"Awkward Family Photos" Friday!!

Yes, Funny Picture Friday is on hiatus, but I've recently been turned on to a great site called Awkward Family Photos. Here's some of the great ones from there:

Nice hair.



Nice pants.



This one is twice as bad...and chaps sewn into your jeans was never a good idea...



And, finally, I don't know about you, but seeing a guy do the splits makes me uncomfortable...and a little painful...but he seems happy about it...maybe he's just glad he doesn't have to wear a hat like Dad's...



Have a great weekend!!

Book Review: "The Unlikely Disciple" by Kevin Roose

This book initially caught my eye after reading an excerpt of it online a few months ago. The author was an intern for A.J. Jacobs, who wrote "The Year Of Living Biblically", which I really enjoyed reading. Corey Mann gave it a good review a few weeks ago, and that was enough for me. I went out and bought it, and I was not disappointed.

The book follows Kevin, a Quaker/atheist from Brown University, through a semester at Liberty University, one of the best known evangelical colleges in the US, founded by Jerry Falwell. Now, on first glance, you may expect a book based on this to spend all of it's time just bashing Christians and making fun of all the "rules". This could not be further from the actual book. Kevin truly dove into the life at Liberty, attending all classes, joining a prayer group, getting counseling from a pastor, and even singing in the choir at Thomas Road Church. As the semester goes on, you can see it begin to change his heart and his feelings toward Christianity. He's surprised to find out that the kids there aren't much different than the ones at Brown. Sure, he can find his share of those just "playing the game", but he spends most of his time talking about the friends he made that genuinely had faith and did their best to live it out, even after they failed at times.

I'd recommend this book not only as a good read, but as great insight into how non-Christians view Christianity. It's entertaining, informative, and very thought provoking. Go and get it today.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come...

I've had this one floating around in my head for a while now...and I bet someone could make a ton of cash with it. So, all you investors, here's the next big thing:



It's Garanimals for chronically mismatched adults!! (Like myself...)

For those of you that don't remember, Garanimals was a line of children's clothing which was very popular in the late 70's and early 80's. The distinctive part of it were the tags, which are shown above. Basically, a child could dress themselves as long as they found a shirt with a tiger tag and pants with a tiger tag. If the animals matched, you knew that your clothes would, too.

Now, fellas, tell me you haven't been here: You get out an ensemble from your closet, feel pretty good about it, and reveal your great selections to your wife. Trying to not laugh too hard, she directs you back into the closet to pick out clothers for you. Embarrassing, isn't it?

Let's be honest...we all want to look presentable. If the animals are only on the tags, who's to know that they are there? I, for one, would love to be able to go and find a shirt with a monkey tag to go with my monkey tagged pants for church instead of debating if it's blue or black or if stripes go with dots. I'm not the only one who has this issue, am I?

So, if anyone wants to start this up, I'm your first customer...not that I need the help...but my wife may beg to differ.

Get Naked...

At that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.

Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt's shame.

(Isaiah 20:2-4, NIV)

First of all, Isaiah was committed, wasn't he?

If you didn't catch that, God told him to strip completely down and go about his daily life in the nude as a sign that Egypt and Cush would fall to Assyria. Now, this would be bad enough to have to do for a day....Isaiah did it for THREE YEARS.

Can you imagine how he had to feel? The shame, the embarrassment? I'd imagine that everyone averted their eyes when he would walk by, and no one wanted to talk to him. Most probably thought he was crazy or just an exhibitionist. I'd imagine that only a few realized why he was naked and that it was out of obedience to God. Instead, it was easier to judge Isaiah without knowing him or his situation at all.

God calls us to be naked, too. Not physically, thank goodness, because believe me, you don't want to see that. No, God calls us to be naked with our souls to each other. That's one of the reasons the modern church was created, to share one another's burdens. That can only happen when we're "naked" about where we're at with each other.

Being naked, though, is hard. Just like Isaiah, we worry about what people will say and think. We wonder if we were completely honest, would people be shocked, offended, or disappointed and not want anything to do with us? We look around the sanctuary and our small groups and see smiling, happy faces and start to believe that we're the only ones that are messed up with problems too big to face alone.

This kind of pride is a great tool for the enemy. If he can isolate us, it's so much easier for him to control us. The thing is, the times when I've been naked about my issues, I've found others struggling with the same things, and we've been able to work through it together. Community is a powerful tool of healing and strength when used properly...but we've got to be willing to open ourselves up first.

So, are you ready to get "naked"? Here's hoping we can let down our guard and let someone in to help us today.

Don't Sweat The Small Stuff...

This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.

(Titus 3:8-9, NIV)

I love to debate and argue.

Really, ask anyone I know...one of my favorite past times is to take a subject and go back and forth on it for hours with someone. On a trip to Indianapolis with my best friend, we debated the merits of class basketball in Indiana for a full 3 hours! (Yes, it's sad and kind of geeky, but very true...) I think this quality serves me well to learn about things, because I'm willing to not only defend my point, but to ask questions and learn new things.

My wife, though, doesn't like it so much. In fact, she hates to argue with me because quite often I won't quit until I convince her that my view is the right one. Even if it's just a difference of opinion, I can't seem to let it go. There has been a few times when she's had to tell me just to "shut up and let it go already!"

I think Paul is talking about the latter in his letter to Titus. Though Paul understood some of the merit in a good debate, he didn't want Titus to get caught up in debating the theological minutiae while he missed the chance to share God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness with them. Too often, we get so caught up in trying to convince a non-Christian that we're "right" that we end up irritating them and hardening their hearts with our combative attitudes.

I think what Paul's saying is this: "Don't get so caught up in legalism that you miss the chance to lead someone to Jesus." It sounds simple, but for people like me who love to be right, it can mess up the chance to bring someone into the Kingdom. Here's hoping we don't push away those that need Him the most.

I Love The 80's: Buy Cameron's House!!

Cameron: What'd I do?
Ferris: You killed the car.

If the quote above rings a bell, then the house pictured should, too.

Cameron's house is for sale, and it could be yours for the low, low price of $2,300,000 or $11,413 a month! I'm guessing they've sanitized Cam's bedroom so you don't get sick like he did, and I'm guessing that they've also fixed the window that his dad's Ferrari 250GT shot out of near the end of the flick as they tried to roll back the odometer by running it in reverse.

I don't know if you're as big of fans of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" as I am, but seeing this today sure brought back some memories...and I think I'll go home and watch it again tonight! (One of the best teen comedies ever made, in my humble opinion, and I can still quote the entire film verbatim.)

(thanks to EW Popwatch for the tip!)

She's Going To Be A Great Mom Someday...

Yesterday, I was sick.

I get colds sometimes, and occasionally fever, but yesterday was unusual for me. I was nauseous and threw up at work, so I chalked it up and went home to rest. After school, the kids came home and saw me there. My son said "Hi!", then went to play his Wii.

My daughter, though, walked over to me and said "Daddy, what's wrong?" I told her that I didn't feel well and that I was going to rest in my chair while she watched the Disney channel. She said "OK", and got out her paper and crayons. After a few minutes I drifted off, and I'm not sure how long I was out.

I awoke to find a beautiful picture she drew of her and I walking our dog through a pet store. She really put some time into it, but what really touched me is when I looked across the living room at her big dry erase board. Here's what it read:

"I love you dad! I hoop you fell betr!"

