better way to live, and it's how God commands us (Ephesians 4:25 says, "So put away all falsehood and tell your neighbor the truth, because we belong to each other"). But, I have realized that what you write online can be seen and misused by anyone. I have also seen that people's perception can vary far from reality, and the more visible you are, the higher standard to which you are held. As a friend told me this week, "just realize your audience is bigger than you perceive." And I do.

I've also learned that not everyone will like you. No matter how much you want that.

So, if you've been offended by something I've written here or elsewhere, I can assure you I didn't mean that. Search anything I've written- you'll not find a hint of profanity, sexism, racism or insult (except to my friends, all meant in love). Unless, that is, you're offended because of something I've written about Jesus. Then, if your offended, maybe it's not my fault.

Leadership author and speaker John Maxwell says his definition of success is when the people that know him best are the ones that like him most. I like that definition. I don't think it's always like that for politicians or movie actors, but I hope it is for me.

Thanks for reading, and peace.
Steve

Race report- Madison Marathon

2009-06-07T18:48:00.002-04:00

Okay, this one's a week or so late because we were on vacation, then I was working on a message for church last week. But, I wanted to write down my thoughts about the Madison Marathon on May 24. The short version: I ran a personal best 3:57:51 (in only my second marathon) and was able to walk the next day. Now here's the slightly longer version.

When I started considering a marathon late last fall, I was looking for one that was (1) driving distance (2) in a place I hadn't been, and (3) after the Indy Mini with enough time to recover, but not enough that I would lose my fitness. Madison fit right in- 5 hour drive, and 3 weeks after the Mini. Truth be known, I would have liked another week to allow for one more long run, but even more truth be known... I don't know if I could have run a 20 miler the week after the Mini anyway.

We drove up Saturday morning and arrived at the hotel right around 4:00, which was check-in time. We parked at the hotel and walked to the expo, and I was pleased to find out that our hotel was indeed walking distance to both the start and finish lines. This would work out well logistically, as I could walk to the start and my family could walk to the finish and watch me limp in. The expo was nice, but fairly small compared to the Indy Mini, and it was then I realized how small this race actually was. In a good way.

Sunday morning, I woke up at 5:20, 10 minutes before my alarm went off. I slept well from about 9:30, so that was nice. I ate two granola bars, drank a bottle of water, and went for a walk/jog through the parking lot and the finish line. I determined the finish was about a half mile from the hotel entrance, which would work fine.

I arrived at the start area about 7:00, 30 minutes before the start. The weather was perfect for running- 52 degrees, cloudy, and no wind. I looked for and found the 3:40 pace group. My plan was to run with them as long as I could, then hang on to make it under 4 hours. By this time, though, I had raised my expectations and thought maybe 3:40 was possible. Well, I introduced myself to a couple of the pacers, got a good look at them to know who I was following, then the gun went off. About 1,500 of us left the line, and ran around the Alliant energy center parking lot, off onto the road and we were at a mile before I knew it, just a tad slow. Okay, though. By close to mile two, I couldn't belive the crowd wasn't breaking up more... it felt like I was running with 15,000 people, not 1,500. I was feeling clausterphobic and had to get out. I ran up about 15 feet in front of the 3:40 pace group and all of a sudden, I felt I was running alone. This was more like it. I was very comfortable, enjoying views of Lake Monona, then the capital, then the University of Wisconsin. Five miles went by in 41:30 (8:18 miles), right on time. As we ran, I took note of a couple things to come back for with my family... a frozen custard stand (4.5 miles), a beautiful house being built on Lake Wingra (8.5 miles) and the zoo (9.5 miles).

When we exited the UW Arboretum and turned by the zoo, I couldn't believe the crowd there to cheer us on. There must have been close to a thousand people lining the path, yelling and screaming, ringing cowbells, and shouting our names, which were printed in large type on our bibs. It was very energizing.

I ran through the half in 1:48, which would have been a PR for me a month ago, but was just about on plan for the marathon. One more of those, and I'd run a 3:36. That would be awesome! But, it was not to be. At about mile 15.5, I walked the aid station. I had carried a pack of Clif Shot Bloks with me, and a honey stinger gel. I had planned to take a gel or some energy food every 6 miles, and I had hoped to pick one up at the 4 mile station, but I passed right by it. So, I had to be careful with my calorie intake, and now I knew I was off my plan, but I couldn't remember when I was supposed to eat again. So, I walked, took some Gatorade, and poured some water over my head (it was getting warmer now). I started running again with no problem until mile 17. As we ran around the Maple Bluff country club, we hit the longest/steepest hill on the course. It drove me to a walk, and I never recovered. Between 17.5 and 22, I was reduced to a pattern of walk 1 minute, run 2 minutes, or some variation thereof. The bottom line is there was about a five-mile stretch where I ran only about 2/3 of it.

By mile 22.5 or so, we were running along the shore of Lake Mendota, sharing a bike path with people out enjoying the beautiful day. The mix of more people, nice lake views, and proximity to the finish line drove me to run more. Now, I would walk one minute and run four. I just kept repeating to myself, "This is what all your training was for. This is why you spent so much time away from your family. This is something you can do!"

At mile 25, I started running and didn't stop again. Just before 26, we re-entered the Alliant energy center, and as I ran toward the finish, I started looking for my family in the crowd. As I passed 26, I saw them and realized we'd never arrived on where we would meet. I waved, though, and my girls got to see me finish, which was great. As I approached the finish line, I finally saw the clock and it started with a four. I was a little bummed, but not surprised considering how much I'd walked. Then I realized- that was the 1/2 marathon clock- they started 30 minutes before us. On the other side of the finish line was the marathon clock, and it was at 3:56. I was going to do it! I crossed the line at 3:58:17. I wasn't wearing my watch, but I knew it had been about 30 seconds before I'd crossed the start line, so I was safely under four hours. I grabbed a chocolate milk, hobbled back to find my family, and started to think. My first response surprised me. Instead of the usual, "I'm not doing that again," I thought, "I can probably take 20 minutes off that time if I work at it."

So, I'm really excited to see what's next for my running. The last two weeks I've run, bicycled, and lifted weights without a plan. Now, I'm in training for a 4.5 miler on the 4th, but I'm considering what to do in the fall... another marathon? Fast half-marathon? Ultra? Thoughts, anyone?

Lesson about success

2009-06-04T08:26:00.003-04:00

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. -Daniel 4:4

Okay, stop right here. This really makes me mad. King Nebucadnezzar, the evil one, sitting in his palace contented and prosperous. Not bothered by the outside world. Not enough compassion to be concerned about the abuses happening in his kingdom. He just sits in his palace, rich and happy, after all the destruction he's caused. And this is the first lesson about success, and it may go against everything you think you know about God.

God sometimes grants success to people who don’t follow Him.

This story in particular is about Nebucadnezzar, and we know he wasn’t a nice man. I mean the book of Daniel tells a little about him, but to really know the King’s whole story, you have to go to 2 Chronicles.

He (God) brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the LORD's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there.
He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. -2 Chronicles 36:17-21

So, here’s a guy that raided the city of Jerusalem. He killed everyone he could, enslaved those he couldn’t. He took all their stuff and carried it off to Babylon- their gold, their livestock, everything of value, and burned the rest of the city. This man, this ancient-day Hitler, is sitting in his place, content and prosperous. And look at verse 17 again: He, God, delivered this into the hands of Nebucadnezzar. See, I don’t understand why, but God sometimes gives success to people who don’t follow him, so what does that mean for you and me. Well, consider this. Maybe just because you’re having success as the world sees it doesn’t mean you’re following God’s will. This is huge!

I mean, I hear this a lot- God is really blessing this area of my life. I’m so glad I took that new job because, even though I’m away from my family a lot more, I’m making a lot more money, so God is really blessing that. Or, my husband and I are separated, but I’ve met this new guy, and he’s a believer, and I just know God wants me to end my marriage and go with him because this relationship is so much better than the one I have with my husband, so I know it’s God’s will. Or, yeah, I know I violate my principals sometimes when I hang out with those friends, but they really like me when I’m with them, and God wants me to be happy, right?

Well, I can’t tell you God’s will for your life, but let me tell you what I know about God’s will. God will never ever will for your life something that violates His word that he’s given us. If your understanding of God's will is different in anyway from what the bible says, who's more likely to be wrong? So, if you think God’s will is to be away from your family more just for more money, or to leave your husband or leave your wife for someone who understands you better, or to sin so you can be accepted by some so-called friends, I tell you that you are buying the world’s definition of success instead of God's.

Marathon FAQ's for my non-running friends

2009-05-20T16:16:00.004-04:00

Since I've told people I've been training for the Madison Marathon, the responses have been varied. My running friends are mostly understanding, excited, inquisitive, and some even a little jealous. But, the most confused and amused looks and questions come from my non-running friends. So, to save the trouble of answering them many times in the next two weeks, I present here my Marathon FAQ's.

1. How long is THIS marathon? By definition, a marathon is a race that is 26.2 miles. To be more precise, it is 26 miles, 385 yards. The marathon was first featured in the Olympic games in Athens in 1896 as 40km (24.85 miles) and the now standard distance was used first in 1908, when in order for the Royal Family to see the marathon at the London Olympics, a partial lap around the stadium was added to the planned 26 mile race. Or something like that. Anyway, a marathon has been officially 26.2 miles since 1921, when the distance was standardized.

2. Why would anyone run 26 miles? Well, that's different for everyone. The race is named after an alleged journey of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger charged with communicating that his country defeated Persia in the Battle of Marathon. He immediately ran from Marathon to Athens, a distance of about 25 miles, upon which he announced, "we have won," then took a swig of Gatorade, wrapped himself in a space blanket, and promptly died. So, he did it as an act of patriotism. My motives are more selfish. I wanted to (1) have something out on the calendar to motivate me, (2) prove I could do it, and (3) train so that I could run better at other distances. Numbers 1 and 3 have worked so far; this Sunday, I'll run to see if 2 is true.

3. Wow, 26 miles. I don't even like to drive that far! Neither do I.

4. Madison? Won't that be hilly? Hmmm... maybe. But, I plotted the course on my favorite mapping site, and only got about 350 feet of vertical over the whole 26 miles. That's just over twice what the Indy Mini has, and it's twice as long, so it looks relatively flat.

5. What's your goal Wow, good question. My first and only marathon was a disaster. I finished the first half in 2:08 and the second half took 2:48, for a 4:56 total. I would love to run under 4 hours. Based on my recent half-marathon, I should be able to run a 3:35, but I don't know if I've run enough long runs for that. I plan to go out at a 3:40 pace and run as long as I can there. That is about 8:30 per mile for the math-impaired.

6. What comes next? Well, immediately afterward, the family and I will spend the first few days of Summer vacation in Wisconsin- first in Madison, then in The Dells. Next Saturday, I will continue to torture myself with a 15k trail run in Nashville, Indiana. You should come. No, seriously. After that, I'm a little less clear. I've been experiencing foot pain, so I may take a month or two off from running and ride my bike more. I'm open to ideas.

EDIT: Here are some other frequent answers I use. You can figure out the questions: No, I'm not insane. I use band-aids on them. Pretty much anything I want, but it will probably involve gravy. No, I don't- not anymore, anyway- just too much trouble to get rid of the stubble. Yes, like a pig. Go before you leave the hotel. Ice bath.

Thanks for reading. Wish me luck, and I'd sure appreciate your prayers Sunday Morning.

Steve

You, my friend, are important

2009-05-12T14:20:00.004-04:00

I was reading in 1 Chronicles last night, and came across the passage that described the leaders of King David's army divisions, and you read something like this:

The third army commander, for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. He was chief and there were 24,000 men in his division. This was the Benaiah who was a mighty man among the Thirty and was over the Thirty. His son Ammizabad was in charge of his division. -1 Chron 27:5-6

Now, I read this and I can't help but think, "How cool would it be to be known as a Mighty Man and to lead an army division?" I mean, clearly God used Benaiah to glorify Himself.

But then, later in the chapter, we see verses like these:

Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.... Obil the Ishmaelite was in charge of the camels. Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys. -1 Chron 27:28,30

Huh? Olive oil? Camels? Really, David needed someone to be in charge of the Olive oil? But there they are, listed right alongside the "Mighty Men." Wow, how embarassing to be the guy over the donkeys.

But wait, look down just a bit further, to chapter 28:

David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.

King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood....'

"So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever." -1 Chron 28:1-3,8

What? Mighty men, brave warriors, and keepers of donkeys together in the same place. All called together by David (really by God, through David) to follow His commands and accomplish His purposes. Olive oil man and Mighty Man working together to build the temple. Each one needed to accomplish the task at hand, each one's role important in the eyes of the Lord.

And so it is with you in the church. You may be a toddler teacher, or an usher, or a person who serves coffee at the cafe, or a guitar player. But you are not just that. And, please, never say you're, "Just a volunteer." You are an instrument of the Most High God, created by him and made for a purpose- His purpose- and by serving, even in a role that seems small and unimportant, you are bringing His kingdome here. And that, my friend, is important work. Even if, to you, it's just minding the olive oil.

Peace

My new favorite restaurant

2009-05-12T13:27:00.001-04:00

OneAmerica Mini Marathon Race Report

2009-05-03T21:27:00.005-04:00

The chart tacked to my office wall had teased me since November. "You can do it," it said. "You oughtta be able to run this race in 1:43:30." What did it know? It was just a piece of paper, after all. And besides, I'd run the Mini eleven times, and never faster than an hour fifty. In 1995, I ran 1:51. Since that time, the defining goal in my running life has been to beat 1:50. It consumed my thoughts each October-May, and last year, my 1:50:36 put me on an emotional tightrope between setting a new personal best and STILL not being in the 1:40's. This race has ALWAYS reduced me to a walk at some point. 1:43 seemed absurd and impossible. But the chart, which I had downloaded from McMillan Running, seemed to have some science behind it. So, I decided I'd shoot for 1:48.

The difference this year is that I'm also training for a full marathon three weeks from now. Up until now, I had lied to myself that the Mini would just be a training run, and I didn't really have to worry about my time. All the weekend long runs, all the 6- and 7-mile tempo runs, the 1/2 mile repeats- it was all in preparation for the Big Race in 3 weeks, I had said. I am a big fat liar. Yes, I'm doing the Madison Marathon on May 24, but the closer my calendar X's got to May 2, the more I realized how important the Mini really is to me. The week leading up, when people would ask me what I expected to run, I'd sheepishly reply, "Oh, under 1:50." Only to my close friends and running accountability partners did I boldly proclaim that I'd love a 1:45.