I left the spelling just the way she did because I knew she did that all on her own without asking her brother for help. She came back into the room and I thanked her for the picture and the note. She smiled, and walked over to me, stood on her tip-toes, and gently kissed me on the forehead, just like my mom used to do when I was little and sick.

As she ran back off to play with her babies, all I could think of is that she's going to be a great mom someday...and I love her.

Don't Quit...

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it."

(2 Timothy 3:12-14, NIV)

I sometimes wonder why I fall away in my relationship with Christ. After spending alot of time in this book, I understand that it's me moving away from Him and not the other way around. But why do I do it? Do I just get bored? I don't think so... Am I not seeing results? Nope, that's not it...

The answer, honestly, is that it gets too hard and I give up. Sure, I know reading my Bible daily and spending time in prayer is important, along with doing my best to keep His commandments and live as He did is the best way to go, but it's hard. Sometimes it's just easier to skip a day or two of devotional time, and that way I don't feel so guilty when I mess up. I mean, really, if you don't spend time sharpening your conscience, then it won't rear up and poke you when you're doing wrong.

In Paul's letter to Timothy, he shares about all the problems and persecution he's endured for the cause of Christ. He's been beaten, stoned, jailed, and shipwrecked. To be honest, I would have given up long before that, but Paul knew that these sufferings were nothing compared to what could be gained for Christ.

I read and remember these things, and now that devotional time doesn't seem so bad after all. God doesn't ask for too much from me. The least, the very least I can do is give Him that uninterrupted time to speak to me.

Here's hoping I can stay on the right path, even when the journey is hard.

Pass It On...

"You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others."

(2 Timothy 2:2, NLT)

The passage above is not part of my reading program, as I won't be into 2nd Timothy until later this week. No, this was the verse that my friend and "blogfather", Derry Prenkert, shared about this morning at NMC as he commission his 10th class of graduating seniors. He gave them relay batons to signify that life is a relay race, and we must take the lessons and truths we've been given and pass them on to others.

It was a great message, and Derry really brought home the point as he shared about the day his father went home to be with Jesus. A few hours earlier, Derry was being interviewed by a student who asked him the question "Who has been the most influential person in your life?" The answer to the question, and the touching eulogy Derry gave his dad can be read by clicking here.

Derry read that this morning to share about all the ways that his father has "passed it on" to him, and in doing so, he "passed it on" not only to the seniors, but to everyone in 3 services who had the blessing to hear it live, others who will see it on video, and even more that will hear it on the radio. It was an amazing presentation of a powerful message, but there were two images that struck me even more deeply...

The first was the face of Jeanette, Derry's mom. I stopped to talk for a moment with Derry after the service, and while I was chatting, I looked over his shoulder to see her waiting patiently for her son. Though her eyes were wet with tears of remembrance of Kip, her smile was one of great pride in her son. It touched me deeply as I knew that in that moment, and many others like it, I'm sure, she knows that what they worked so hard to pass on to their boys was not only received, but passed on again.

The other image I had as I walked out to my car today was of Jesus and Kip just sitting on a cloud, looking down and watching Derry as he shared in the sanctuary. As he finished, I could almost see Jesus lean over and whisper in Kip's ear these words:

"Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

Kip then let loose his signature smirk, put his arm around Him, and said, "Let's go shoot some free throws....and I'll spot you a few this time, so maybe You'll win."

These images of Derry's parents are what I'll take with me along with passage he shared. I hope that I have lived a life that shows my parents that what they have passed on to me. I hope that I am also able to pass on those good things not only to my own children, but to those I have the opportunity to serve with and teach at The Compass and at church. More than that, though, I hope that I can make my Heavenly Father proud of passing on what He's passed to me through the lives and testimonies of my parents, friends, teachers, and others like Derry.

Here's hoping we can all take our batons and "pass it on" to someone else who needs to get in the race.

Thanks for "passing it on", Derry...

Funny Picture Friday Is Going On Hiatus...

I hate to say this, as this series is far and away the most visited portion of my blog, but I'm really struggling to find new pictures funny enough to post. In looking back over time, I've seen I've started to re-post one's I've used before. So, in the interest of keeping this segment fresh and funny, I'm going to give Funny Picture Friday a rest for the next month or two to allow me some time to find some pics worthy of getting you to laugh at. Thanks for reading, and I hope your day is going better than this cat's day was:



(Don't you love the face on the little kitty? It's like it's screaming a tiny "NOOOOO!"...and I can hear the dog going "Nom nom nom nom" and just a frustrated sigh from the big cat....and I guess I need to get out a little more often...)

Have a great long weekend!!

Leadership In The Church: Paul & I Take It On...

Here is a trustworthy saying:

If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.

Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self‑controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

(I Timothy 3:1-7, NIV)

This passage talks about the qualities needed to be a leader, or "overseer" in a church. I know this passage very well, as I was part of a group that worked to chance the leadership structure of my own church to an "elder board" format based on the qualifications listed above. It's a great list of strong character qualities, and if followed correctly, should leave you with people very capable of leading your church. I love Paul's take in this letter to Timothy, but I think he left some stuff out. From my experience, here's what I would add:

"I agree all of the above are needed qualities in a leader. You also must be willing to take a stand when necessary, no matter how unpopular that makes you. The right thing to do is always the right thing to do. You will receive criticism from both sides, making you wonder if there even is a "right way" to decide. Some will try to influence you to advance their own agendas, so take every request you get and filter it through prayer and time in the Word. You must hold each other and your staff accountable, even when it's awkward and uncomfortable. You are all in this together. There's nothing wrong with arguing a point behind close doors, coming to a resolution, and walking out united...if fact, that's necessary. We all need to be checked and balanced to avoid straying from God's will into our own, and you need fellow Christian leaders to come to you in love and set you back straight when needed. Understand that service in leadership in your church is a calling, not a power trip or popularity contest. You are the voice, ears, and heart of hundreds of your friends and family, and you are there to serve them and Him."

Like I've blogged about before, I've had some great moments in leadership...but I've made all the mistakes I've talked about above, too. I know there is a high personal price to be paid to lead, but I also know that the value of leading well and leading in His image is worth the cost. During my time in leadership, I experienced moments of joy and of great sadness and pain, but it changed my heart and attitude for the better, and I am better because of it.

It's easy to sit on the benches and criticize your leadership team if you don't like the way things are going. Remember that they are just like you, and have feelings just like you. If you've got an issue, take the time to sit down one-on-one with one of your leaders and share your concerns. Don't hash them out in the coffee shop, restaurant, or class party. Matthew 18 gives you the perfect way to handle conflict, both as a leader and a layperson. Above all, pray for your leaders...I know first-hand they need it.

Here's hoping we remember our leaders in prayer today.

Tony Dungy's Take on Michael Vick...

I was reading my Sports Illustrated this week when I came across this article written by Tony Dungy about his visit with Michael Vick right before he was released last week. You can click here to read it on the SI site, but I've decided to repost it here in its entirety because it was just so full of great stuff:

As I was preparing to visit Michael Vick at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kans., earlier this month, I got a phone call from Ron Freeman. His son Josh is the Kansas State quarterback who was the first-round pick by the Buccaneers last month. We had never met, but we spoke father-to-father. Ron asked me if I would call Josh and keep an eye on him as he was getting used to his new environment in Tampa, where I make my home. As we talked, I could tell Ron and his wife had done a great job in preparing their son, and Josh was probably one of the few NFL rookies who wouldn't need much mentoring. But his dad was going that extra mile for his son.