So, I lined up at the start on Saturday with 35,000 of my neighbors, and the butterflies came like always. The forecast had called for cool temps, no wind, and a chance of spotty showers throughout the morning- pretty nice racing weather. It turned out even nicer. At the 7:30 gun time, it was 48 degrees F, and by 8:00, the sun was peering from behind the clouds.

The area before the start was more constricted than usual, as the new JW Marriott hotel is going up right at the corner of Washington and West Streets, and the fenced area around the construction site had an extra lane closed off. This made it slow running getting to the start- 2:30 from corral "D" (the fourth of 20+ corrals), but once we crossed the start line, it was pretty much free running. My problem, with my new 1:45 goal, is that I was seeded based on last years 1:50, so I really needed to run faster than those around me. 8:00 miles were the goal, so as soon as my D-Tag beeped across the start line, it was Go Time.

Mile 1 seemed fast- maybe because the race allowed headphones this year- but it wasn't. 8:06. Crap! I'm already behind. Well, I didn't panic too much, because I think I remember this mile was marked a little long last year. When mile 2 clicked off in 7:38, I relaxed a lot and settled into a groove. I headed west on Michigan Road, in pursuit of the 100 year-old Indianapolis Motor Speedway that I loved so much as a kid (and still do). The miles went by pretty fast, and I hit the 5-mile mark, on Main Street in Speedway, at 38:34, a 7:42 average pace. Perfect! I was putting time toward my 1:45 in the bank.

At about mile 5.6, you turn left into Indianapolis's most famous landmark, down under the track, and back up the only "hill" on the course, and you are deposited smack dab between turns one and two of America's Greatest Race Course. I took an energy gel just before entering the track, knowing this usually seems like such a long part of the course because of the boredom (It's really cool to see it the first time, but there are really no landmarks and few turns) and the heat radiating off the pavement(but not today). In my head, I calculated. Twenty minutes- that's it. Twenty minutes and I'm off the track. So, I enjoyed it this year. I looked for drivers and sports personalities. I cheered for the cheer squads. I set a new 10k PR in the process (47:45). I hammed it up to get my picture taken crossing the yard of bricks. And in 19 minutes, I exited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and headed back out onto Olin Avenue.

This is the part of the course that gets me every year. I think it's because I grew up on the west side, in the shadow of IMS, and I remeber going downtown to see the Pacers play and the Indians, too. It always seemed like a long drive from Speedway to downtown, and now here I am, I've run 9 miles and I still have to run ALL THE STINKIN' WAY DOWNTOWN? So, I stopped and got some Gatorade, walked while I drank it and began running again. I hit mile 10 in 1:17:06. Wow, that means the 2nd 5 miles were 38:32 vs. 38:34 for the first five. Talk about an even pace, that is just how I want to run. For a moment, this insane thought goes through my mind- "Hey, if you just ran a 21:50 last 5k, you could be under 1:40!" HA! That would be my 2nd fastest 5k ever, and I've already run 10 miles today. I just need to be glad I'm on pace, and putting some time in the bank. So, I've cast that thought out of my mind, but I think, subconciously, it makes me run a little faster. That's a mistake.

At the water stop at I start to walk again, and then at about 11.5 miles. I tell myself just for a minute, but after about 40 seconds, I feel guilty and start running again. Mile 11 goes by in 8:03. Not bad, but definitely slower. I walk a little more in mile 12, maybe twice, but never more than about 40 seconds, and run an 8:29. All downhill from here!

On the drive downtown Saturday morning, I had a vision of crossing the line when the race clock said 1:46:04. If I do that, I would be well under my 1:45 target. But, mile 13 is cruel. She is painful. I stop to walk twice, again not more than a minute each, but I hate walking when I can see the finish line RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! Finally, I pick it up and mile 13 takes an excruciating 8:38. I cross the line, and pump my fist in a bizarre blend of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, knowing I could have run a little faster. My official time was 1:42:56- a 7 minute PR, and about 30 seconds faster than my crazy chart on the wall had predicted.

The rest of my Saturday was filled with household chores while my mind went back and forth between happiness (wow- 1:43), disappointment (what could it have been if I hadn't walked?) and exhaustion. I wonder what it would take to get in the 1:30's?

By the way, the other difference this year- on Sunday, I skipped my usual post-Mini couch surf and went for a 9 mile run.

Thanks for reading.
Steve

Youth Pastors- Quit Today!

2009-04-23T09:42:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, there was yet another story of a youth pastor accused of sexual misconduct with a student - three girls, in this case, including one that claims to be pregnant with his child. As a volunteer youth pastor (and as a father), it breaks my heart to hear stories like this. Every week I work with high school students, and its easy for me to see that some girls (and guys, for that matter) are crying out for attention, just wanting to be loved, noticed, and approved of.

As a youth pastor, we are in a position of authority, and often a trusted confidant for these vulnerable students. And every time a story like this one comes out, it puts a black mark on the Church universal, on our calling, and on the God we serve. As a youth leader (pastor, volunteer, or otherwise), we need to be laser-focused on leading and shepherding these kids to The One who can save us- Jesus Christ. This is SO IMPORTANT- the stat I heard this week is that the average college student who was active in an evangelical church in high school, walks away from his/her faith by October 15 of freshman year.

So, I just want to say one thing to anyone in the church who works with students- check your heart. If you are doing what you're doing for any reason other than to lead students into a life-changing relationship with Christ, then STEP AWAY FROM YOUR MINISTRY. If your doing it because you like hanging out with high school students, or it makes you feel young, or it gets you away from your family, or it pays the bills, or because YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS, then QUIT TODAY! No matter how big your ministry is, no matter how connected your students are to you or to each other, no matter how many other people look at what you do in awe, STOP if your only goal is anything other than leading students to Christ.

Youth groups need to be a place for students to get away from the pressures they face in school and with friends. They need to have adults there that walk alongside parents, not work against them. They must reinforce the idea of not conforming to the ways of this world, but being transformed by the grace of God. They need to be a place where parents are assured that their precious son or daughter will be built into, shepherded, loved (asexually) and accepted by people who love Jesus more than their own bodies. If your are not willing or not able to do this, then quit. It's okay. God has something else planned for you.

The church should be set apart. We are the bride of Christ. Just like in every other area of our Christian walk, people need to see from the outside how we are different from the world. If inside the church looks like the world, then what's the point? If a young girl is as likely to be led astray by a youth pastor as by a fellow student or a teacher or a coach, then why should she even bother with church? We need to be a refuge for teens struggling with their sexual identity, not a place where they can experiment with it.

If you're not willing or able to do this, quit today. Don't quit the church - it needs you and you need it- but step down from your position. Do it with all humility and grace. Because if you wait until it's too late, it could end in humiliation.

Please, check your heart.

Genesis Church- West Plains, Missouri trip report

2009-04-21T20:33:00.011-04:00

It doesn't seem like one year ago when Jeff Smith, the former pastor at Genesis Church in Noblesville told me he was ready to go plant a church in his hometown of West Plains, Missouri. Well, as soon as he made it official, I told Jeff I was coming to see him on Spring Break next year, so he'd better be ready.

Well, on April 5, 2009, we got the chance to visit Genesis Church in West Plains. Here are some of the highlights and pictures.

Genesis Church meets in the Opera House in downtown West Plains, a town of about 10,000 on the edge of the Ozarks. One great thing about meeting in the Opera House is that you don't have to tell anyone in West Plains where that is. You can just put up a yard sign that says, "Opera House, Sundays at 10:00," and people know where to go. Or, if you'd rather, you can put up a billboard, like Jeff and Kim have done in 2 places in West Plains.

Or, you just park your "Hillbilly Billboard" smack dab in the middle of the courthouse square on Sunday mornings, so people who aren't paying attention will drive right into it (by the way, this is one of the trailers that used to belong to Genesis- Noblesville).

Another advantage of the Opera House is that it is a beautiful building, well-appointed for crowds and with a little more class than other options. Check out the bathrooms...

And check out the Genesis Cafe... they have both kinds of donuts!

Now, for the meat of the report. What I know you've been waiting for. The week we were there, April 5, was week 8 for the church. They had 204 the week before we arrived, up from 156 the previous week, and were afraid of what might happen due to yard signs all over town and a direct mail piece accidentally going out a couple of days early. Well, on week 8, there were 254 people there, 50 more than the previous week. Fortunately, the auditorium in the Opera House was big enough and well-equipped to handle the crowd.

Where the high attendance became a bit of a problem was in the kids' rooms. But, by God's grace, the Opera House management has been very accomodating in letting the church basically take over the kids space. They have been able to really deck out those rooms and make them exciting for the kids.

But what got me really excited about this church were the people. Just think about this... 254 people on a Sunday morning, most of whom were not active in a church before 10 weeks ago. And there were great stories, too. Guys whose marriages fell apart and found Genesis at just the right time. One kid who plays in the band who had drug problems and was blown away by the love shown to him by people in the church. Look at these people... all of them created by God and on a journey to find Him!

I was really encouraged by what we saw at Genesis-West Plains. And, I'm excited to see how God is going to bring us together again in the future. Jeff and Kim are right in their element there, by the way. Jeff's a bit of a celebrity around town (though he would never admit that) and Kim is at home with family and friends. They are very nervous, but expectant about what God is busy birthing in their hometown.

By the way... Easter Sunday? 317 people. God is on the move in Southern Missouri!

What my TV fast taught me

2009-04-13T17:15:00.000-04:00

Well, it's over, and none too soon. Sunday was a great day for TV, as I was able to catch parts of the IronMan World Championship 70.3, the Paris Marathon, and Paris-Roubaix. But, I am thankful I decided to fast from television during the Lenten season, and here are some lessons I learned:

1) I can read a lot more when I'm not watching TV. Though I'm not an avid viewer anyway, I watch most of my TV in bed. Which is also where I read. During the fast, I never failed to read my bible, even one day.

2) It's hard to know what's going on without TV. Someone would ask what the weather was going to be like, and I had to confess I didn't know.

3) Even with 200 channels, there's still mostly junk. That's why we're cutting back on our DirecTv package. That, and they raised our bill $3/month this month. Sorry, guys. Really bad timing.

4) I'm very prideful. And I need to be a martyr. Whenever someone asked me, "did you see such and such last night?" I felt the need to say, "no, I'm fasting from TV right now," or some such nonsense. I was not happy with myself about that, and if you were on the receiving end of my holier-than-thou attitude, I'm sorry.

5) I don't need TV... but I like it. There were days where that's all I wanted to do when I got home... yet I survived without it.

Now you know. So, you don't have to try it. I think next year, I'll go back to giving up caffeine.

Race Report- DINO Avon 4/11/2009

2009-04-13T12:20:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been away from the blog for awhile, mostly because I've been on Spring Break. Now, I'm back, and I've got lots to tell. But, first and foremost, the report on Saturday's race.

Being on vacation last week, I had intentionally planned a down week in my training for the Madison Marathon. Not knowing our exact schedule made it convenient to plan it this way, and it was a good time, since I was dealing with a painful bout of plantar faciitis before I left. Unfortunately, this left me feeling a little sluggish on Friday, and unsure of my training levels. I needn't have worried.

My goals going into the DINO 15k race at Avon were (1)to beat my friend, Tom, (2) to better last year's course PR of 1:18 and change, and (3) my stretch goal was to run under 1:15. I was disappointed, then, when I checked DINO's website on Friday night and found that due to heavy rainfall in the area, they had to route a new section of course. I had my strategy planned out, and it would have to change.

Arriving at the race on Saturday, I found that only a small section of the course had been changed, and it was being exchanged for an equally flat, equally long section, so there was effectively no change in difficulty. So, I set my goal to run a strong, but evenly paced race in order to make up for my poor race two weeks ago, when I set out at way too fast a pace and ended up walking part of the last 4 miles. My stretch goal, then, was to run the three 5k laps in 25 minutes, 25 minutes, and 24 minutes. This would put me under 1:15 with a little cushion. I thought this was aggressive, but doable based on my Eagle Creek race four weeks ago.

It was a beautiful day, but a little cool (37 F), so I struggled with what to wear. I ended up with shorts, a long sleeve Brooks tech t-shirt, and a New Balance running vest. I froze at the start line, but would soon warm up. Great choice!

The horn sounded and we were off. The newly paved trail at the open made for a very tight course, with 130 people jockeying for 24 inches of trail width. Against my instinct, I held back to run a slower pace, and watched Tom run away with some faster competitors. After about a mile, I realized I was running at the back of a train of about 9 people, but decided the pace was good and I would hang in for a while. We hit the two mile mark on the new section of course, and the runner in front of me glanced at his watch. "What time have you got?" I asked him. "15:47, just under 8 minute miles," he responded. Perfect! I felt nice and relaxed and the first mile of the course has the only serious downhill section on the course, so I felt good about being ahead of my stretch pace. The last mile has a serious uphill section that I walked, but I finished lap 1 at 24:48... get this- EXACTLY 8 minute pace for 3.1 miles. Coincidence, I'm sure.

Lap 2, and the crowd starts to thin out. Right after the finish line, I can see Tom about 7 runners ahead of me, probably 30 seconds or so. My instincts say to pick up the pace, but I remind myself it's a long race, and I'm catching him, anyway. So, I settle back into the marginally comfortable pace I've been running. We hit the downhill again right around mile 4 and I turn my ankle on the way down. Immediately, I'm feeling a sharp pain everytime my right foot hits the trail, and for about 15 seconds, I figure, "it's over... I can't run anymore." But, by now, Tom is only about 10 seconds ahead and I decide just to run the next mile and see what happens. Within a minute, the ankle's fine and I am right behind Tom. I asked him how he's doing and he mumbles something like, "okay, but this one's yours." So, I take off. Just before the 5 mile mark, I take a PowerBar Gel, down some water, and start up the hill. I finish the second lap at 49:36... hey, wait a minute. That's another lap at 24:48. Maybe those 200 yard strides I did at 8:00 pace on the treadmill yesterday really helped. I've now gone through 6.2 miles at exactly 8 minute pace!

After the finish line on lap 2, I decide to put the hammer down... at least by my standards. I decide I'll run the ups and downs the same, but push hard on the flats when I feel good. By mile 7, I can no longer see Tom behind me, and there are only a few runners around me (I'm passing more by now than I'm being passed by, and that's great!) so, my only motivation is to push for a sub 1:15-finish. I cross the finish line at 1:13:44 - a new PR for this course by about 5 minutes! Even, better my last lap was 24:08. So, my 25-25-24 goal turned out to be 24:48-24:48-24:08. Not too shabby, probably my best-paced race ever.

I still have some work to do to run with the faster guys in my age group- I finished 53 out of 130 or so total runners. But, I feel the progress I'm making. Only 6 weeks until Madison, and I just hope my foot holds up. After that, I'm on the bike for the Summer!

On Shopping for Churches

2009-03-29T14:11:00.003-04:00

I had a disturbing conversation with a friend today. Not a great friend, but someone I respect and trust. She said that she and her family were looking for a new church because her daughter, a high school freshman, hasn't been able to get connected and get interested in the youth ministry at our church. As someone who has led or co-led the youth ministry at our church for about 5 years now, this was interesting, frustrating, and discouraging to me all at the same time.

On one hand, her comment was that we don't "offer enough" for the high school students. We typically meet Wednesday nights, and we have either a bible study, fun night, or some combination of the two. I can see this point...I am a volunteer with a job and a family (two young kids) and I don't always have time to do everything our students would like to do. I know that's a shortcoming for me. And, we used to do more. We did monthly events for the high school students (she didn't come to those either, usually, but that's beside the point). She also said that homework often gets in the way of her daughter coming Wednesday night. I get that, too, as my first grader has a hard time finishing her homework sometimes, and I know high school students are often overwhelmed with all they have to do. Finally, she said, "I just wish we had more kids coming." I can see that point, I wish we did too. I took these comments as fair criticism and took them to heart... I really do want to do things with excellence, just like we try to do everything at Genesis.

On the other hand, I cannot invite other students. The only high school students I ever have access to are the ones that come to our church and the friends they bring. If she wants her friends to come, she should invite them. There are three ways to do youth ministry with your friends. Go to one they all attend, invite them to yours, or make friends with the people who are there. Most students will do a combination of these. On the homework front, many of our students have lots of homework, but they're really engaged and make it a priority- not over their schoolwork, but alongside it. Also, I would like to do more things, but many students won't come to the things we do offer, at least not regularly. How can we commit to offer more events just in hopes some of the less engaged students will come?

I don't know where to land on this. I've poured my heart and soul into these students, and I'm thrilled with what God has done in some of their lives, and I love being a part of that. On the other hand, I look back at the setbacks we've had- high school students that have left the faith, many that have had babies before marriage, and I really feel like a failure. Do I give up, and hope that someone else comes along with more zeal and more passion and more... time? Or, do I hang in and hope that my presence is not depriving some eager volunteer of a chance to invest in the lives of these kids?

The tough conversation was offset for me this morning, though, when I got into the auditorium. I saw a former student, a college sophomore, who is doing great, walking in her faith and she gave me a big hug. Then, I saw two sisters who were involved in the ministry and moved to Florida, and they were so excited to be back and see me and, especially, their friends with whom they shared some neat experiences. I feel very blessed to be a part of the lives of these young people, and I feel at times, that God has used me to speak into their lives. I just wish I knew if I still had the drive and desire (and ability) to do it.

So, that's it. Don't read this as a vendetta against this student or her family... I haven't mentioned names because I love them and don't want their discomfort to become the target of my frustration. I'm bummed that this girl is not connected. I'm disappointed that whatever I've done hasn't been enough. I'm frustrated that this family is church shopping to please their daughter, who may not get involved anywhere (CS Lewis, in The Screwtape Letters, suggests that if the enemy can't stop someone from going to church the next best thing is to have them shop for a church that 'suits them.') So, what would you do? I'd love your comments.

Steve

Facing the tempters

2009-03-23T08:15:00.002-04:00

Reading C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters helps us to realize that there really are tempters around us trying to draw us further from God. It also helps us understand that we can too easily be fooled into thinking we can defeat them alone, or that our sin is not that important.

King Saul fell into this trap, as well. When he went to war with the Amalekites, God told him to wipe them out. But, Saul chose to keep the choice livestock for himself and his men. No big deal, right? He even tells the prophet Samuel, "I have carried out the Lord's instructions." Samuel responds with his sharp wit, "Oh yeah, then why do I hear sheep bleating?"

All sin is important to God. It's easy for us to think that secret sin, the one nobody knows about and that doesn't really hurt anyone, doesn't matter. And that's exactly what the tempters would have you think. That's not important, neither is it the next time, nor is the next step, nor the next and eventually, you're in a pit you can't escape. So, when facing the tempters, it's important to remember to never do it alone. Instead, like David, say, "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel." It's the only language they understand.

Peace go with you.

Who are you pretending to be?

2009-03-17T10:34:00.002-04:00

"All mortals eventually become what they are pretending to be." - Uncle Screwtape, from C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters

Reading from this book last night, this passage hit me particularly hard, in two ways. First, there are things that I don't picture myself as, that my actions probably say I am. It made me ask: what do my actions say about who I am, and how does that line up with or contradict who I think I am? For instance, I say it's stupid to be obsessed with celebrities, but every once in a while I find myself stealing glances at the Life section of USA Today or sneaking a quick peak at who's dating whom on the AOL entertainment page. My words say one thing, my actions say something else. What about you? Do you say you're recovered but still sneak a drink once in a while? Do you say you're faithful to your wife, but just like to flirt a little? Right now, you are faithful, but you're pretending to be unfaithful. Will you eventually become what you're pretending to be? Will I?

On the other hand, if our actions are positive, we can use them to improve our attitude. As a runner, I know that even on days I don't feel like going out, often just a short 1/2 mile or mile jog will help improve my attitude to the point where I'm able to complete the entire workout. By pretending to be a runner that day, even if I don't feel like one, I can become one.

An old pastor friend of mine used to say it this way: Right thoughts follow right actions. At times, even when we don't feel like doing something positive, we can do it, and then we'll feel like it. So, here are some things that may aspire to. Maybe we should pretend to be them, so we will become them:

Want to be generous? Try giving.
Want to be loved? Try loving someone.
Want to be joyful? Try laughing.
Want to have a friend? Try being one.
Want to be forgiven? Try forgiving.

Peace.

Race Report - DINO Eagle Creek 15k

2009-03-15T16:29:00.004-04:00

So, we returned to the scene of the crime. I have been running events in the DINO trail running series for about four years now, but I'd never been in a race like March 8, 2008. The night before, we had gotten about an inch of ice, and the night before that, we had about 4-6 inches of snow. All this made for a nice, pretty, hard-packed, treacherous course- some of which ran along an off-camber path that dropped off to the reservoir. That, combined with single-digit temps and below zero wind chills made for my least favorite trail run ever.

Fast forward one year- the sun is shining and it is a relatively balmy 30 degrees at gun time. We got to Eagle Creek Park way early, and had over an hour to kill after registration. While I wasn't too keen on burning off energy, I felt like I'd need a good warmup to start the race well. In the past, these 15k trail runs have been endurance challenges for me, but since I'm now deep in the heart of training for the Madison Marathon, the distance was not a mental factor. That mindset would definitely affect my performance today.

I was there with my friend Tom. Over the past few years, he and I share a friendly rivalry that has been horribly one-sided in his favor (as a younger, singler, slimmer guy with no kids, he has the decided advantage). But this year, the marathon training has helped my early-season fitness, and his serious girlfriend has, I think, detracted from his. Tom and I took off for a brief warmup jog, about .3 miles from the car to the start line. He decided to head inside to the warming hut, while I thought about finding a place to leave my two Diet Cokes I drank before the race. As I ran around contemplating "bush or port-a-pot?" I put in another quarter mile or so. I settled on the long line at the port-a-john and barely finished in time for the gun.

At the line, the RD Brian announced that they had changed the course slightly from last year. While the 15k course would still be 3 loops of the 5k course, it was a tad bit shorter (right around 9 miles), and certainly would be less slippery- mostly dry with just a few mud spots. That was good, since it took me over 1:40 last year.

Right before the start, I noticed I was up too close to the front. My normal position (pack right, 10 feet off the line) was probably great for the normal DINO race with 80-100 people, but it was then I realized over 200 people had shown up for the 15k (I never remember the 15k being bigger than the 5k, but it was today). So, the siren sounded and we were off. Tom decided early on that he was going to run behind me as long as possible in his normal strategic attempt to pip me at the finish. So, I decided to push the pace. All of a sudden, this nice, cool run through the woods became a nine-mile tempo run. Never mind that I had never done a 9-mile tempo run before, nor that I had never done a tempo run on the trails. I was determined to lose Tom.

2 miles- I'm running a fast tempo pace, but Tom is still with me. He's started to fade a few times around corners, or as I power up short hills, but he manages to bungee back to me as I recover. Just short of 3 miles, as we come back around to close lap 1, I notice that I have gapped him. While I want to take it easy on the second lap, I decide I need to keep pushing. First lap: 22:53. WAIT! That can't be right. That's less than 7:40 miles, which is my treadmill tempo pace. Oh well, push on.

Lap 2, my "speed" if you can call it that, starts to catch up to me. By mile 4, a few people are passing me, but I'm not usually this far up in the pack, so it doesn't bother me too much. Still, not wanting to fade, I decide to ingest a gel at 4.5. I'd been drinking Powerade from my handheld bottle every 1/2 mile or so, and after the gel, I think the sugar starts to get to me. By mile 5.5 or so, I'm feeling a little queasy and my legs are very heavy from the short but steep hills. Still, I finish lap 2 in 46:30, so the second lap was a slower but respectable 23:37. Still under 8:00 miles.

Lap 3 begins, and at this point, I'm thinking three things: 1) If I can run another 23:30, I'll finish under 1:10 (my previous PR for one of these races was 1:18 and change). 2) I don't see Tom behind me anywhere. I must have put some more time into him this lap. And 3) My stomach is not any better yet. Still, I soldier on, through the grove of pine trees, across the road and down the rope hill, then back up the steepest climb on the trail. At the 7.5 mark, this thought crosses my mind: "How long would it take to puke? I mean, could I just get it all out before Tom catches me?" But, with not quite enough in my stomach to throw up, I just push on. At 8 miles, I feel intense desire to run faster, but find my legs to be unwilling participants. Climbing up the last long hill, I turn around and see Tom only about 90 seconds behind me at the bottom. Now, I turn it on.

I run across the last parking lot, through the two mudholes, past the playground and toward the finish line. Wow, there are a lot of people up in this part of the pack. When I run toward the back, I usually finish alone, but I'm passing and being passed all the way to the line. As I crest the last little rise, I can see the finish clock. Darn! It's already past 1:10. I relax a little and cruise in at 1:10:33, 83rd place out of 200. Certainly not spectactular, but an 8 minute PR for me, and two minutes ahead of my younger, fitter comrade.

It was a great day, a great run, and a terrific start to the season. In two weeks, we'll be at Mounds State Park in Anderson, IN for the next race. Hope to see you there!

Choose this day...

2009-03-11T08:05:00.002-04:00

"...But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." -Joshua 24:15

I have this stenciled in my living room, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." And, for the most part, I have chosen that. I read my bible daily, go to church every Sunday, I'm involved in kids' lives, and really try to serve Him. So, why is it that I still need to choose each day whom I will serve? It seems like some days, I really want to serve my paycheck, or I want to serve my flesh, or I want to serve my stomach or my bank account. Usually, I really just want to serve ME!

I once heard someone say about marriage that you only have to choose to be faithful once, then you manage that decision daily. That way, you don't have to choose to be faithful each time you are tempted to stray. I've done a great job of that with my marriage. But maybe we need the same attitude for God. I chose one time to serve Him, now I will manage that decision daily. Then, I won't have to choose each day.

On forgiveness and prayer

2009-03-06T10:28:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week, I was at lunch with a person and he asked to pray. As he closed his prayer, he asked forgiveness for his sins. It might as well have been a difibrillator for me. What's this? Forgiveness of sins? I had forgotten to pray for that. Believe it or not, I had learned to take this for granted.

How can someone get so used to the idea of grace that we take it for granted? That we forget about the sacrifice made for us. How could I be so arrogant as to just assume I was forgiven for what I did yesterday?

Well, I'm not forgetting now. Jesus said, "When you pray... pray like this: '...and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.' If we pray together soon, please remind me.

Concerned about the economy? Maybe you should pray.

2009-03-04T07:11:00.002-05:00

I was really moved and convicted by this prayer offered by Max Lucado about our national economy.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. -2 Chronicles 7:14

I'm thinking of calling it, "All work and no TV make Steve something something..."

2009-03-02T17:43:00.001-05:00

Go crazy? Don't mind if I do!

So, I'm now at day 6 with no TV, and honestly, it's been generally easier than I thought. With minor exceptions. For instance, yesterday I get home after a long weekend, working mostly, and I just want to crash and watch the US Indoor track and field championships, or some other mind-numbing piece of drivel to unwind. No such luck- no TV for lent.

Instead, I'm getting lot's of reading done. Just finished Lauren Winner's book, Real Sex. Very interesting read about God's creation of and plan for sex. I'm also getting some running in, with 11 miles on Friday and 7 on Sunday.

Jury's still out on which is better... the me with TV or without.

Friday at NAHBS

2009-03-02T13:27:00.007-05:00

So, I spent a good portion of my day last Friday at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Indianapolis. What a day! I went in with no particular agenda, nor any desire for a new bicycle, but I sure left with one. First, some highlights.

Of course, there were great looking bikes, like this Townie:

But, there were also things you don't see everyday, like this wild bamboo ride from Calfee Designs:

Most of the displays were bikes, but there were some components. Like these Rasta headsets from Chris King:

There were other, more practical ideas, too. Let's say you find yourself as the stoker on a tandem. You get thirsty, but you're not really the water type. Instead, you want something with a little kick. Well, CoMotion has you covered:

But my favorite, by far, was the fixie from Courage out of Portland. I talked to the owner, Aaron, for a while, and he was a great guy. Plus, he made beautiful bikes. Look at this:

I mean, look at the detail on this dropout:

Beautiful. Lots of fun. Now, if I just had $2,200. For the frame and fork only. Well, someday...

What is Joy?

2009-02-24T08:10:00.001-05:00

Since I'm preaching about Living a life of Joy this weekend, I'd love to have your opinion: What does Joy mean to you?