Then I went to see Michael. As I sat down with him at the table in the visitors' room, he looked just like many of the young men I have talked with in other prisons. I couldn't get over how young he still looked. I hadn't seen him in person since 2005, but his face looked the same. The Falcons' number 7 jersey, though, had been replaced by a tan jumpsuit with his inmate number on it. We talked for about two hours, and my message was the same one I've given hundreds of other inmates I've visited. "What you learn in life is the same thing you learn in football," I told Michael, who was scheduled to be released from prison this Wednesday to serve the final two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement. "You have losses, and you have to rebound from them. The key thing is, How do you bounce back from a defeat?"

In the two hours we spent together, Michael and I learned a lot about each other, and we made a commitment to stay in touch after he is released. When I left the prison, I found myself thinking: What if Michael, who says his father was not a positive influence on his household when he grew up, had had the same family support system that Josh had? Would he have ended up in this situation? I really don't think so.

That's one of the reasons I left the Colts a few months ago. People ask me all the time why I retired, and it wasn't from stress or burnout. In my mind I didn't retire from football as much as I was moving to something else. I wanted to do something to help the next generation of young people realize their potential. As a coach I was blessed to have developed a bond with many of my players. But I always felt that those who made it to the NFL were, for the most part, men who had gotten some good mentoring along the way. I wanted to reach out to young men who hadn't had the benefit of college and NFL environments.

I've always been drawn to young men and the issue of fatherhood because of the impact my dad had on me. I leaned on him for advice for 48 years, and he shaped me into the man I am today. I'll never forget being thrown out of a basketball game in ninth grade for fighting. (I know that's hard for people to imagine after watching me on the sidelines.) Afterward, my dad calmly told me how he saw it. "You let your emotions help your opponent instead of your own team," he said. "You have some talent, but you'll never be a great player until you get those emotions under control and use them for good." I listened to him, and that was the beginning of the "cool" Tony Dungy persona.

As a Christian, I follow the Biblical model of how a community should be structured—wisdom should be passed down from elders to juniors, and when that doesn't happen the results won't be good. That's why I'm concerned about the number of young men growing up without active fathers in their lives. This is an increasing problem all across society but especially in African-American homes.

It's ironic that, as I'm leaving pro football, one of the people I'm trying to help was once one of the NFL's biggest stars. But I'm concerned about Michael Vick's life, not his career. And Michael's future, just like those of thousands of other inmates around the country, is worth saving. Michael came into the NFL with a lot more fanfare than Josh Freeman but with less guidance. Does that excuse some of the mistakes he's made? No. And Michael certainly had the benefit of many support people in college and the NFL. But our decision-making processes are formed much earlier than that.

I firmly believe Michael deserves a second chance in life. I understand how appalling dog fighting is, and in no way do I condone it. But he was given a punishment that the court deemed appropriate, and now he exits prison having paid for that crime. It's time to let him bounce back after that loss. If we are willing to forgive Michael and take an honest look at the person who is leaving that prison, we might be surprised at what we see. We might see a man who says "I'm sorry" with his actions and not just his words. We might see a man who wants to get back to his three children and stop the cycle of young people growing up without a father to help them.

Least important, we might see him play football again. I'm not sure of the Michael Vick we would see on the field, but I believe we would see a very different person off the field. That's what would be exciting to me.

Wow.

I think this man, who I already respect so much, will have a much, much greater impact now that he's left the sport that made him famous. I know he, along with Los, got me thinking about Vick in a whole new way.

Here's hoping we can all find that kind of grace in our hearts for someone who desperately needs it.

"Making Saints Out Of Suck"...

Carlos Whittaker, a worship leader at Buckhead Church in Atlanta, has a great blog called Ragamuffin Soul. I appreciate Los and his honesty as he blogs about his walk with God, his thoughts as a father, and his transparency when he fails. It's one of my favorite reads. Today's post is another great one. He talks about the recent release of former NFL star Michael Vick from jail and takes a unique perspective on his future, including the use of the phrase that I've titled this post with.

I love his thoughts:

"God's in the business of making saints out of suck."

So simple, yet so profound.

Click here to read it for yourself.

Apparently, I Like Ellipses...

that's it...I just like to use them, apparently...looking down through the posts just on this page, I've used them on nearly every post title...I think it's a writing habit I need to break...don't you?

Last Day Of KFC...

We had our last class for KFC last night, which is the group of 4th and 5th graders I teach on Wednesday nights. We played a bunch of games to end the year, including watching 5 of them eat Kool-Aid straight from the packet, which is funny as anything if you've never seen it done before. After the games, we presented our 5th graders with Bibles, as they will be moving on to middle school ministry for the summer, then into 6th grade in the fall.

Even though there are some nights I'd like to strangle them all for not listening, this year's fifth graders were really dear to my heart. From Grace's compassion, to Nate & Marshall's ability to make any of us laugh, to Michael's rarely seen but heartwarming smile, to Libby's friendliness, to Abby & Malorie's smart answers and deep thinking, to Gabby's unexpected hug and "thank you" as she left last night, this group helped me redefine my thoughts on this age group. I truly feel that this age group sits right on the cusp between the last moments of true childhood and the start of becoming a young adult. As they move into the 6th grade they will be faced with issues far beyond their maturity level that they'll have to navigate. Kids will be meaner and will cut deeper with their words than they've ever experienced before. Most will have to decide to stand for what they believe for the first time without their parents right next to them.

Much of who they will become will be formed in the next three years, and those three years may just be some of the hardest of their lives. I know it was for me. I'm thankful I had the chance to get to know them, and, like each class that has left before, I'll be praying for them by name as they continue to grow and mature that they will continue to be strong and keep their faith and trust in Him.

I know most of you reading this are already praying for your own kids and grandkids, if you have them. I'd also encourage you to pray for those kids in your neighboorhood, your church, and your schools. Now, more than ever, schools are a battleground for the soul, and they need all the help they can get.

(If you attend WMC or any other church, I'm sure you can find a place to serve these kids, not just this age, but birth through graduation. Sure, sometimes it's tough and often it's thankless, but the chance to impact their lives in a positive way is an amazing opportunity to have. Prayerfully consider finding your place in children's ministry today.)

"May It Spread Rapidly..."

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.

(I Thessalonians 3:1, NIV)

During the time that Paul wrote these words to the church in Thessalonica, Christianity was growing exponentially. The missions of Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and other disciples to the Gentiles had brought God's love, acceptance and forgiveness to an ever increasing number of new people, and more and more accepted Christ each day. Paul's prayer request for the readers was simple: pray that God continues to honor their service and that His message spread rapidly. They wanted to reach as many as they possibly could with the "good news".

As I read this verse this morning, I wondered how I'm doing at spreading the message "rapidly". After a few moments of reflection, I decided that I stink at spreading it. People all around me every day need to hear and feel His love and grace, but often I'm too caught up in myself and my problems and issues to take the time to reach out to them. I can't use the excuse that I write here every day and maybe someone who needs to be encouraged or challenged stumbles across it and God uses it to help them. That would be fine, but I can't stop there and say that I'm doing all I can to spread the Word "rapidly".

Maybe I can take my time working with the 4th and 5th graders on Wednesday nights and the two afternoons I spend at The Compass, our after-school ministry, and call that spreading it "rapidly". After all, that's more than most do in our church. If I'm serving more than most of them, that's spreading it "rapidly", right? That's enough, right?

After some soul searching, that's not enough. I've been given an amazing gift, but I'm content just to keep it mostly to myself, while sharing it with just a few select people. I don't have to go halfway around the world...I've got a mission field right outside my front door, if only I just open my eyes, ears, and heart to it. I know it will cost me some time and effort, but isn't it a small price to pay for sharing this amazing gift with someone who desperately needs it?

Here's hoping I can spread His Word more "rapidly" today.

"You Want Me To Do What?!"

Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”

(Joshua 6:1-5, NIV)

Now, those of you that have read the Bible or have gone to church at some point in your life have heard the rest of this story. I used to love singing about the walls "come a-tumblin' down" as a kid, and just the story of a whole city's walls crumbling was, I thought, pretty cool. I think we've heard the story so many times, we miss something important.

I'm guessing when God told Joshua his plan to attack Jericho, his first thoughts weren't "Great plan!" but instead "WHAT?! YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" You see, Jericho just didn't have a little 2 foot wall around it...it was said to be 20-26 feet high all the way around, and only one heavily fortified gate in and out of the city. I'm sure Joshua not only had an army at his command, but the tools to break down the gate and storm the city themselves, instead of marching around for a week. Can you imagine what the soldiers thought? Walking around the city time after time, being made fun of by the people of Jericho, wouldn't you have just wanted to rush in and take them all out? I'd imagine it took great faith and patience to wait on God's timing to take the city, don't you?

See, to me, that's more the point of this story than the walls actually coming down. Joshua was obedient to what God wanted, and in doing so, he made sure his people understood that it was a "God thing", not something they did on their own. Sometimes God calls us to do things we don't understand or think we're any good at. I think He does this not only to keep us humble, but to show us that He can use us to do anything, if only we are willing to follow Him.

I don't know about you...but as much as I talk about following His lead, it's hard for me to actually hand over the steering wheel to Him. Here's hoping I can do better today.

365 Days of Purpose...

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

Live in peace with each other.

And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.

Test everything. Hold on to the good.

(I Thessalonians 5:11-21, NIV)

Christians always seem to be looking for what to do next. We tend to follow books and plans, preachers and teachers, moving from one 5 step process to the next. 40 Days of Purpose, The Prayer of Jabez, and many other movements fill out time and our pulpits. Don't get me wrong, there are many great things about these plans, and you can gain some great insight from them....the problem is when you rely on ONLY them. You may be really on fire during one of these things, but when it's over, most people just fall back into the same spiritual rut they were in before. Sure, Rick Warren and Bruce Wilkinson can write, but remember where they got the material from. The Bible is full of great ideas on how to live a life that honors God.

Take this passage for instance. I counted at least 15 things we should do in this letter from Paul to the Thessalonians. Things like be nice to each other, help the weak, don't seek revenge, pray often, and give thanks as much as you can. These are ideals we can live up to every day, without the help of those plans and programs. Like I've said over and over, there's so much to learn in this book, it's crazy...this is my 4th time reading through it, and I get some new insight every day.

So, instead of starting a new book, here's hoping we pick up this old, reliable one instead.

Proud Of My Boy...

This past weekend, our family drove a little north of Union, Michigan to a place called Camp Fridenswald to spend some time with her whole family. Though the weather was a little less than perfect, we still had a great time hanging out together. Yesterday morning, most of the kids wanted to go and play on the playground at the park. My son, however, wanted to hike on the wilderness trail.

I really didn't want to, but I could tell he really did, so I went. We walked and walked until we came to the end of the camp's property. We stopped and looked around, and noticed we were halfway around a lake that sits on the edge of camp. My son asked if we could just walk the rest of the way around it and back to camp instead of turning around. Thinking there was a road that surrounded the entire lake, I said yes...and thus began our hike.

Well, long story short...there was no road around the lake. We ended up walking over hills and valleys, curving back and forth until we finally found our way back to camp nearly 3 hours later. Later we went back and drove the route and found out it was a little over 9 miles that we had covered! Personally, I was spent when we returned. My feet were killing me, and my calves were cramping up...but I had a more overwhelming feeling than that pain...and it was pride in my son.

You see, it was his idea. At his age, once I realized how far it was going to be, I would have complained, cried, and basically thrown a fit and refused to walk another step. Cade didn't. If fact, he hung right with me even though my stride was almost twice as long as his. He kept joking, laughing, and asking questions. We talked about comic books, my time on the fire department, my scariest moment, and about all the wildlife we saw on our journey. He saw a possum for the first time (dead on the road of course!) and we saw vultures (or buzzards) perched on top of a silo searching for a meal. We saw deer tracks and more dogs than we could count.

I'll be honest...quite often when Cade's talking and asking questions, I don't give him my full attention. I may have one eye on the TV, or I'm trying to do something else, and I figure he won't notice. Yesterday, though, Cade had me for 3 hours with nothing else to distract me....and I really enjoyed it, sore feet aside.

When we got back to camp, I told him how proud I was of him not only physically for going that far, but for his great attitude, too. I don't think he stopped smiling all afternoon. I need to remember to take time and give that time to him regularly, time where he's got my full attention without distractions. I need to remember to affirm him when he does well, and not just yell and discipline when he fails.

This story may not mean much to you reading...sometimes, these posts are just for me...but I'm so proud of him, I just had to let it out today!

Congratulations, Boys!

I was on a extended family outing this past weekend, so I wasn't around to be at church yesterday. I wish I could have been, because we honored three young men that I think alot of.

Trevin Cripe, Josh Weldy, and Ben Richert were recognized yesterday for the completion of Knight's Quest, a journey developed for the 4th and 5th grade boys we teach on Wednesday nights. The quest involved gathering 20 signatures from people ranging from our pastor and staff, to teachers and siblings. Along the way, those boys had to memorize and explain lots of scripture, develop new relationships, and even serve others. They had to find and meet each of our elders, which was a great way for them to meet our leaders, and for our leaders to meet the boys. They spent time listening and learning from some great minds, ranging from our music directors to the most seasoned members of WMC. To gain their teachers' signatures, they gave up 5 recesses of playing with friends to go and read to younger children. I don't know about you, but when I was 10 or 11, I don't know if I would have given up my recess for anything, let along reading to little kids. The capstone of the project was having them write a letter to themselves about what they learned and what they want to change in their own lives, which we will mail back to them sometime this summer.

This "quest" was a lot of hard work for the boys. Yesterday, not only did we recognize the young men, but we presented them with this medallion:



This Celtic cross symbolizes their Christian faith coupled with being vigilant in the battle against the enemy. As these boys grow older, we know that they will be attacked from all sides, pressured to lay down their swords and give in...but we're hoping that this quest, along with some great parenting, will keep them on the narrow road, and help them to lead others to Him.

We talked quite a bit to the boys during this quest about "expecting a greater reward". I think they may have thought it would be a great, big, expensive gift, but we felt it was the experience of the quest, teaching them service, purpose, and perseverance.

So to Trevin, Josh, and Ben: Congratulations...You guys did great!!!

Live A "Quiet Life"...