Outliers and it's implications

2009-02-23T15:49:00.003-05:00

I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's new book, Outliers. The premise of the book is that outliers, or those people who are so far above average in some area as to be considered an anomaly, usually have had more opportunity than normal folks. In fact, what we often attribute to hard work, talent, and skill is often the result, instead, of more opportunities to succeed than average people. Even though outliers generally are more skilled, talented, lucky, or smarter than average people, Godin suggests, they have had more opportunity.

Bill Gates is a multi-billionaire because he's brilliant, yes. But he's not the MOST brilliant person/businessman in the world. However, he was born at exactly the right time for a young man interested in computers, and the circumstances of his life were such that he had an extraordinary amount of programming hours before he ever went to Harvard (the results of which are well-documented). The Beatles were huge in the US because of their talent and looks, yes, but they also spent an inordinant amount of time perfecting their craft in the strip clubs of Hamburg, Germany. Opportunity matters.

And, so it is with spiritual growth. The most mature, grounded Christians I know aren't necessarily the smartest, or most talented, so that they can read a passage of the Bible and immediately understand it. But, they do make the most of opportunities to read it- and create opportunities in their lives to spend time with God.

So, it is with some trepidation that I announce my plans for Lent. No, I'm not Catholic. But, I find I don't do a good job of self-denial, and the 40-day period leading up to Easter is a great excuse for me to focus on something else besides feeding my desires. So this year, in lieu of last year's failed attempt to give up caffeine, I am fasting from TV. Starting this Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, I will go 40 days with no television. No The Office. No March Madness. No Redbox. Nothing to soften my brain.

During the next 40 days, there will be one less thing to prevent me from having opportunity to interact with my creator and savior.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Peace.

Run Report- Morgan Monroe State Forest

2009-02-16T08:18:00.006-05:00

For readers of my blog who have no interest in running, I apologize in advance. This is very long.

Valentines day 2009- my wife decided to take the kids down to Grandma's house- a three-hour drive one way. This left me with the entire day to do what I wanted. So, I packed up the car with two Powerades, two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (the salmonella-free variety), some pretzels and a Hammer Gel and headed down south to Morgan-Monroe state forest. As part of my training for the Madison, Wisconsin Marathon at the end of May, I had hoped to get in the high-teens of miles, but my plan was to spend a lot of time on my feet- which I read is more important than miles covered.

After an interesting morning of getting the family on the road, and the 90 minute drive, I arrived at the trailhead about 9:30 am. I put on an extra layer to accomodate the 35*F temps, and some bright clothing to deal with the goose and rabbit hunters. I filled my Nathan handheld bottle with Powerade, zipped a hammer gel in my pocket, strapped on my MP3 player and headed out. Problem 1- MP3 player was dead. Completely. I had spent 30 minutes last night loading it up with music for today. Fortunately, I had the foresight to pack a spare battery. Unfortunately, the battery was not the issue. Looks like this run will be done without music.

So, I headed out anyway. My plan was to do all or part of the low gap trail (10 miles), come back to the car to eat lunch, then head out for some more. So, I started down the Orcutt trailhead that would lead to Low Gap (part of the Low Gap trail is along the Tecumseh Trail, a 50 mile trail which also hosts the Tecumseh Trail Marathon each year.

I got about a half mile down the trail before I noticed large sections of the trail had been overrun with logging roads and several downed trees. It was then I remembered how this area had been hard hit by tornadoes (2007) and flooding (2008), and the forest had paid the price. After trying to run down these newly-created logging roads, made soft by 2+ inches of rain last week, my shoes were being sucked 6-8 inches deep in the mud with each step. So, I decided that Plan B was in order. I turned around and headed back to the trailhead.

So, instead, I ran the Three Lakes Trail, a 10.4 mile trail which connects, as the astute reader may guess, three lakes. Although one, Beanblossom Lake, is actually a dry lake bed. I ran down the road less than a half-mile to the trailhead and found it with little difficulty. The trail started out as a wide fire trail, then quickly narrowed to singletrack, which crossed a stream repeatedly. I was very cautious not to get my feet wet this early in the day, as much as I would have liked to clean the mud off my shoes. So, I ran the trail while walking gingerly across the strategically placed rocks in the stream.

I quickly noticed the trail was blazed with white diamonds painted on the trees about every 500 feet, but I was too busy enjoying the crisp air and the solitude to watch them, so I frequently left the trail in favor of wider fire trail. Then, I'd have to look around and find the blazes. At one point, the trail took me right through a great plantation of red pine.

At one point, I came to a sign on the trail that said "Private Property" and realized I had once again left the trail. I doubled back about a half mile and found the trademark blazes. After that excursion, I didn't leave the trail again.

Now, there was just one other problem. I was certain I was running toward Beanblossom Lake, and after the 3 miles I thought I had run, I should have been there. But, I hadn't made any road crossings, which the trail map said I should. And, why did I turn left back there instead of right? Anyway, I continued on the trail and came to a set of switchbacks that were steep enough I had to walk, but they took me from the streambed below to a ridge about 200 feet up in about half a mile. Once I reached the ridge, I saw that I had been out about an hour, so I sucked in my raspberry Hammer Gel, chased it with a swig of grape Powerade, and continued along the trail.

At an hour and a half (including my two or three off-course excursions), I reached Bryant Lake and realized I had been going the opposite way on the trail than I thought! It was comforting to finally know where I was, but disappointing that my map skills were not better and a little disheartening to know I still had 4-5 miles to get back to the car with only a half bottle of Powerade. Still, I soldiered on. After a brief stint in some thick swampbottom mud, I was back on solid trail, running slightly up to a section which followed some powerlines and took me down to Beanblossom lake. So that's what a dry lake bed looks like! I made the turn and headed back up the trail toward the trailhead. I made the fire trail crossing, just like the map said, then the road crossing, ditto. At about the 1 mile to go mark, I saw my first hiker of the day. The trail took a sharp right turn soon after, and I noticed an old cemetery straight ahead, so I ran a little off course to investigate.

I ran downhill to several stream crossings (this looks familiar), then realized it was now time to clean my shoes off in the stream. I now believe that the creeks in Morgan Monroe State Forest are composed primarily of runoff directly from the Arctic Circle. Then, back up the hill to the road, past the forest headquarters and to my car.

In the end, I gave myself credit for 13 miles, though it may have been longer than that. With the walking, turnarounds, looking at the map, stopping to take pictures, etc., it took about 2.5 hours- not speedy, by any stretch, but a great day in the woods! I need to do it again soon.

The REAL Ace of Cakes

2009-02-10T14:37:00.002-05:00

I heard it said one time that God is making a cake of our life. He picks the ingredients, and puts them in the batter in just the right proportions.

If we were making the cake, we might tend to leave out the stuff that didn't taste good. In fact, if we're being honest, we may taste the raw eggs and decide they weren't necessary. Flour doesn't really taste that good either. And have you ever tried to down a teaspoon of baking powder by itself? How about drink a bottle of vanilla? Yuck! If I were making a cake of my life, it very likely would only have sugar in it. But that wouldn't be a good cake now, would it?

But God warned us that there will be things in our life that we don't like. "In this life you will have trouble," Jesus once said. That's some promise for becoming a Christian, huh? "Hey, follow me and you'll still have problems."

But, here's the real promise... let Me have control of your life, and I'll make it beautiful. Let me bake your cake... there will still be stuff put in that you don't like. There will still be lots of stirring and whipping and intense heat applied from time to time. But, I promise, at the end, it will be worth it.

The way Jesus said it is this, "...but take heart, for I have overcome the world." The problems of this world are temporary, and if you truly put your faith in Jesus... if you trust him to be the leader of your life, what you'll end up with is a glorious, delicious cake that is your life.

Does anyone else feel...

2009-02-09T08:39:00.000-05:00

... $800 billion poorer this morning?

Cynical thought of the day

2009-02-04T09:04:00.001-05:00

Watching the news last night, this occured to me: Does anyone else think that maybe the reason congress has no problem raising our taxes is that they never pay theirs?

I now twit

2009-02-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

Twitter? I'm a twitterer? Follow my life at 140 chars or less here.

C'mon, you know you wanna.

On mildew, skin diseases, and other important stuff

2009-02-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

So, it's February, so I must be reading Leviticus.

One of the parts of the bible that can be very difficult for young believers is all the rules and regulations regarding the seemingly mundane and unimportant- how to deal with a skin disease, what to do if you find mildew in your house, what happens if you have a wet dream, etc. Leviticus covers this in great detail.

While it's really hard to understand the cultural relevance all this stuff had at the time, we can learn a few things by reading this part of the bible: (1) This stuff mattered to people. Skin diseases, mildew, bleeding, could be a matter of life and death, or at least very serious discomfort. Therefore, (2) It mattered to God, because he cares about us and what happens in our lives. Since these rules about sacrifices to atone for diseases and such are very clear, precise, and involved, then we can (3) thank God for grace, that he loves us enough to take the burdens off us and put them on His son, who died so we don't have to atone for this stuff anymore.

It may seem archaic reading about these early rituals, but it sure makes me appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for me. How about you?

And the snow comes down...

2009-01-28T07:32:00.002-05:00

We got about 8 inches at my house last night. I woke up early to clear the drive and shovel the walk and make sure the plow guy came to clear the neighborhood streets (oh, the joys of being HOA president). The streets were sloppy and hard to drive this morning. I actually got stuck trying to leave the gas station where I get my morning Diet Coke fix.

But, there's something magical about the snow. In a world where we're always running from meeting to meeting, event to event, always thinking about the next place we have to be, heavy snow seems to give people a respite- an excuse not to worry about getting somewhere. People who wouldn't think about missing a day of work otherwise throw up their hands as if there's no other option. Meetings that seemed important are suddenly pushed back, and we understand, more than most times, how the insignificant details of our life here on earth can easily overtake us.

So, enjoy today. If you live in Central Indiana, enjoy the snow. Go play like when you were a kid. Take time to take time. Look at the beauty of God's creation in awe of Him, and remember not to sweat the details. Maybe I'll see you on the sledding hill.

Peace.

Breaking the silence

2009-01-07T16:32:00.002-05:00

So, here's the problem with blogging. Let's say, hypothetically of course, that you go a week or so with no new post. When you break the silence, you feel like it needs to be something big- a soul searching, earth shaking, thought-provoking post. The longer you wait, the bigger the silence breaker must be.

That's the reason for this post. I didn't want it to get to ten days or more. Stay tuned.

Steve

Best. Ending. Ever.

2008-12-30T08:29:00.005-05:00

"The Bible ends with a flourish..." begins Eugene Peterson's introduction to the book of Revelation, and boy, is he right. Heroes and villians, death and resurrection, sinners and saints, dragons and horses and creatures covered with eyes- all are present in the last book of the Bible. And what we see, in the end, is that everyone is worshipping the one true sovereign God.

When I read about angels and elders and creatures that are indescribeable and completely frightening, and they are all worshipping Him, it gives me a great feeling that I'm doing the right thing by starting worshipping Him now. But the best part of the book of Revelation (not Revelations, by the way) is this: in the end, Love Wins. God's love for His people defeats the hatred of this world, good triumphs over evil just like any good Western or Sci-Fi or Hollywood script. Only this one is real- a foretaste of what's to come. It truly is the best ending ever.

Happy Boxing Day!

2008-12-26T10:32:00.002-05:00

Well, it's December 26 and I'm back at work. Boxing Day is the official name of the holiday today, and I always wondered where it came from.

Did it have something to do with the Boxer rebellion? Is it a traditional day on which to hold a WBA title fight?

Actually, it was originally a day where the wealthy would give gifts to the less fortunate- perhaps after they were visited by the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future? Or, maybe after they get what they want for Christmas and give their hand-me-downs to the poor.

In our house, there's no doubt what Boxing day is. That's the day my wife takes all of our Christmas ornaments and puts them in boxes to haul to the basement, so that after the 6 weeks of Christmas in our house, the furniture can find it's rightful place in the living room again. In fact, I assume by the time I get home this afternoon, the only remnants of Christmas in our house will be a few pine needles, the stacks of boxes and bags to go to Goodwill, and the two Christmas candles on the bookshelf she overlooked. We'll see.

Where our salvation began

2008-12-24T06:49:00.000-05:00

It could have happened anywhere. It could have happened anytime. But God chose to have it happen here. In the small town of Bethlehem. In a stable. With animals and stench and filth.

It was here that God became Man. The Word became flesh. Heaven came to earth. Divinity placed itself in a young girl’s womb.

In an instant, the all-powerful became powerless. The creator of everyone became dependent upon someone for survival. He who provided for all was now seeking nourishment from a Jewish girl. God was with us.

He had come not as a flash of light, not as a mighty king, but as an infant born to a peasant girl and a young carpenter. One day, his face would be covered in glory. In this moment, God’s face was beet red and wrinkled like a prune. Soon, his teaching would be heard by all; tonight, his sharp cries pierced the chilled night sky, helpless and far from home.

Had this happened today, in 2008, it could very well have been announced on the front page of the newspaper, or on The Daily Show, or World Net Daily. Instead, it was announced with a simple star-- a star that attracted the curiosity of many who saw it, including some shepherds. Told also of his arrival by an angel of the Lord, it was pure mercy on them that their savior had come. Of all God’s people, the shepherds would have had the hardest time obeying the Levitical laws. Part of their job was handling dead animals, a practice that made them ritually unclean by the standards of the priest. And they couldn’t just leave their animals in the field to go perform one of the complicated hand-washing ceremonies required by the religious teachers of the day. So, they must have been just as excited when they got the news as they were puzzled when they ran into town and saw a shriveled, wet baby boy lying in they hay, surrounded by donkeys and sheep. A king among livestock.

Kings were revered in these days, too. Listen to this proclamation made over 2000 years ago:

“The providence which has ordered the whole of our life, showing concern and zeal, has ordained the most perfect consummation for human life … by filling him with virtue for doing the work of a benefactor among men, and by sending in him, as it were, a savior for us and those who come after us, to make war to cease, to create order everywhere… ; the birthday of the god was the beginning for the world of the glad tidings that have come to men through him…”

Listen to the words used here. Virtue. Benefactor. Savior. Make war cease. Create order everywhere. This was said, of course, about the birth of the man who would become Caesar Augustus, the next Roman Emperor. So, a king over the whole world should be even greater than the king of Rome, right?