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

(I Thessalonians 4:11-12, NIV)

I'll be honest...I've always wanted to make a "big splash" for God. You know...write a book that millions of people would read, or become a speaker that the world would tune in to watch, or be a great athlete that could give a testimony after winning the championship. I've often thought that if only God gave me a bigger platform, I'd be able to do amazing things for Him.

Problem is, I don't think I've been called to that life...very few are. Sure, you have your Max Lucado's and Billy Graham's, but for most of us, that's not what the plan is. God knows that those folk have reached thousands, if not millions, of people with God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness. He also knows that not everyone is touched in that same fashion. Many, many more lost souls just need the personal touch of one person, building a relationship first, then sharing the good news with them. That's why Paul spoke these words:

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

You see, we're not all called to be Paul...but we're called to be messengers of His love just the same. I will probably never be an author of a blockbuster book, but I can make an impact on those that cross my path daily with my words, actions, and acts of service.

Here's hoping I can live a "quiet life" that shouts His name today.

Funny Picture Friday....

This is a sign-themed edition....so off we go...

This one makes me hungry...



Now, if only I had a hammer to get the hammer...



I guess I'll have to re-think my disguise....



This is always a good idea, no matter if it's going to be closed or not...



Finally, my favorite....and I'm sure my wife would like this posted in our bathrooms at home and at work...




Hope your aim is true....and have a great weekend!

"They Are Not Just Idle Words..."

Moses came with Joshua son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them,

“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

(Deuteronomy 32:44-47, NIV)

This is the ending of the last teachings of Moses. Shortly after this message, he would be taken up on top of the mountain to see the "Promised Land" before he dies. In his final charge to the Israelites, Moses implores the people to continue to follow God's lead. He reminds them of how they were provided for when they did, and the consequences that happened when they didn't. He begged them not only to take his words to heart, but to teach it to their own children to avoid the pain and heartache they all had went through. Though this was moving in and of itself, what really got me was this line:

"They are not just idle words for you—they are your life."

You see, as I shared about over some of my last few posts, I looked at the Bible as just a collection of "idle words" for many years. They were good stories, to be sure, but it was old and not relevant anymore. Like I've shared before, I couldn't have been more wrong about that. There are so many lessons to be learned in the Bible. Lessons of courage, strength, perseverance, morality, compassion, and many other things. You read about those who came through heroically with God's help, and those who stumbled and fell without Him, just like I do. These words are not idle, and they will help to shape our lives if we only take the time to read them.

For far too long, I just went to church and Sunday School and thought that was enough time in the Word. Then, I got a short devotional that I could read in about 2 minutes each day, and thought that was enough...but it wasn't until I really started taking the time to not only read through the Bible, but to really look inside the verses and journal what it meant to me that it began to come alive.

Does it take some time? Yes.
Is it hard to make time to do it every day? Yes.
Is it possible? Yes.

I'm not perfect... I do miss days of reading, too, but in making regular time each morning, I've developed a habit of being in the Word that's made a difference in my life. If you're not already doing this, I challenge you to try it for a month. If you don't see a change in yourself, then you have my blessing to stop...but I don't think that will happen.

Here's hoping we all find life in what some see as "idle words".

Read The Instructions!

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.

It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”

No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

(Deuteronomy 30:11, NIV)

This is the end of Moses's speech to the Israelites. In it, he talks about what life will be like if they follow God, and what it will be like if they don't. After reading it, I think it would seem overwhelming to hear all of that at once, and I'd be wondering just how I'm supposed to stay on the right path to avoid those terrible consequences. I like how he put it in the passage above, and I think it still applies to us today.

You see, as a kid and even through high school, I treated the Bible like an encyclopedia. I'd never read it through, but I'd look up facts from time to time. Sometimes I'd flip to follow the preacher or teacher, and sometimes I'd play "Map Quest" with my friends. (This has nothing to do with the current website...we each had maps with guides in the back of our bibles. One of us would name a city on those maps and we'd have to be the first to find it and show it to them. Yep, we lived on the edge, didn't we?) It wasn't until I got to Taylor University that I actually read and learned about the Bible for the first time, seriously.

My freshman year I had to take a class on the Old Testament with Dr. House. I thought it would be the most boring class ever...but I was wrong. Dr. House was a great teacher, and really gave us the back story on the books and the stories and made it come alive to me as I read. I really enjoyed it, and I think it was my first college "A". In that class, I finally realized that the Old Testament just wasn't a bunch of genealogies, but a wealth of great teaching, moving stories, and many prophecies about the coming of Christ.

Don't get me wrong...I think it's great to get into your Bible however you do it. The fact that you read it at all is a good thing, I think...but I also believe you're missing out on some great stuff if you've never read it cover to cover. This is my second time through it in two years, and I learn a little something new every day. Not only does this increase my knowledge, but it also gives me those little tidbits I need to brighten my day, help me defeat temptation, and be able to witness and answer the questions of those that are seeking.

To me, it's like getting a 500 piece model kit and tossing aside the instructions, deciding just to "wing it" and hope that your battleship looks something like the one on the box. Would you do that? No, you spent the money for the model, and you want to do it right, so you'll read and follow the instructions...

So why do we take this incredible gift of God's grace, acceptance, and forgiveness and throw away the instruction manual so we can just "wing it" ourselves? Like Moses said, all the answers we'll ever need are contained right there in that book....all we have to do it take the time to read it.

Here's hoping we take the time to read our "instructions" today.

(If you want to get through the Bible in a year, YouVersion is a great tool to do just that. It has a daily reading plan, and you can click back and forth to different translations, and even parallel two of them. You can also see the posts of others about what that passage meant to them, just like you can see my daily posts. I'd highly recommend checking YouVersion out if you haven't already!)

My Thoughts On Youth Sports & Parenting...

This topic has been on my mind the last few days after reading this post by Jason Thompson and getting a message from Derry Prenkert, both about coaching, kids, and parenting. I've spent 16 years coaching junior high football at our local school, and in those many years I've not only learned about the game, but I've seen all styles of sports parenting, both good and bad. Let me share some things I've learned about how you can parent an athlete well, in my opinion:

1. Let them play because they want to, not because you want them to. This one seems so simple in my eyes, but I've had many kids come through our program that played only because Dad or Mom wanted them to. Maybe Dad was a star in school, or Mom thought it would help Junior's confidence, but you can spot them the first day of practice. They don't enjoy the game, they don't put forth much effort, and they could care less if they get any playing time or not. They just want to be on the team to make them happy. Understand this: I love football, and right now my son loves it, too...but if there comes a time when he doesn't, that's fine with me. I want him to be involved in a sport or activity that he loves, something he'll want to practice and improve at on his own, and something that brings him joy. If that's football, great...if that's drama or band, that's just fine, too.

2. Don't take it too seriously. I can't tell you how many kids I've seen have their love for football ruined because their parents take it too seriously. I've had dads ask me if they can bring their son's full pads and helmet home with them so they can run them through drills at the house because, in their words, "they need some extra work". (I didn't let them, if you're wondering...) I've seen dads come to practice every day, watch their sons like hawks, and critique them after each one. Again, these aren't pros being paid to play...they're 12 or 13 year old kids. Remember they pay us coaches to do the coaching...your kid would probably appreciate it if you're just his parent instead.