But, what a strange palace for a king. The only gold is the straw. The only light from a flickering lamp in the corner. No gem encrusted throne. No intricate eastern tapestries covering the windows. In fact, no windows. No royal scepters or flowing robes. Just a baby in a cradle, two scared teenagers, and a bunch of sleepy animals.

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And it all happened here. In a manger. In a small town. In perhaps the most unlikely of all places, on one silent night, God loved us and wanted us to be with him so much, that he came to be with us. Where this story endedis where our salvation began.

Wanna Dance?

2008-12-22T08:32:00.002-05:00

So, I was at a Christmas party in Mexico last week. As I watched some of the locals spin and twirl in their colorful garb across the tiled dance floor, it occured to me that following Christ is a lot like dancing. Here's how:

1) Some people are excited to get up and get moving, while others would rather sit on the sidelines. I watched man after man get rejected by some shy woman who would rather sit than dance. As he walked away, dejected, I started to wonder if God feels the same way when we're not willing to serve him.

2) Some that are dancing are joyous and excited, and others are just going through the motions. I saw people- both women and men- full of life, really engaged and smiling and laughing. I also saw people who were obviously there out of obligation and/or guilt. The Kingdom has both.

3) When everyone is moving together to the same sheet of music, it is beautiful to watch. Truly.

There's no escaping God's Grace

2008-12-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

"God is good,
a hiding place in tough times.
He recognizes and welcomes
anyone looking for help,
No matter how desperate the trouble.
But cozy islands of escape
He wipes right off the map.
No one gets away from God."- Nahum 1:7-8 (The Message)

Do the Christmas holidays bring out the worst in you? I was talking to a friend today and asked if he was all ready for Christmas. "I'm never ready for Christmas," he grumbled. "It seems like everywhere I go people are pushing and shoving and no one remembers this is supposed to be a happy time."

I think lots of people are like that. It seems to me that for every person who sees Christmas as a joyful, happy time, there is one for whom it is a time of sadness, anger, or depression. Even the happy ones can get hung up in guilt- we haven't gotten our Christmas cards finished yet, or we haven't made cookies for our neighbors, or we forgot to send a gift to so-and-so, and on and on.

Well, here's a novel idea this Christmas- come back to God. This verse from Nahum says that God is the perfect hiding place- that He recognizes anyone looking for help. Chances are, if you're reading this, you already know that, but maybe you have neglected to seek Him out during this stressful time. Here's a thought- spend more time in your bible this month. Spend more time in prayer. Go off by yourself and read and pray. Or, spend time with other believers, building them up and getting yourself built up in the process. This passage also says "No one gets away from God." So- Christians- quit trying to hide this Christmas season. You know, intellectually, that His grace is abundant and sufficient for everyone. You just need to remember that this includes YOU. Even at Christmas.

Peace to you.

Leaders who honor God

2008-12-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

So, I'm going through a transition in my life right now. I think it will be a good one, but it's scary nonetheless.

Sometime in the next few weeks, I will move from Director of Operations, with about 350 people reporting to me, to Director of Human Resources, with all of 4 reports. That doesn't bother me so much... I think I've arrived at a place where I understand that the HR department can have a huge affect on a company.

I also am not scared about the big things... I think we'll hire well, I think we'll fire well (yes, you can do that) and I think we'll continue to uphold our unique culture. What I'm most afraid of is that we will miss something- filing some important legal document, or enforcing some important-but-obscure federal standard.

But I take hope from this verse in Obadiah - and I think this may be the only reason Obadiah is in the bible.

"The remnant of the saved in Mount Zion
will go into the mountains of Esau
And rule justly and fairly,
a rule that honors God's kingdom." -Obadiah 1:21 (The Message)

In other words, in the end, only leaders who honor God will remain. So, no matter what I do, what I learn, how much I don't know about my new challenge, I think I just need to honor God and I will persevere. Maybe I'm taking this verse too far out of context, but it's comfort for me today.

My very first poll- Church Dramas

2008-12-11T16:34:00.002-05:00

There is currently a debate brewing. You may be party to that debate, but I won't tell you which side I'm on.

One side says dramas are going the way of the flannel graph and overhead projector. The other says dramas can be a useful tool to reach people. Now's your chance, America. Tell me what you think.

A Festivus Miracle

2008-12-05T15:28:00.002-05:00

"What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to." 1 John 3:1 (The Message)

I don't know about other Christians out there, but I often get frustrated when the world doesn't understand me. Like, when I tell a friend, "I'll pray for you," and they stutter and stammer, "uh, yeah, um, thanks. I can use all the good thoughts I can get."

Last night, I attended a Winter Chorale Concert at a local high school. Great music, good production, overall well done. There is no doubt if you only listened to the music, that this was a Christmas production- not a Winter production, a Christmas production. Silent Night was sung. Christmas trees were everywhere (as opposed to Festivus poles). And as the choir belted out the "Halleluja" chorus from Handel's Messiah, more than half the crowd stood in reverence and worship. But, here's the thing. Why not call it a Christmas Concert? What's the harm? Why wouldn't one of the teachers mention, even in passing, that Christmas was coming? Would it really be out of place given that the 180 students on stage were singing "King of Kings - Lord of Lords" at the top of their High School Musical lungs?

Some people are too politically correct for Christmas. Some people are constrained by their environment. But, the truth is, my real annoyance comes when people I talk to don't immediately see the benefits of following Christ like I try to follow Him. I just want to point to my family and how He's blessed me and say, "Don't you see what it's like to follow Christ? Don't you see how you can be blessed?"

But the truth is, and John wrote it, they don't. The world doesn't understand because they don't know what He's up to. And as long as the world doesn't understand Christ, they won't be on board with Christmas. And that has to be okay with me.

Should everyone read the whole bible?

2008-12-04T08:18:00.003-05:00

This question first entered my mind last week when, in a meeting, someone compared being wishy-washy at work to what Jesus says in Revelation about the church at Laodicea: "So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth." -Revelation 3:16. Now, this is an important verse, and is instructinoal to followers of Christ. But, it may not be useful to bring up in a room full of people who don't know Christ.

Then, last night during my devotional time, I read this:
"I, Simon Peter, am a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I write this to you whose experience with God is as life-changing as ours, all due to our God's straight dealing and the intervention of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:1 (The Message)

This got me thinking- Peter wrote this letter to believers. Should we encourage non-believers to read it? If they do, will they get it? Should non-believers read Leviticus before they understand how it relates to the grace offered through the life and death of Jesus Christ? Would it be helpful or hurtful?

Don't get me wrong- I know "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." But is all scripture useful to all people at all points on their faith journey? As Christ followers/ teachers/ shepherds, is part of our responsibility to point people to the right parts of scripture for their level of understanding and belief?

Just something I've struggled with lately. Feel free to weigh in.

I don't get grace

2008-12-03T08:09:00.002-05:00

Grace is God's ultimate gift to us. It is unmerited favor from God given to people who don't deserve it. It is often described in Christianese with the backronym "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." It is by His grace, we are saved. So I get that part.

So here's what I don't get... why me and not someone else? Certainly there are people who have done more good and/or less bad that don't know His grace. Why did I win the "eternity lottery" and others won't? Most of all, why did God (in all His righteousness) decide to save even one of us (in all our wretchedness)? Ephesians 4:7 says, "But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift."

The measure of Christ's gift... think about that. Christ's gift was God Himself, creator of all things, leaving heaven and coming to earth, living life as a human (and showing us how it's done, in the process) then submitting to the authority of this world and dying a horrible, painful, wicked death- being tortured and teased and left hanging on a tree. That is the measure of Christ's gift, and the bible says that each of us received grace according to the measure of that gift. I don't get it.

As a teacher in the church, I seem to think often that my greatest goal should be life change for the people in our church. But it's not. See, for me to change someone's life, I need to teach that grace is not enough. You need to have grace and give your tithe. You need grace and to serve. You need grace plus a good life. But, grace plus anything denigrates the measure of Christ's gift. Christ's body was broken for you. His blood was spilled for you. As he hung on the cross, your picture went through His mind. That plus nothing is enough for anyone.

A true reason for Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

On this, the eve of Thanksgiving, we have a lot to be thankful for. That's a cliche, I know. It's also grammatically incorrect.

We also have some things that make us long for days of old, when this (still great) country held fast to the principals on which it was founded - a spirit of independence, a staunch belief in personal responsibility, and a deep, abiding faith in God. As a reminder of those times, take a look at President Abraham Lincoln's original proclamation of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well as the iron and coal as of our precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October, A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
Abraham Lincoln

By the President:
William H. Seward,
Secretary of State.

Happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and keep you.

The future president's church life

2008-11-24T14:01:00.003-05:00

I was a little disturbed today when I read that Barak Obama, who was pretty upfront about his relationship with God during the campaign, announced that he hasn't attended church since the election. Instead, the Wunderkind is working on his figure at the gym Sunday mornings. It makes cynical little me wonder... was it all for show? Surely one wouldn't attend church every Sunday for months on end, in front of the TV cameras, just for the purposes of campainging, would one?

Mr. Obama claims he doesn't want to cause a distraction or disturbance at a church that wasn't prepared for him. And that's a good point. After all, the purpose of a church service is to worship The One True God, and anything that forces a distraction from that would not be good. I respect his decision to keep other worshippers in mind as he struggles with this question.

On the other hand, you can't believe his presence in churches didn't cause distractions during the campaign. And, he's not been afraid to attract a crowd at Sunday services before, see here and here. And it just seems pretty convenient to come up with an excuse to stop doing something that isn't really who you are.

Mr. Obama clearly thinks faith has an important place in politics... he said so himself. And Christian author/blogger Donald Miller claimed that his biggest reason for supporting Mr. Obama for president was his relationship with God.

Now, I don't pretend to know the real reason for Mr. Obama's about face. 2 Chronicles 6:30 says only God knows a man's heart. Therefore, I want to believe that Mr. Obama's reasoning is the whole truth. But, I hope the future president keeps this in mind... God is there in good times and in bad. I know people whose lives have gotten so bad, they try to shut God out thinking he's not going to help anyway. But, if we're not careful, we can shut Him out when life is good, too, thinking that we've got it all under control. I hope that doesn't happen to the future leader of the free world.

When president Obama is leading this country, I desperately desire for the lines of communication with his maker to be wide open. To that end, I beg him to find a church home for his family and fast.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with the president-elect's reasoning? What would you do?

The fine art of self-denial

2008-11-21T14:49:00.003-05:00

"Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."
Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.- Joel 2:12-13

Why don't we fast more? I mean, I talk/write/complain a lot about how I want to be more like Him and less like me. So, why am I not willing to set my needs aside and focus on the needs of others? Why is it that I'm so obsessed with feeding my appetite, that nothing gets in the way? Not prayer, not tragedy, not sorrow... nothing.

Fasting yesterday, I learned again that (1) It's surprisingly easy, and (2) It really does change my focus from my desires to His desires. Since I've told you all I was fasting, I know my reward for it won't be in heaven. But, it was important enough for me to put this thought out to challenge you to try it, and to hold myself accountable.

Next time you're struggling... really struggling and seeking God's will, try denying yourself for a while. He'll show up.

A sheer gift?

2008-11-20T09:40:00.003-05:00

Today is going to be hard. Maybe one of my hardest days as an adult. So, here is the verse I cling to today:

"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." -James 1:2-4 (The Message)

I don't always face challenges well, let alone consider them a gift. I usually consider them a curse. My prayer for today is that I will truly see tests and challenges as a gift from God, designed to grow my faith and stretch me in a way that I would never stretch myself.

If you're so inclined, please pray with me.

Runners in the news

2008-11-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

Why is it that whenever runners are in the news, it's that they (a) found a dead body, (b) got run over by a car, or (c) were attacked by some wild animal? Obviously as runners, we don't always consider all the dangers inherent in our sport.

Take, for instance, the story of this woman, who was attacked by a rabid fox while running and ran a mile with the fox clamped on her arm. When she reached the trailhead, she wrapped up the fox, threw him in her trunk, and drove to the hospital.

On the flip side, it did land her the feature spot on Letterman...

How to deal with stuff...

2008-11-19T13:14:00.003-05:00

Man, there is some stuff going on right now. Stuff in the economy. Stuff in people's families and lives. This world is full of sickness and despair and depression and uncertainty. How do you deal with all this stuff? Here is a suggestion from the writer of Hebrews:

"...strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." -Hebrews 12:1-2 (The Message)

Jesus knows pain. Jesus knows betrayal and heartache and doubt and temptation. Maybe you've never been through what you're going through, but Jesus has. God incarnate, He knows what it means to be a human and to live in this world full of all this stuff. Keep your eyes upon him, review the list of what he's done for us. He will be your refuge, your rest, your dwelling place. Your comforter.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." -Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Success before commitment

2008-11-18T12:54:00.004-05:00

We don't like commitment. As humans, we'd normally rather be non-comittal. Companies don't like to commit- they need to stay flexible. Congregants don't like to commit to giving or serving- we'd rather "check out the church" for awhile, and see if we "like the style." We'd like to live together for a while before we think about getting married. A week before the recent presidential election, most polls showed nearly 10% still undecided who to vote for. That means 1 in 10 Americans are like the proverbial squirrel squashed in the road because he didn't know which way to go when the car came. Let's hope these undecideds were waiting to see who would give them the bigger payday.

We don't like to commit. Which is why this sentence, in Seth Godin's latest book, Tribes, sent chills up my spine:

If your organization requires success before commitment, you will never have either.

Wow. If you have to trust your gut and commit to something without first having a win, you won't win. If you have to follow God and trust he'll take care of your needs before you give, you'll never give. You have to commit to a new product/service/ministry/organizational structure even though it may not deliver immediate results if you want it to succeed.

Do you have the patience to succeed?