3. Don't be an idiot. Again, seems like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised. One year a kid's dad came into our locker room drunk after a game and took a few swings at me while berating me about his boy's lack of playing time. I've had a mom cuss me out in front of her kid for the same reason. I've had to go into the stands to tell a dad to stop cussing out HIS OWN KID for a fumble he lost. I don't know if I could have lost my job for that, but watching that boy cry his eyes out while listening to his dad just tearing him apart was too much for me to bear. Like I told him, if you're upset, yell at me...yell at the coaches. We're older and we have big shoulders and we can take it. Your kid already feels bad for letting the team and you down when he makes a mistake...and when you yell at them, they feel they let you down as a child, too. Not only do you upset them when you act like that, you embarrass them in front of their peers. There is a right way to handles questions and disagreements about playing time, mistakes, and game planning, and it's one on one, quietly with a coach, away from the field and the other kids. Oh, and that kid who's dad blew up in the stands? He never played football again after that season....

4. Don't overschedule your kids. When I was growing up, you basically had two thing you could do in the summer: either play park baseball or youth soccer. There wasn't anything else going on then, and no one played anything outside of the sport in it's regular season. Now, there's AAU teams for every sports, year round leagues for all sports and for all ages. If that's not enough, I think you're basically made to feel that your child will be left behind athletically if they don't play on every team offered, and that's too bad. By playing too much you can diminish a kid's love for a sport. With all these opportunities, a incoming high school freshman can have played as many games today as a graduating senior would have back 20 years ago. Some kids will just get sick of it and quit because they play too much. Also, you need to keep in mind that these kids are still growing. Most athletic movements, especially in baseball and softball, are tough on the bones, ligaments, and muscles of grown-ups, let alone kids. I've seen 12 year olds blow out ACL's and elbows, something that didn't happen back in the day. We're asking too much of them physically, and sometimes, their bodies can't hold up. Finally, with all the games and opportunities available, if we overschedule, we lose valuable family time. My kids are only in little league baseball this summer, and we have one night this week without a game. Losing the chance to sit down and eat a meal together and spend some time just hanging out is too valuable to me to give it up for 4 games a night in a sport. I'm not saying dump sports entirely, but I think we need to limit their involvement for these reasons...even if it's not what they want at the time.

5. Be a good role model. This one's been tougher for me. I'm the guy who used to scream and yell at referees when they blew a call. I would ride that guy up and down the field until I lost my voice. My first few years coaching I would get at least one unsportsmanlike penalty each season. Things changed when my son got old enough to understand why daddy got the yellow flag. I finally realized that if that's how I acted, how can I expect my players and my kids to be any different? I would pull a kid in a heartbeat for jawing with the refs, but I would ride them until I was penalized. It changed when I knew that before asking them to do something, I needed to show them first. So, if your kid is doing something on the field that you think isn't good, check yourself first to be sure they didn't get it from you...you may be surprised!

6. Have fun...and let them have fun. This is something I learned early on from my coaching partner and mentor, Steve Shively. I started helping coach right out of college, and I took it way too seriously. After we lost our first game, I was on the bus just steaming, and about the time we pulled out of the parking lot, the kids were acting like they just won by 50. Steve could tell what I was feeling and he leaned over and said this:

"Rob, you need to remember this one thing: they're not caught up in winning or losing right now. We put the pressure on them too soon to worry about that. Right now, they're just having fun playing a sport they love, and we're just here to teach them and help them to enjoy it enough to want to play next year. If you can get that, you'll really enjoy coaching at this level. If you can't, you won't make it through this season."

That was a eye-opener for me. For the next few years, I coached what we called the "B" team. Basically, we had so many kids we could make essentially a "JV" team. Most of the kids were not as physically mature or in shape as some of the others. It would have been easy to just set these kids aside and just focus all our energy on the "good kids"....but I came to quickly realize that these young men loved football just as much and worked just as hard, but they just weren't as strong or fast as the others. I grew to love coaching those kids and every year I would go to the first varsity game at the high school and be able to find at least 6-7 starters that were "B" teamers as seventh graders. See, if they enjoy their time even if their results on the field weren't great, they would play next year, and next year they'd be a little taller, stronger, and faster. You can ask my kids that I've coached and probably to a person, they all hated me the first few weeks. I'm hard on them and push them to do their best...but I also do it to gain their respect. Once we set the tone there, I'll pull back and we can have some fun, but they also know that when we're serious, they'll lock in and we'll go to work. I think it's worked out pretty well for us over these years. Just remember, having fun is the reason we all start playing sports to begin with...and as parents, we need to remember that, no matter the score.

7. Be there. Never underestimate the power of your presence at your child's games. I know you can't make them all, but do your best to be there when you can. My folks did, and it made a great impression on me. Even last night coaching my daughter's peewee team, we had a little guy that searched the stands between every inning until he found his dad, and he was so excited when he did. Whether your kid is the star or the benchwarmer, it means alot to them that you care enough to be there....so keep in mind as you sit in the rain and cold that they do notice your presence and appreciate it, no matter if they ever tell you or not.

(*Stepping off my soapbox*)

Above all, just remember to love them, win, lose, or tie. You do that, and you'll be just fine. So endeth my opus on this topic...

Who Jesus Came For...

Instead of my ramblings on a passage this morning, I came across this on More Than Dodgeball, Josh Griffin's great site and I thought it deserved sharing. It's the words of Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, from his sermon last Sunday:

Who Jesus Came For

In my study of Gospels, I made a list of the people Jesus came for:

Jesus came for the chewed up, crossed off, crying out

The dropped out, edged out, fizzled out, and freaked out

The have nots, the held back, hung over, and knocked around

He came for the left out, the loaded down, and looked over,

The locked up, led astray, laid off, and let down

The messed up and the mixed up

He came for the passed over, the picked on, put down, pinned down and pushed around

The ripped off, the run down and the run over

Jesus came for people who are screwed up and the shrugged off,

The shut in and shut out

The smashed up, the stacked against, and strung out

Our Savior came for the torn up, thrown away, and the turned off

Those who used up and walked over,

The washed out, the worn out, the wiped out, and the written off

He came for you. And me.

Counting The Cost...

"At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

Paul replied, “Short time or long–I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

(Acts 26:24-29, NIV)

In this passage, Paul is being taken through the Roman court system to be tried for his teachings. At each stop, they cannot find fault with Paul or the Gospel, and continue to send it up the chain of command to a higher authority. People can't understand why Paul continues to make a big deal out of this...even Agrippa says at the end of this chapter that he would release Paul, but Paul appealed to Caesar, leaving it tied up in the system.

I think I know why...Paul wanted to witness to the widest crowd possible. As a prisoner in the court system, Paul knew that he would be able to share God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness with those that would have never given him the time of day otherwise. He knew that risking his freedom would bring more to Christ, he counted the cost, and he did it.

Paul was willing to do almost anything to bring the message of hope to those who needed it. He was stoned, jailed, persecuted, and tried for his faith, but he never quit. He knew the love of God was such an incredible gift that he was willing to bear any cost to share it with those who didn't know Him.

Paul was that bold...and I'm afraid to share about God at all because I may be worried about what people think? Sure, I'll preach it in Sunday School...but will I talk about Him in the supermarket? Out for dinner? At work? Paul paid the price physically for following God...and often I will keep silent to avoid a little embarrassment. If I believe, really believe, in His amazing grace and ability to save, they why don't I share it with everyone I see? Something for me to ponder, to be sure...

Here's hoping I'm willing to count the cost and share His love today.

Funny Picture Friday!!