Beautiful Bride

2008-11-15T23:00:00.001-05:00

"Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder:
Hallelujah!
The Master reigns,
our God, the Sovereign-Strong!
Let us celebrate, let us rejoice,
let us give him the glory!
The Marriage of the Lamb has come;
his Wife has made herself ready.
She was given a bridal gown
of bright and shining linen.
The linen is the righteousness of the saints.
The Angel said to me, "Write this: 'Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.'" He added, "These are the true words of God!"
I fell at his feet to worship him, but he wouldn't let me. "Don't do that," he said. "I'm a servant just like you, and like your brothers and sisters who hold to the witness of Jesus. The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." - Revelation 19:6-10 (NLT)

This scripture describes the church as the bride of Christ. To help figure out what that means,I just want to put some images in your head of what a bride looks like. Think about the weddings you’ve been to. All the guests describe the bride... she’s lovely, she’s beautiful. When everyone at the wedding is gathered in the church and the bridal march turns uptempo, the whole congregation stands and turns around just to watch her enter the room in all her splendor. And, she’s so stunning that the mothers cry and her sisters cry and her friends cry, and the groom gets weak in the knees, because it is at this time he first realizes, he’s marrying way out of his league. She is the most gorgeous woman in the room, and, at that moment, she’s the most beautiful woman alive. But, she doesn’t get there alone. Preparations for the wedding start months- often years before. Little girls buy hope chests and fill them with pieces of china and and pictures clipped from magazines, boys give promise rings, and young ladies visit other weddings and cut clippings of great hairstyles from celebrity magazines- until by the time she reaches adulthood, the wedding is foremost on a young woman’s mind. Often, in fact, the only missing piece in a young lady’s life is a groom. Minor detail.

So, when that day comes, parents, friends, relatives all work to make her look as gorgeous as she possibly can. Her best friends give up their entire week or month even, and wear the most hideous hot pink and teal dresses with big poofy skirts and unflattering sleeves just to make her look even more beautiful. And on that day, everyone is taking pictures of the bride and the wedding scrapbook even years later will have three pictures of the groom (including one with the groomsmen lifting him on their shoulders while he looks very afraid), seven pictures of the flower girl, and 126 pictures of the bride. And whenever they look back at the scrapbook, all anyone ever talks about is how beautiful the bride is.

In our case, the church is the bride. Our job as believers in the church is to make her beautiful. Beautiful so that all who encounter her will remember her beauty. Beautiful so she is ready to do the work she has to do. Beautiful so that more people want to come to the wedding party. And most of all, beautiful for her groom. Let's gather round and serve her, let's organize and make her as beautiful as Jesus intended.

I hope you hate my message

2008-11-13T10:58:00.002-05:00

"As for you, son of man, you've become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, 'Let's go hear the latest news from God.' They show up, as people tend to do, and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don't do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. To them you're merely entertainment—a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it. -Ezekiel 33:30-32

These are the words of God given to the prophet Ezekiel around the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. Though they weren't said directly to me, I think I can understand how Ezekiel must have felt.

Though I'm not a prophet of God, I do listen to him intently before I write or speak. And, often enough, people have come up after a service and told me how they enjoyed my message, or they really liked it or thought it was "really good." And, I have to admit, sometimes I like that. But, sometimes, I don't. Sometimes, I just get this overwhelming urge to say, "that's too bad. I really wanted you to hate it."

Sometime when I write or speak, I have a desire to convict people with words or, more precisely, to have God convict people through me. It sometimes works for me even when I speak- God uses the process of writing and preaching to change me. But, I want to be used to change peoples' lives. Yes, I want people to know the endless, undying love of a God that created them. But, sometimes I want them to know that what they're doing is just not right. I want them to avoid eye contact after a message because they're struggling with something I said. I want them to send hate mail to the church because they vehemently disagree that what I called sin is a sin. I want to have a heated discussion, right there in front of the stage after a service because someone in the audience hated what God said through me. Then, I will feel like God is truly using me to make people more like Him.

I don't want to be a country singer of sad love songs. I'd rather be a tool of the Most High God.

God's thoughts on the election?

2008-11-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

Everyone tries to get help from the leader,
but only God will give us justice. - Proverbs 29:26 (The Message)

Making little trees out of big ones

2008-11-05T15:10:00.003-05:00

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take a branch from the top of a tall cedar, and I will plant it on the top of Israel’s highest mountain. It will become a majestic cedar, sending forth its branches and producing seed. Birds of every sort will nest in it, finding shelter in the shade of its branches. And all the trees will know that it is I, the Lord, who cuts the tall tree down and makes the short tree grow tall. It is I who makes the green tree wither and gives the dead tree new life. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I said!”- Ezekiel 17:22-24

It is God, not I, that makes things grow. But in order to do this, he will sometimes kill something off. This is a concept I struggle with in my life from time to time.

Right now, it seems like there are some things in my life that are dying. Stuff at work, and other things that just seem to be withering away. Fortunately, the important things are still strong. But this verse spoke to me today. Maybe what God is doing is killing some things off in my life so that something else can grow better. Maybe He has to cut down a majestic tree that has stopped growing, and plant a part of that in some soil somewhere else, so that it may grow and flourish and become majestic again.

How about you? Do things in your life seem gloomy? Is there something that is dying and you don't understand why? Is there something that you need to kill so that something else can grow stronger? Think about it.

Most of us trust God when he's growing the little trees in our lives. How many of us trust Him when he's cutting down the big ones?

How great your faithfulness!

2008-11-04T08:37:00.004-05:00

Lamentations. The very word just makes even the strong in constitution think of greiving and sorrow. So, why is there so much hope in those five short chapters? Not much to write today, I just wanted to share these few verses from the book of Lamentations.

Background: Israel is in ruin. The town of Jerusalem has been destroyed by the Babylonians. Her people are scattered everywhere. Surely God has deserted her. But, out of the sorrow comes this:

He ground my face into the gravel.
He pounded me into the mud.
I gave up on life altogether.
I've forgotten what the good life is like.
I said to myself, "This is it. I'm finished.
God is a lost cause."

It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help from God
I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won't ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way:

Stomping down hard
on luckless prisoners,
Refusing justice to victims
in the court of High God,
Tampering with evidence—
the Master does not approve of such things.
-Lamentations 3:16-36 (The Message)

I always thought Jeremiah was a bullfrog...

2008-10-31T10:34:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I finished the book of Jeremiah- first time, all the way through. I always thought Jeremiah would be encouraging, uplifting because the only verse I knew by heart was this one...

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.- Jeremiah 29:11

Unfortunately, what I realized is that Jeremiah is full of warnings and, at the end, disaster for the Jewish people. After reflecting for a day or two, I did get a couple of lessons out of it.

(1) It is not always easy to hear from God. Jeremiah knew what would happen and tried to warn the people, but he was often ignored and persecuted. God often tells us things we don't want to hear. If we're not careful, we can use that as an excuse not to listen. But, God's ways are always perfect, so we shouldn't let the fear of bad news, or things unknown, stop us from asking and listening.

(2) We can't change anyone's life. Oh, we can beg and plead and warn and spew hellfire and brimstone. But we can't change anyone. Only God can. No matter what we know or what we hear, it's up to God to change someone's heart. Does this mean we shouldn't teach what is right? No, we are absolutely commanded to teach God's ways. It does mean, though, that we need to be aware that sometimes His teachings will be accepted and understood, and sometimes they will fall on deaf ears.

These two lessons were helpful for me. I hope they are for you.

Peace.

About the election...

2008-10-30T08:41:00.002-04:00

I didn't write this, Kelly did. But I wish I had.

"The Church has traded its birthright as the hope of the world for a steaming bowl of legislation and patriotism. We have sold our mission of good news for the poor, freedom for the prisoners, and sight for the blind to the world of policy and pundits. We gave up believing in the transformational power of the gospel and transferred our hope to enforcing spirituality through the Supreme Court."

She goes on...

"...why (do) Christians give more money, passion and energy to electing Obama or McCain than they do to loving God and their neighbor. According to Jesus, that's something He cares about a whole lot more."

Wow. Something to think about on Tuesday.

What is your church's 'Market Statement?'

2008-10-29T08:21:00.003-04:00

In the business world, companies are adamant about shaping their 'market statement.' In other words, what does the company stand for, how are they perceived in the market. In the church world, though, we ignore that. We sometimes think it's our mission statement, which is too broad (and often too harmless) to really say who we are. This weekend, I attended a church whose mission statment was "Love God, Love Others." Great mission, but tells nothing about who they are or who they are trying to reach.

A great market statement should tell the following:

- What is our church's laser focus (evangelism, discipleship, mission work)
- Who is our target audience ('People' is not good enough, nor is 'lost people.' specifics are important here- families in their 20's and 30's with young kids, for example)
- What do we do well
- What do we not do well

Most churches, like most businesses, tend to try to do too much. This often works in the short term, because trying to be all things to all people allows you to attract people. But, in the long term, this incomplete structure will collapse on itself. As author Jim Collins says, most organizations are more likely to gorge themselves to death than starve themselves to death. There is no lack of opportunity. But people can quickly see when something (a company or a church) is not what it's advertised to be.

It's better that the leadership understand who they are up front, rather than fooling themselves and trying to pick up the pieces later. Having a market statement helps them focus on only what they can do well. This doesn't mean we leave lost people lost, it means we try to reach the ones we're good at reaching.

Finding God in the fire

2008-10-23T12:39:00.002-04:00

What is it about fire that brings us together? Last night, we had 21 friends at our house, and at some point we were all gathered around a large campfire/ small bonfire in my back yard. The air was crisp and cool in a way that surprises you when you first walk out the door, but in which most people won't linger too long without being bundled up. Yet, with a fire going, people are engaged- talking, laughing, singing in a way that wouldn't happen in our living room. Even though it's a very comfortable 68 degrees.

After everyone left last night, I sat around the fire for a while- gazing at the orange embers, stroking the silky cat on my lap, watching the reflection of the dancing toungues of flame reflect off the bright yellow leaves still clinging to the trees, and feeling the deep warmth of the fire coming from the remaining logs. And I thought, the depth of this warmth really represents the way God makes us feel. We're out in the relative cold, and we all gather around this thing- this one thing that is central to our lives and common to all of us, and it defines who we are at that moment. In the back yard, the fire is the one place we can go and warm ourselves, feed ourselves, and find the community we're looking for. In Christ, we have the same ability to do that.

Many of my friends have tried to find community by moving into master-planned neighborhoods with intentionally-scheduled outings, or by joining social clubs, or going to gatherings at bars after work. All of those things are fine and fun, but when the party is over and the bar closes and everyone goes home, you're alone again. But, when the community centers around Christ, the feeling lingers, the embers continue to burn, and you're left with this warm, reassuring feeling that even after the people leave, the community is still there.

I drifted off to sleep last night thinking about how lucky I am to have the friends I have. Smelling of wood smoke.

My sister on the news

2008-10-21T08:45:00.002-04:00

Take a look at this video about my sister, who's really turned her life around. I'm very proud of her!

The insistence on giving

2008-10-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I wrote about the secret of giving - that God calls us to give in secret. It may have made more sense to start with today's post- that God insists on giving.

These thoughts stem from a series we're in at Genesis Church on giving. My thoughts are based on the scripture from Matthew 6:1-4, where Jesus lays this out:

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

The one word that continually stands out to me in this passage is a small one: "When."

Jesus doesn’t say IF you give, or on the rare occasion we decide to give, he says when you give. Jesus just assumes that anyone inside the kingdom of God will be a willing participant in funding it. He assumes that anyone who has been outside the Kingdom, walking in the dark, and who comes into the light of Christ will be so undone and overwhelmed by the grace of God that to give back a small part of their income would be natural. But, it’s not always like that.

Life gets in the way and our daily living expenses get in the way and we’re so caught up in it that giving back to God takes a back seat.

But, Jesus continues: “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."- Matthew 6:19-21.

See, this is the reason for giving. Not because God needs your money, because he doesn’t. Anything he wants to do he can do without money. But because he knows that, for many of us, money has a grip on our hearts. And God wants your heart, and he wants my heart, and he knows that wherever our treasure is, our hearts will be also.

Many of us cling tightly to our money, because it is visible, or at least the things we can buy with it are visible. But, think of your giving as an investment, and you get a whole different view. Look at the change in your life or in the lives of those around you this church has made. Look at other churches or organizations that are built solely or mostly on contributions, and look at how they change the landscape in which they operate. If you think about sowing generously to a cause you believe in, and you think about the change that can bring about, you are more likely to want to give.

When you give, do not announce it with trumpets, do not let your left hand know what the right one is doing. But when you give, give in secret. Then your father, who knows what is done in secret, will reward you.

The secret of giving

2008-10-20T11:22:00.004-04:00

This weekend at Genesis, Paul Mumaw outlined the biblical tenets on giving, and I thought he did a great job. I wanted to take the next couple of days and outline some other thoughts I've had on giving.

These come from the passage in Matthew 6:1-4, if you want the text.
Recently, I had the opportunity to visit one of my Alma Maters, Purdue University. I love going back to see old friends and visit the places I used to hang out. But the campus has changed quite a bit, even in just the last few years.

I was part of the last class to use the old Krannert Management building. The new management students have a new gleaming monstrosity of steel, stone, and glass called Jerry S. Rawls hall. Rawls hall is really a beautiful building situated right on the Southeast end of campus that announces to visitors “You are now at Purdue.” It is solid glass on the front and opens into a sunlit three-story lobby and the name Jerry S. Rawls Hall is proudly displayed in stone on the corner near the main entrance.

During my last visit, I decided to visit Rawls hall and take the tour. I strode proudly through the three-story lobby knowing that my tuition had done it’s little share to help build this monument to higher education. Off to one side of the lobby, near the main entrance, was a giant portrait of The Man himself, Jerry S. Rawls, with his countenance cast into metal, his lips forever frozen between a smile and a grimace. Now, it turns out that Mr. Rawls is the CEO of a networking company located in silicon valley, and he paid a mere $10 million to have his name carved in stone on the building and his gigantic half-smiling face hanging in the lobby. But it turns out, he’s not alone.

When I was at Purdue as an undergrad, all the classes were held in the Physics Building, or the Mechanical Engineering Building, or the EE building, or the Chemistry Building, or the temporary creative arts huts that had been temporary since 1950. By the way, they just tore those temporary huts down last year, and do you know what they’re replacing them with? The Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. Some of the newer buildings on Purdue’s campus are the Arthur G. Hansen Life Sciences Research Building, the Holleman-Niswonger Simulator Center, the Michael Golden Engineering Laboratories, the Clayton W. DeMent Fire Station, and the Melvin Ollman Golfcart barn. All of these people, so generous in their giving, yet so public. But Jesus suggests we should “Give your Gifts in Secret, and your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)

So, one of the more important parts of giving is to do so in secret, for otherwise, "...you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)

More on giving tomorrow.

SafeGuard Flex Seat featured on WTHR 13

2008-10-14T08:53:00.003-04:00

Last night, WTHR did a story about seat belts on school buses, and did a great job emphasizing how the SafeGuard Flex Seat solves the capacity issue for school buses. The video is below:

Catalyst Conference 2008- Day 2

2008-10-13T11:06:00.003-04:00

Here are the highlights, as I saw them, for day 2:

Session 6- Dave Ramsey

Dave is a personal finance expert, best-selling author, and national radio talk show host. He spoke at Catalyst last year about money management, but this was his first talk on leadership. He spoke specifically about unity in an organization. The 5 enemies to unity are:
- Poor communication
- Gossip
- Unresolved disagreements
- Lack of shared purpose
- Sanctioned incompetence

Team members will become demotivated when someone on the team can’t or won’t do their job and the leader fails to act. For the sake of unity on a team, the leader must do battle early and often with any of these enemies of unity.

Specifically, as it applies to Christian businesses, I loved this comment from Dave: “If you’re going to put a fish on the back of that thing, you’d better drive it right.”

Session 7- Franklin Graham

Franklin Graham accepted a lifetime achievement award for his father. But, he spoke with conviction about the power of the gospel message. We can’t control it, we can’t manage it, but there is power in the gospel of Jesus.

Session 8- Matt Chandler

This may have been the best session at the conference, so I’m glad we stayed to watch it. Chandler is the lead pastor at The Village Church in Highland Village (Dallas), Texas. Chandler taught at length from 1 Timothy 4 and said there are a lot of people who know about Jesus, but don’t really know Jesus. Having the right answers and saying the right things doesn’t make you right with God- it’s about your relationship with Christ. His heart breaks for the people in church every week who don’t know Jesus.

Session 9- Andy Stanley

Here are the 5 things Andy Stanley is thinking about now:

1. To reach people no one else is reaching, we need to do things no one else is doing. – Craig Groeschel

It’s not good enough to do the same thing louder or better or differently. To reach people outside the church, we need to go outside the church. Stanley says we need to become preoccupied with those we haven’t reached as opposed to those we are trying to keep.

2. The next Generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.- Al Reis

If you’re over 45, you need to accept that your ideas to reach the next generation will not be effective. You need to lend your expertise to deciding which ideas are good ones instead of trying to come up with good ideas. Be a student, not a critic.

3. What do I believe is impossible to do in my field... but if it could be done, it would fundamentally change my business? - Joel Barker

Pay attention to those who are breaking the rules- they are almost always the ones that solve the problems

4. If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what we he do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves? – Andy Grove

Acknowledge what’s not working, and own up to why you are unwilling to do anything about it.
No pain = no change. Change is always painful, but almost always worth it.

5. When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. – Michael Hammer

Don’t let success overshadow your vision.

Summary

The Catalyst Conference was really great this year. I left out comments from a few speakers (Tim Sanders, Brenda Salter McNeil, Andy Crouch) that I didn’t get much from, but the sessions were almost universally good. (Sorry, I love Tim Sanders, but I didn't get much. He's great though. Really. Read Love is the Killer App.)

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Day 1

2008-10-13T10:55:00.003-04:00

I thought I should post an update on Catalyst this year. Here are the highlights as I see them:

Session 1- Andy Stanley

Stanley talked about moral authority in leadership. People won’t necessarily follow us because they believe what we say we believe, but they absolutely must know that WE believe what we say we believe. That is moral authority- basically, that the walk matches the talk. He specifically said the church needs moral authority in three areas:
- Forgiveness- we can’t teach forgiveness from a heart that hasn’t forgiven
- Family – we can’t effectively teach the importance of family when we don’t put family first
- Finances – our checkbook shows our priorities.

He used the story of Nehemiah to reinforce this point: when he confronted the Jews on their lending money with high interest to other Jews, they immediately gave in because he had moral authority- Nehemiah had never accepted what he rightfully had coming to him (Nehemiah 5:6-18)

Session 2- William Paul Young / Jim Collins

William Paul Young is the author of the bestseller The Shack. This was an interesting interview. Young wrote the book for his kids with no intent of publishing it, but there was so much demand for the story that it became a bestseller. The moral: create what the people around you need or want, and it may be what many people need or want.

Jim Collins is also a bestselling author, most notably of the book Good to Great. Collins said that the main difference between good organizations and great ones is not the circumstances they find themselves in: “We are not imprisoned by our circumstances, we are freed by our choices and our discipline.” Instead, he said, one of the major differences between good and great is a culture of discipline. We need to have discipline to keep doing what we need to do. Each step is a tiny turn on a huge flywheel, but once it gets going, it has great momentum. He also said that organizations are far more likely to gorge themselves than starve to death- the great more often fall by overreaching than by having too little opportunity.

Session 3- Steven Furtick

Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. He talked about the fact that between the promise and the payoff is a process- when God makes us a promise, we can sometimes give up on it if we can’t see the payoff coming. He used the scripture from 1 Kings 18 to encourage people that God is faithful in his promises- when Elijah promised the people of Israel that rain was coming, the text says there was a cloud forming that was the size of a man’s hand. God is preparing you for what He is preparing for you.

Session 4- Seth Godin

Godin is the author of such books as Purple Cow and The Dip. At this session, he talked about his new book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us. He says that people (consumers or congregation members) are asking these questions of marketing organizations: Who else is going to be there? Who will lead us?

Godin says a crowd is not the same as a tribe. A tribe is self-selected and has a common purpose or mission. Moving forward, our job is to find out what characteristics people share – who is our tribe? He also said the idea that everyone wants to join your tribe is naive. Find the commonalities that your customers have and emphasize those in your marketing efforts.

Session 5 – Craig Groeschel

Groeschel is the senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv and author of the book Confessions of a Pastor. He was the first to really capitalize on the power of the Internet to leverage the power of the church.

Groeschel talked about Finding IT when you’ve lost IT. This was a very powerful session. We don’t know what IT is, but we know some things about IT:
- God makes IT happen
- We cannot create IT
- IT is not a model
- IT has an upside (lives are changed forever)
- IT has a downside (IT attracts critics)
- IT happens, but not always
- If you have IT, you can lose IT
- If you don’t have IT, you can get IT

Above all, for your church to have IT, you must have IT. If you lose IT, you need to do something drastic. You should pray:
- God, stretch me (take me outside my comfort zone)
- God, heal me (fix the things in my life I can’t fix)
- God, ruin me (maybe have to start all over with God)

Off to Catalyst...

2008-10-07T15:59:00.002-04:00

Well, the boys and I are headed to the Catalyst Conference in the morning. Very excited to hear what God is going to say through Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, Craig Groeschel, and others. Even more excited to see what He is going to do with it at Genesis Church when we get back.

I'll try to post updates if I can find a PC in the nether regions of north suburban Atlanta.

Peace!

How do you know how to serve?

2008-10-06T09:41:00.002-04:00

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities. -Ephesians 3:7-8 (the Message)

I love the humility in Paul's words here - "I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians." But more than that, I love the power and compassion and humor of God to take someone who's unqualified, call him to ministry, then qualify him. Can I suggest that this goes completely counter to how we often do things in ministry. So often, we look for what we're good at, then decide to serve in an area that requires someone with our strengths.

What if, though- what if we instead decided to listen to God's call for our lives, then turned ourselves off so that God could work in us and qualify us for the ministry he's called us to? In other words, what if we were so obedient to His voice that we followed Him no matter where He led us, and allowed Him to gift us with the abilities required to fulfill His calling?

How powerful could the church be for Christ if everyone's primary objective were to listen to God?

What does it mean to be a leader in the church?

2008-10-02T09:44:00.002-04:00

I happened upon this great article from Jon Tyson, the lead pastor of Origins Church in New York City. At it's heart is what it means to lead in the church. It doesn't matter if you are an elder, deacon, pastor, lay leader, or a volunteer who serves once a month, Tyson says there is one characteristic that is required of leaders.

Charisma? Leadership skills? Teaching gifts? Nah. See, leadership in the church is about making The Church beautiful, like the Bride of Christ she is called to be. So what is the required characteristic?

"Leadership in the church is more than just matching gifts with passion, or desire with opportunity. Leadership in the church is about nobility. In other words, it takes that which is noble to produce that which is beautiful."

Please go here to read the whole article. I promise, it's five minutes you won't regret.

Peace.

The church as a force or a field?

2008-10-02T09:41:00.001-04:00

Check out this video from Granger Community Church pastor Mark Beeson about two different philosophies of the church. Which do you think Christ's bride should be?

Ever feel like God is silent?

2008-09-26T14:08:00.003-04:00

Currently, at Genesis Church, we are in a series called "Mind Games." The series is about faith, and the first message this week was I feel abandoned by God.

I have to admit that there are very few times I feel abandoned by God (although I used to, a lot). But there are times when I feel God is silent in my life (apologies to JV- I know He's not silent.) Why is it when I pray and I serve and I try hard to follow God, I dont' always hear Him? Then, in my daily reading, I came across this in The Message:

This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' -Isaiah 58:6-9

Wow. This is really convicting to me, especially the part about being avaialable to your own family. See, it's easy for me to give money to a cause, but harder to give time and effort to it. It's natural for me to want to help people I know and like, but harder for me to want to help my extended family. In fact, I'd rather give money to someone I don't know very well, but I know is trying to follow God than to give money to members of my family who need it. And as far as having time to talk to my family? Well, besides my mom, I can't remember the last time I picked up the phone to call them and just see how they're doing.

But, that's what God wants from me. Feed the poor. Invite in the homeless. Clothe the ill-clad. Be available for my family. That's harder than praying and reading the bible and serving others. That is giving up your life.

Peace to you.

Bailout or sinking fund?

2008-09-25T08:56:00.002-04:00

I know all this talk about a bailout can be confusing for non-financial types, so I'd like to try to put it in layman's terms. Last night, President Bush said that under the proposed bailout plan, "...the federal government would put up to $700 billion taxpayer dollars on the line to purchase troubled assets that are clogging the financial system. In the short term, this will free up banks to resume the flow of credit to American families and businesses, and this will help our economy grow."

All this can be quite confusing, I know. So, here it is in terms we can all understand:

The US Government (which doesn't have any money, which is why we're nearly $10 trillion in debt) is going to borrow more money so it can lend it to banks (who don't have any money, which is why so many are going bankrupt) so that they can loan it to consumers (who don't have any money, which is why mortgage forclosures are at an all-time high). That way, consumers (still no money) can go deeper into debt to the banks (who've now loaned all the money out again) and the government is caught holding the bag. Actually, not, because the government doesn't have any money... it all comes from us. And our kids.

So, to simplify further: Our kids are loaning money to the government to loan it to the banks to loan it to us so we can buy flat screens and Volvos.

Hopefully, this makes the matter simpler to understand.

God's plan to save the world

2008-09-23T13:14:00.002-04:00

In the recent days and weeks, if you watch the news, it can be easy to get caught up in the Chicken Little stories. Serious-looking news people tell us how tight the presidential race is and how important it is to get the "right" person in power. At the same time, disheveled financial types yell at us that the economic sky is falling and the world is coming to an end. And in the midst of all this, a rumor is swirling that Brad and Angelina have broken up. It's almost enough to make you wonder if God's still on His throne.

But the truth is written in scripture that God has a plan to save the world. We know that Jesus "...did not come to judge the world, but to save it." (John 12:47) But, Jesus is gone, at least physically, so how does that work now? In the midst of all the trouble and turmoil, what is God's plan to save the world?

It's written here:

God's Message,
the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies,
laid out the earth and all that grows from it,
Who breathes life into earth's people,
makes them alive with his own life:
"I am God. I have called you to live right and well.
I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
opening blind eyes,
releasing prisoners from dungeons,
emptying the dark prisons. - Isaiah 42:5-7 (The Message)

Right there. Did you see it? God is talking about bringing people into light, opening blind eyes, releasing prisoners. And how? Through his secret plan. Read it again:

I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light...

See that? God's plan to save the world? It's YOU. You have been called to bind His people to Him. You have been called to start bringing people into the light, release people from the prisons. You are called to spread the message. How, you wonder, can you save the world? You can't- but God can, and will, through you. Through telling your friends, through giving your time and money, and through serving in His kingdom, you (and I) can work to bring heaven to earth. Giving a little of ourselves will help bring up there to down here.

On becoming less and less

2008-09-18T08:15:00.003-04:00

God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
has this solemn counsel:
"Your salvation requires you to turn back to me
and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
in complete dependence on me—
The very thing
you've been unwilling to do.- Isaiah 30:15 (The Message)

Maybe you're like me and sometimes forget that we can't save ourselves. I try so hard to live right and do good and, while those are good things, they can't save me. Only by turning to God and relying totally and completely on Him can I be saved.

I work really hard to prove I'm better than others. I often want to tell my boss that I made this happen, or I carried someone else's water in some case, just to prove how strong I am. But, I read this verse, and I really do want my strength to come from settling down in complete dependence on God. This means I can't make myself strong by:
- Building a bigger bank account
- Learning more things
- Impressing more people
- Even serving more people

See, I work really hard to make myself appear like I'm more than I am. But, only when I make myself less can I allow Him to become more- and that is where I become strong.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.- Psalm 121:1-2

Seriously, what is the appeal?

2008-09-16T12:34:00.006-04:00

Quit scraping and fawning over mere humans,
so full of themselves, so full of hot air!
Can't you see there's nothing to them? - Isaiah 2:22 (The Message)

I read this verse while on a plane coming home from England, and it got me thinking about celebrity worship. If you live in America and rarely leave, you may not believe this, but the Brits are far more into celebs and gossip that we are. In fact, most drug stores/ book stores/ airport shops had one magazine rack devoted to celebrity gossip- a single shelf printed with more neon than Nicky Hayden's Repsol Honda.

These magazines told, in hot pink or glowing orange print, what "Megan" was wearing this week, or how "Minnie" lost 24 pounds after her baby or what guy "Rose" was last seen with (apparently, last names are taboo in celebspeak).

So, I was profoundly affected by this verse, standing all alone at the end of one of Isaiah's visions. Quit scraping and fawning over mere humans.... After all, don't most of us have people we're "just dying" to meet? Wouldn't we drop our lunch and jump up to go meet Oprah or Barack or Sarah or Rob? (That's Bell, for me...) How much time and attention do we focus on mere humans and let God stand by himself, waiting patiently, for just a chance to enter our thoughts and our hearts? How often do we put The One who saved us on the back burner just for a chance to watch Big Brother or Biggest Loser or read about Brangelina's latest child?