Off we go...


Pooh Bear, tired of repeated beatings and bullying by his older brothers as evidenced in the picture below, left his family to move to the Hundred Acre Wood, where he's lived happily for many years before being infected with the swine flu by his best buddy Piglet. (Poor little guy...)



Everything looks fine, doesn't it?...but notice the guy just out of focus to the right?....you can tell that's not going to end well...



Sadly, this was cool in the 80's...but, honestly, what we're we thinking?!



This is a honest ad looking for new employees....



Finally, my favorite...this one falls in the catergory of "If you need a sign to tell you this isn't appropriate, you shouldn't be leaving your house anyway..."



Remember, if you want to feed the crocs, just pick one of your kids you like the least...you don't want to lose a good one, right? :^) Have a great weekend!

Some Helpful Advice: WAKE UP!!

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.

Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.

Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don't be alarmed,” he said. “He's alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

(Acts 20:7-12, NIV)

Admit, you've been there.

The preacher's gone on for hours and hours now, with no end in sight. (Actually, it's only been 30 minutes, but that 10 minutes more than normal, so it feels like forever, right?) The temperature in the sanctuary is just a little too warm, and the pastor's cadence is beginning to lull you to sleep. You do your best to fight it off and think of things to keep you conscious. You may even do that little "head shake" to rattle your brain back in the game, but none of it is working.

Your head snaps up and you realize you drifted off for a bit. How long have you been out? Did the pastor see you sleeping? Did you snore? Have you slobbered on yourself? If it was just a few seconds, you'll be fine...but if you've been out for a while, it could be a problem. Better start thinking up an excuse right now...

Now, back to the passage. Eutychus, probably tired from getting beat up all day for having that odd name, was listening to Paul preach, probably there with his family. It was packed and hot, so ol' "Euty" sat in the window to catch what little breeze there was. Paul was leaving the next day, so he was preaching it. He didn't just go 10 minutes over....he went a couple of meals over. Eutychus was so tired he fell asleep in the window and fell three floors to his death. Normally, a tragic event like that would be the end of the service, but Paul just went down, brought the boy back to life, and kept right on preaching. You can bet every parent in there kept a close eye on their kids after that, and I'm guessing Eutychus had no trouble staying awake for the rest of the service.

Now, if you fall asleep in church and fall out of your chair, I doubt you'll need the miraculous healing like Paul gave, but you may inspire the pastor to preach longer, just as Paul did. So, if you want to beat the rush to the restaurant after service, stay awake and keep the eyes open of all those around you. Who knows, the embarrassment you save just could be your own.

(This concludes your public service announcement.)

(You don't expect them all to be deep theological posts, do you? Sometimes, you've just got to have some fun...hey, are you nodding off reading this?...WAKE UP!!!)

Mob Mentality...

About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen.

He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: “Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that man‑made gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”

When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater.

Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

(Acts 19:23-32, NIV)

I know this is kind of a lengthy passage to read, and you may be wondering why I picked this passage out to write about today. You may think that is was about the blacksmith who went against God to save his business...but it's not. You may think it's about Paul, and his defense of Christ to the people of this area...but it's not. It's about the very last verse of the passage. Here it is again:

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

Now, let's take that verse in context. The makers of the false gods and altars were upset that so many people were following the teaching of Paul and coming to Jesus. If this were to continue, they would lose much if not all of their business, and they would go broke. They decided to stir the people up in defense of the goddess Artemis to drive Paul and his companions out of the area. They even kidnapped Paul's friends to drive the point home! Soon the whole city was going crazy, and Paul wanted to defend himself and his God against their charges. His friends feared for his life. Even the city officials warned Paul not to step into this hornet's nest. A bad situation, to be sure, but let's look at that last verse one more time:

The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.

Most of the people didn't even know why they were there. That's what you call a "mob mentality". People get swept up in a moment and join in a cause they really know nothing about, but they just follow the crowd along. They don't want to miss out on what their friends were doing, so they jumped in, not even knowing what was going on.

We hear most often about "mob mentality" during riots and coups, mostly in other countries, but sometimes in our larger cities. The LA riots in year's past following the Reginald Denny beating was a prime example of that. We'd like to think that we wouldn't stoop to that silly of behavior...but we often do.

See, as Christians, I think we succumb to the "mob mentality" more often than we'd like to admit. We see a cause some one's fighting for, and since they call it "Christian", we'll jump in to back them up, but have no idea what the cause is really all about.

We're quick to cheer people blocking the door to an abortion clinic, but who of us will take the time to volunteer to get to know those young, pregnant girls and build a relationship to share God's love for her and her child? We'll sign online petitions all day to denounce same-sex marriages, but do we ever reach out to someone trapped in that and offer them the unconditional love of God and His gift of grace, or is it too easy just to hate and ignore them? We'll see the injustice and hunger all around the world and nod our heads solemnly when asked to help, but never put our time or money behind those efforts to feed and save those children and families.

We're great at being part of the "mob"...but often we stink at really understanding what God wants us to do and making a difference. Jesus didn't sign petitions, He didn't march, He didn't carry a sign, and He didn't scream and shout at them. He met them right where they were and brought God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness to them, no matter their circumstances, lifestyle, income level, or past history.

If we want to bring people to Jesus, we've got to step out of the "mob mentality" and make it real and personal,to be "Jesus with skin on". Unlike the "mob" in the passage today, here's hoping we know what we're here for...and we do it.

Religious Vs. Relationship...

Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said:

“Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: To an Unknown God. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’

(Acts 17:22-28, NIV)

It's easy to be religious.

All you have to do is claim to be. You can talk about it, wear a cross, go to church regularly, or, sometimes, be born or marry into a church. Being religious is a lifestyle, a way of thought, and a manner of presenting yourself. No matter what you believe in, you can be religious about it if you believe strongly enough in it.

The church in Athens was religious. In fact, they were so religious they decided to worship any and all gods that were known at that time. Makes sense, right? If you're not sure who the real God is, just worship all of them and you'll be covered! They even had a an altar to an unknown god, just in case they forgot one. That's pretty smart, don't you think?

The Athenians thought that being religious would cover their sins and take care of them...but Paul set them straight. He told them about the one true God, the one who set the stars in the sky and everything in the land and sea. He told them that despite being so religious, they were missing Him entirely. So what do the Athenians need to do to find God? Do they need to build more altars? Go to church more? Wear more crosses? Nope...read Paul's words again:

"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

Isn't that amazing? No matter what we do to try to "earn" our salvation, it is all meaningless, just like the many altars of the church in Athens. All God wants us to to is to reach out to Him and we will find Him. It's about relationship, not works. I know, our works and actions show our faith to others, but it's got to start with that personal relationship, or all the other stuff is just religion.

A survey in US News & World Report says that only category that's growing in a survey taken of people's religions is the group titled "None". If you didn't catch that, the number of people claiming to be religious is dropping as more and more people don't claim it at all.

My take? I think we spend way too much time and effort trying to be "religious" and way too little time building our relationship with God. I think in our quest to be "religious" but not really living it, we show our hypocracy to those seeking answers, and they turn away from God's open arms, thinking that we're no different with God than they are without Him...and sadly, quite often, they're right. A life that reflects Him, truly being "Jesus with skin on" in our everyday walk...that is watch draws the desperately lost to a relationship with Him, not our crosses, our pious talk, and our church attendance.