What is the appeal anyway? Shouldn't everything we do be for God's glory, not for ours? Not for other people's?

Yes, they may play basketball well, or really convince you they're crying on the big screen, or they may have eye-melting beauty (or handsomeness). But, they're mere humans. I'm afraid that one day we'll wake up to find there really is nothing to them.

Lessons from The Shack

2008-09-09T09:37:00.004-04:00

I write this from the North of England, and on the airplane over here I finished the book The Shack. I have to tell you, I got several lessons out of the book:

- I got a great explanation of the role tragedy plays in our lives
- I found a unique perspective on the Trinity
- I got an even greater appreciation of what God must have gone through to allow Jesus to go to the cross

I have to admit I didn't want to finish the book. The first few chapters were hard because of a tragic event that happens (no, you'll have to read it for yourself!) But, I'm really glad I stayed with it. It is one of those great works of fiction that really helps you gain perspective on your life and Life in General. Besides that, it's wonderfully written with vivid descriptions and it's highly entertaining.

If you're not familiar with the book, you should go here.

Is your wife more spiritual than you are?

2008-09-05T14:23:00.003-04:00

Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening, asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God's Book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. Do you—both women and men—imagine that you're a sacred oracle determining what's right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you? - 1 Corinthians 14:34-36

This is yet another indication of how men are called to be the spiritual leaders of their families. Granted, this passage goes against our modern ways of thinking about home life and church, but Paul is emphatic that husbands should be able to answer the spiritual questions from their wives.

Men often neglect the study of scripture as too ethereal, too time consuming, too boring, or just not football-y enough. But, if we don't read and study and spend time in God's word, how can we really be what we're called to be - spiritual leaders of our households?

In Spanish, there are two words for "read." The word "recitar" (to read) means to read in a way you can repeat, or "recite" the text. The word "estudiar" also means read, but to read deeply, to study. I need to estudio mas and recito menor.

My wife gets up early to read her bible. My wife goes to a bible study with other women, as well as our small group study. My wife prays daily, and not just before meals (I KNOW!) I need to do a better job of being a spiritual head of my family. How about you?

More on the evangelical church

2008-09-02T09:04:00.004-04:00

I received a comment from friend on my post entitled "What Kind of Church do you Want?". My friend was lamenting the statistics Pastor Stevens was so pumped up about, and was concerned that (1) I endorsed this line of thinking, and (2) That the church assembly would even be thought of as an evangelical tool. The comment was well thought-out and scriptural, and here is an excerpt:

In this issue, starting in Ephesians 4:

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

You see the job of the pastor/elder and teacher is train the saints for the work of the ministry. What is the work of the ministry if it is not evangelism and discipleship? The believers are to be soul winners not the pastors. If the pastor of an assembly is focused on evangelism, he has missed the point....

What the modern church (mainline, evangelical you name it) has done is create a body of consumers of spirituality rather than members of the body of Christ. Do you know that Barna has done research and found that 9 out of 10 professing evangelicals have NEVER shared their faith? If that is our primary mission what is wrong here?

By the way, my friend also has a great blog that you should check out. I responded to him via e-mail, but I wanted to post it here, too.

First of all, thanks so much for reading and contributing. I'd love for my blog to be the kind of place people can go and have this dialogue.

Second, I want to make it clear that I didn't agree with Stevens on my blog (or disagree), but I linked his post because I thought it was an interesting take on what could be some disturbing statistics. If I were to do the survey, I would want to see some further statistics... for instance, is there a correlation between how long someone has attended Granger and what they believe? In other words, by attending the church, are people being edified? If 10 year people have the same beliefs as one-year people, then I think the church is failing to make disciples and "teach them to obey my commands."

However, I don't totally agree with your point that the church shouldn't be about evangelism. If we look at the church in Acts chapter 2, we see people being intrigued and attracted by what goes on in the church assembly. On the day of Pentacost, when the Holy Spirit invaded the church, people (non-believers) came running from everywhere to see what was going on. What did Peter do? He didn't say, "Go away if you don't believe what we do." He didn't start speaking to believers. Instead, he immediately used what was going on at that moment (the "culture" if you will) to preach to non-believers. (Acts 2:14-41). This is the first picture we have of a church assembly after Christ's ascendancy, and it's the disciples use it to evangelize.

I also think that there are two reasons few believers share their faith. (1) If you grew up in the church I grew up in, you wouldn't want anyone to know. I think there are a lot of churches like that. (2) People aren't taught how to share their faith. And, how better to learn how than by a church that believes in sharing its faith?

That being said, I do think you can make a mistake and make the church assembly ALL about evangelism and not about making disciples. That's the balance we try to strike at Genesis. It's why we try to emphasize small groups for people who want to dig deeper (Yes, I know there are issues with the small group model, too, but it's close to the Acts 2 model of the church where people met in homes, broke bread together and worshipped). It's also why we tend to constantly rotate from series about horizontal relationships (man to man) and vertical relationship (man to God). We also try to mix series that are evangelical in nature with those that are edifying in nature. I know with Paul at the helm, we will do an even better job of this.

Finally, you should know that I don't think I have the right answer. This is a line of thinking that continues to evolve the more I pray about it and study scripture. I rest in the fact that I have the few important things figured out, and the rest we'll find out in heaven.

What do you think? Join the discussion by posting a comment...

Public apology to a flight attendant

2008-08-27T18:31:00.000-04:00

So, to our flight attendant Larraine, I just want to say, "I'm sorry." No, I didn't yell and scream at her, as I'm sure some have done. I didn't insult her or act like a child or do anything to make her job more difficult. In fact, she probably doesn't even realize I feel like I owe her an apology.

Let me tell this story. On the flight from Houston to Brownsville Monday, Larraine was working her wings off to get pretzels and drinks to about 60 passengers crammed into a flying sardine can far from home. The flight is only 47 minutes, so she already had her work cut out for her when we started. Then, she experienced a beverage cart malfunction. Specifically, the cart's brakes failed and whenever she would park at a row to take drink orders, the cart would begin migrating toward the back of the aircraft like it had to use the john. Fortunately, she got to my row and served me before this happened. Then, she realized that holding the cart with one hand while pouring drinks with the other wasn't working. The obviously flustered attendant then had to come over the PA System, announce what had happened, apologize to the whole of the cabin, and turn into a waitress, taking drink orders on a notepad.

This is where the thought entered my mind- "Get up and help her." Really, how hard can it be? If you read this occasionally, you know I sometimes pray, "God, if it pleases you, send me someone to serve today." Well, this was my chance. He delivered unto me, not just a young flight attendant to serve, but the back half of an angry airplane. But all of a sudden, my water got tastier, my book got more interesting, the seat belt sign gleamed more brightly, and my rear stayed glued to my seat. I tried not to look up so I'd have to witness the obvious torment this experience was putting her through. Of course, she eventually had to give up and apologize to the last five rows of the plane or so, and all because I was too stubborn/proud/embarassed to serve.

So, for that, I'm sorry, Larraine. Though, maybe she's not the one to whom I should be apologizing.

We're all from the same clay

2008-08-26T23:17:00.002-04:00

Look, you and I both belong to God.
I, too, was formed from clay.- Job 33:6

I write this from a hotel room in Brownsville, Texas. I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time on the south side of the border today, and this thought- this verse- kept coming to me. As I watched young mothers, walk their young kids to school, some of them not long out of school themselves. As I saw disfigured and disabled men selling hats on the bridge over the Rio Grande. As I saw busloads of production workers shuttled in and out of the industrial parks, I thought about how similar we all are. But our life circumstances aren't the same. And this got me thinking.

I'm quick to admit that some people are dealt a bad lot in life. In Job's case, he was really a good man, a man who pursued after God. Yet, a lot of bad happened in a short period of time. It would be hard for anyone to say he didn't have a bad break. In the same way, many of the people in Mexico (far from the poorest country in the world) won't have nearly the opportunity that my kids will. But, as easy as it is for us to admit some people are born in a worse situation than we are, it's very hard to admit that we just might have gotten a good break. Just the parents we have or the home into which we were born or even our country- that maybe good fortune played a role in how far we've come in life.

Seeing the people in Mexico, I'm always amazed by their sheer joy. I love seeing their smiles in the face of worse circumstances than I'd want to face. And, more than anything, I recently realize we're all made from the same clay. Really, what is it about their lives that make them less valuable than mine? Why should I save to have a secure retirement and a nice house when others who are just as hardworking, just as faithful, just as God-breathed, have so little?

I feel very fortunate to have been born when I was and where I was. It was not an accident. God put me in the situation I'm in so I can make a difference. I just need to think about how.

What kind of church do you want?

2008-08-21T14:55:00.003-04:00

Are you frustrated that everyone in your church doesn't believe the same things you do? Do you ever think that it would be much better, easier, or less icky if we all just agreed on some things? Take a look at this perspective from Tim Stevens, Executive Pastor at Granger Community Church.

You can read the whole post if you want, but I'll give you the highlights:
- 57% of those who attend Granger don't believe the authority of the bible
- 56% don't believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life
- 47% don't believe in salvation by grace
- Stevens kind of likes these stats

Find out why here.

What should we pray?

2008-08-20T06:36:00.001-04:00

From time to time, I have an opportunity to get together with friends and pray. Recently, it struck me that maybe we're not spending this time in the most effective way.

As I was thinking about the things we were praying for, I noticed a serious lack of substance- good weather for a particular event, that suitcases wouldn't get lost during travel, for a missionary to find a good deal on a car. Really? We're praying for cars and suitcases now?

Don't get me wrong- I know God wants to hear the desires of our hearts. I know that what's important to us is important to him. But most of us don't spend the entire day in prayer, even if we should. Shouldn't we be using this time for a greater purpose? What about praying for people who are far from God - our hearts should break for them. What about people who are hopelessly lost in addictions or abuse? What about praying for the poor and marginalized, and seeking wisdom on how to help them? Have we really gotten so self-absorbed that we're praying for suitcases?

Somebody help me.

What is your king?

2008-08-19T09:03:00.002-04:00

Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire. All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect whenever he passed by, for so the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down or show him respect....When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. - Esther 3:1-2,5-6

Mordecai became hated because he refused to bow to Haman. As a result, his entire race was endangered. Mordecai had decided before this moment ONLY to bow to his God. It would have been so much easier for him just to bow to Haman, but his principles wouldn't allow it.

In America, we bow to a lot of things. We bow to celebrities, whether they're on the big screen, small screen, or playing field. We bow to the clothes they wear and the cars they drive and the houses they (and we) live in. We bow to booze and to sex and some of us to drugs, and anything that makes it easier or less painful to get through the day. We have a lot of kings.

But those things, no matter how innocuous they seem, get in the way of our relationship with God. I know it's hard to connect how watching the Olympics interferes with our relationship with God, but it can. I was watching beach volleyball last night with my bible in front of me, and I frequently stopped reading the Word to watch Misty May destroy the Brazilians. So, who was my king in that moment?

It's the same with all of us. I don't know what your thing is, and it doesn't really matter to me. If you bow to it, if you allow yourself to be consumed by it, then your thing is really your king. You are hostage to it.

But God sent His son to set the hostages free. Bow to Him and you will be free.

The beauty of God's word

2008-08-15T08:09:00.002-04:00

The instructions of the Lord are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the Lord is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the Lord are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.- Psalm 19:7-11

This may be my favorite passage about the beauty and glory and usefulness of God's word. Sometimes, reading through the word can be a chore, sometimes it can be a bore. Then, there are times like last night where I just wanted to be immersed in it. I opened up the Psalms and prayed and read and found verse after verse that I could USE RIGHT NOW. While reading, I happened across the 23rd Psalm and prayed through that.

The times in my life when I feel closest to God are when I'm spending the most time praying and meditating on His word. The times when I feel the farthest are when I'm not reading it for what it is- perfect, trustworth, like the finest gold or the sweetest honey.

Just when you thought you knew China

2008-08-13T11:16:00.004-04:00

I'll start by saying that I'm watching the olympics every day. I am enjoying the sport and competition, I loved watching the US thrash the French in the mens 4x100 freestyle relay. Then, this story out of Beijing about how all that is red is not rosy:

Here was the most interesting / disturbing part to me:

"In addition, the tiny, pigtailed 9-year-old girl in the red dress who sang 'Ode to the Motherland' was lip-synching. The real voice belonged to a 7-year-old girl who was replaced because she was deemed not cute enough by a member of China's Politburo"

See, and you were worried that the Chinese were too different from Americans.

Meet Samura

2008-08-12T10:02:00.003-04:00

This weekend, Esperandiu Pierre from Nehemiah Vision Ministries visited Genesis Church to talk about the work his ministry is doing in Haiti. As a result, our family decided to sponsor a new child, Samura. Here she is.

Samura is four years old and lives in the Nehemiah Children's Home in Chambrun, Haiti. We are so excited to play a small part in Samura's life. I'm not posting this because I want you to know how great I am. I am doing it because God might be calling you to spend a little money to make a huge difference in the life of a child.

I am reading the story of Nehemiah in the bible right now. One of the great, encouraging things about the story is that everyone had a part to play. Nehemiah organized people by family by skills. There was a place for the builders, laborers, warriors, cooks, even the singers. Everyone had a part to play, and no one part was more important than any other.

If you want to know more about child sponsorships from NVM, go here.

Make a difference.

How much do you trust?

2008-08-08T14:24:00.003-04:00

Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't be intimidated by the king of Assyria and his troops—there are more on our side than on their side. He only has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!"
Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. -2 Chronicles 32:6-8 (The Message)

God is on our side. They have only men. Would these words give you courage? Would this idea be enough to give you "steel in your spine" as Eugene Peterson translates it?

I always know I should trust God, and I really do believe that His purpose is greater than all others - that His will will be done above all. Still, I often want to take things in my own hands. Make sure I'm prepared enough. Make sure I've studied the issue enough. It's as if I sometimes think that God doesn't know what I need to make it through and issue, and when someone says "God is on our side" I still wonder if that's enough.

The interesting part about this passage, and most others, is the theme that we are to "take courage." I will often pray for courage from God, but scripture is consistent in calling us to have courage. In other words, it seems courage is not something God gives us in response to prayer, but something we are to offer to show our trust in God. If I believe God is who He says He is, and I follow Him and believe I am in the center of His will, then I should have courage. I need to be still and KNOW that HE is GOD.

And that, my friends, puts steel in my spine.

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