If I seemed a little harsh today, understand this post was more for me than any of you reading it. Growing up in church, I'm far too good at being religious because it requires much less effort than being in relationship with Him. Here's hoping I can be a little more like Paul today.

My Thoughts On Going Pro...

Jeremy Tyler, a 17 year old phenom out of San Diego, has decided not only to forgo his college eligibility, but also his senior year of high school to go and play professional basketball overseas for two years until he's eligible for the NBA draft. This decisions has sent shockwaves through high school administrators and college recruiters, and they fear if Tyler is successful, many others will follow. What do you think? Well, here's what I think.

On one hand, regardless of how silly I think it sounds, you can't begrudge the kid wanting to make a living at what he's trained his whole life for to this point. Yes, getting a diploma is good, but making six figures gives you the opportunity to do it later. I mean, let's be honest...you're a high school junior, and Microsoft comes into your classroom and offers you $300,000 a year for two years, guarenteed, but you have to go now and miss your senior year of high school. Honestly, would you turn that down? I wouldn't either. If Tyler stays and is injured his senior year, that may eliminate any chance he has to play professionally, so why take that chance? If they want to pay you, go and take that money and play...

On the other hand, he's still 17. He's not mature, no matter what his father or anyone else will try to tell you. He'll be a foreigner in a strange land, playing with men. He'll be a young kid with lots of money and no supervision, which is normally a bad combination. Josh Childress left the Atlanta Hawks last year to sign with Olypiakos out of Greece for more money. He's 25 and has talked repeatedly about how hard the life is over there. Brandon Jennings was a non-qualifier academically last year out of high school who went pro in Europe, and is currently riding the pine, averaging about 3 points a game. Sure, there's a chance that Tyler may pull it off, but I fear there's a much bigger chance that he fails and is left with nothing, and no education.

So, what do you do? Do you allow kids to leave high school and chase their dreams, at the risk of sacrifing their futures? Or do you bar them from making that jump, and understand you are restricting their ability to earn a living doing what they love, no matter their age?

See, when you really look at it, it's a tough call. If it were my kid, I'd want him to stay in school...but I could understand why he wants to go. What do you think?

We Just Disagree...

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.

They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

(Acts 15:36-41, NIV)

Paul & Barnabas...what a team.

If you read the book of Acts, you'd see that these two did a amazing job of reaching the Gentiles for Christ. It seemed everywhere they went, more and more were making the decision to follow Him. Though they faced some persecution, they seemed to be going along great until the events in the passage above. Paul wanted to go back and visit some of the towns they had been to before and see how they're doing in their new faith. Barnabas agreed, but he wanted Mark to come with them. Paul disagreed, saying Mark had a chance before, and left them, probably because it was too hard. Barnabas wanted to extend Mark some grace, but Paul was having none of it. Finally, after realizing that neither one would budge, they decided to break it up, and both went their separate ways.

You may think that's a shame...but look at the next verse. Did Paul and Barnabas spent the rest of their days just tearing down each other, unwilling to give up the upper hand? Did they fight for territory and followers? No, they found new partners in ministry, wished each other well, and went on about the business they were called to: to share God's love, acceptance, and forgiveness with the world.

In the church, I think we too often use disagreements as reasons to divide ourselves and lose our focus on Him. I understand in matters of accordance to Scripture or theology that we need to be on the same page, but too often we fight about music, style, decorations, and many other things that have no eternal value. We blow them up to monumental size and spent all of our effort fighting each other, all the while ignoring a lost and desperate world right outside the doors of our church.

We need to understand that though we may disagree on some things, we all agree that we need to be "Jesus with skin on" to a world that desperately needs Him. We need to live a life that draws others to Him, not pushes them away. We need to let go of those things we've been holding on so tightly to and join together to follow Him.

Here's hoping that we can agree to disagree, and get on with the lives He's called us to.

For Amy, Aaron, Ann, & Andrew: Funny Picture Monday!!

Friday was a crazy day for me....every time I got something done, two more things that needed my immediate attention popped up! So, my apologies to the Bennett clan, but off we go:

Now, that's an epitath...and I want that on my headstone:



You know, I always wondered, but this confirms it:



If you can't read the ad, it says "Test your handling skills"...and every guy wants to try it, while every girl just doesn't understand why we want to...



Finally, my favorite....it just makes me chuckle every time I look at it...



Hope you're not doing it wrong, and I hope you have a great week!!

Movie Review: "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

Well, it was OK. Not terrible, but not great. If you're a fan of the X-Men series, basically this film was a decent prequel. You get the back story not only of Wolverine, but of many of the other characters as well. It's a popcorn movie, of course, so don't go into it expecting a great plot and stellar acting. Some of the special effects were a bit cheesy, and many characters like Deadpool and Gambit, were vastly underused, but it was a film about Wolverine. That being said, it's not bad, but not that good either. If you're going to take the kids, wait for the dollar theater or rent it. I give it a medicore "Rob-approved" rating...go see it or don't...either way, you're OK.

(Fox, you can mail me that check for my ringing endorsement of your film now...)

It's All About Love...

How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

(Song of Solomon 1:15, NIV)
I've got to admit something here....I still don't completely get this book. Some say it's about sex, some say it's about love...and don't get me started on the comparisons. So far, in chapter one, the two lovers compared each other to a horse, potpourri, flowers, doves, and the beams of a house. (Here's a tip, guys: Don't ever tell your wife she's sturdy like your house...I don't imagine that will end well..)

Though I don't completely understand all that may have been intended by Solomon when he wrote this book, I do understand that the basis of it is all about relationship. Whether you look at it as a couple on their wedding night, or take it as an analogy of us and God as "Lover" and "Beloved", it's all about how much they love each other. They seem to be intoxicated with the presence of one another, and can't bear to be apart. They just seem to be drawn to each other...

The marriage analogy is a great one for our relationship with God. Like a dating relationship, at first we're on fire and can't wait to serve Him. We'll pray often, and do our best to follow His lead. Then, after a while in that relationship, we'll begin to take Him for granted. We aren't as excited about spending time in His word, and sometimes, those Sunday "dates" become something we'd like to skip. Eventually, we'll just stop wanting to hang out at all, just preferring God to "stay in the kitchen" unless we need Him for something.

Sounds like a pretty bad relationship, doesn't it? In class yesterday, we talked about what love really meant. We came up with terms like commitment, sacrifice, and many others, none of which involved the "smushy" feelings of first love. Real love is sticking through it, even when it's hard. I love my wife, but I think I didn't fully understand the meaning of true love until we had kids.

You know what I mean: the kind of love that gets you up in the middle of the night to rock them back to sleep for the 4th time...the kind of love that gets you to read the same book 14 times in a row...the kind of love that makes you discipline them, even though it breaks both your hearts...the kind of love that fills your heart with pride and joy when you see them "get it right" on their own...the kind of love that you lets you know that no matter what they do, you will always love them.

Problem is, as much as we love our spouse and kids, we forget that the same kind of love is available to us. Not just from our significant others, but from God. No matter how far we've ran from Him, it's never too far. He's always there, with outstretched arms, ready to welcome us back to the relationship.

We don't have to earn it or qualify...all we have to do is accept it....but sometimes, we're so overcome with guilt that it's hard to even do that. That's why I love the story of the prodigal son, and why I'm thankful each day for God's love, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Here's hoping you find your way back to Him today.