Insanity

I suppose that insanity can be defined a number of different ways…

I define it by these simple terms…

six teenage girls, my wife, seven cats, two rats, and me…

all in the house, and still awake…

I know what you are thinking, why?

Answer:  I have no idea why I agreed to girls night but I guarantee I will be fixing breakfast at about 7am and singing, “Time to wake up girls!!”

(evil laugh)

OK, not really, but it would be funny.

Anyway, I am not exactly sure how or why Jamie and I got tied back into the youth, but we are loving it.  These teens are awesome, I just pray they keep growing in the Lord and impact the Kingdom for Him.

OK, I gotta go, it’s getting out of hand…

Youth Camp Canoe 2008

I would be remissed if I did not write about this situation in my life.

My wife and I took six kids from the youth group camping and canoeing this last weekend (Thurs-Sat), and it was one of the greatest weekends I think my wife and I have experienced.

I have to brag on these teens that went, they were simply put….amazing.

For those of you who have gone on a trip that involves teens and not being at home can attest that it can be very difficult.  The drama, the arguing, the emotions, it can really get crazy. 

Not so with this group of six.

They were kind and compassionate with each other, no arguing, and no drama.  They just helped when help was needed and encouraged each other each day.  I got to witness Christ at work in their lives.

We had a 2-3 hour conversation on Friday night that they started and kept going.  It was about God and the Bible, the church and its direction, their thoughts and feelings about the past and future. 

amazing….

I felt honored and privileged that they allowed Jamie and I to be a part of it.

So thanks go to Andie, Ashley, Dana, Dominic, John, and Will.

Our God Reigns

Horseshoes

I’m not sure how many of you have played the game horseshoes but it is pretty fun and easy.  It consists of taking a horseshoe, throwing it at a post in the ground, and who ever gets the closest gets a point (or something like that).  Well, my wife and I bought a set of horseshoes to take with us when we go to BBQ’s and camp outs for some impromptu fun with friends.  We used them once and I put them in the back of my truck (in the cab) to bring home. 

 

Thus, the point of my blog today.

 

So, I have these horseshoes in the cab of my truck behind my seat and every time I hit the gas or the brake they make a horrible clanking noise.

 

I hit the gas to take off, clank.

I hit the brake to stop, clank.

I hit the gas, clank.

I hit the brake, clank.

 

Clank, clank, clank, clank!

 

The sound is about to drive me insane (I know, short trip, haha).  Every time they hit together I say to myself, “stupid horseshoes.”

 

Here’s the kicker, they have been in my truck for, oh, I don’t know, a year?!?!

 

Yea, who is dumb now, the horseshoes or me?  No comment on that please (lol).

 

I know what many of you are thinking; just take the horseshoes out of your truck.  The problem is this, about the time I get home, I forget all about it until I take off the next day (I’m hoping this helps me remember).  I know I need to do it, I just forget, mainly because I do not make it a priority.

 

I think that is like spiritual discipline for Christians.  We think to ourselves; hey, I need to read my Bible.  But then when we get to a point where we can, we don’t.  We have great intentions about praying for people then we let it slide.   We want to encourage others and forget.

 

Reading, praying, and encouraging other are obvious things we need to do, as obvious as taking the horseshoes out of my truck.  We just need to make them priority in our lives and then we will see things happen.

 

Loving God, Loving People, Changing the World

The Right Thing

So, how many of you like to do things poorly?

 

I mean, you really take pride in a job not well done…

 

Probably not many of you, in fact, I would venture to say none of you.  Doing things poorly is not what we strive for, yet, it happens.

 

Inevitably we try something new and we are horrible at it, or at least not good at it.  Here are a few examples:

 

The Beatles were turned down by the Decca Recording Company who said “we don’t like there sound”

 

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

 

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper that told him that he lacked imagination and had no original ideas.

 

Abraham Lincoln was defeated in eight elections.

 

You see, people aren’t immediately good at everything they do.  It takes hard work, determination, and practice to become truly great.

 

So I wonder why Christians say “I’m not sharing my faith because I’m no good at it,” or, “I would live like I am supposed to but I keep failing.”

 

That just does not make sense to me.  It seems that what we need is more practice instead of just quitting.  After all that is what it takes to become great, isn’t it?  Practice?

 

Sometimes doing the right thing poorly is better than not doing it at all.

 

So no more excuses, let’s practice to become great at doing the right things well.

 

Loving God, Loving People, Changing the World

Crowded Elevators

Have you ever been in a crowded elevator?

 

Like, crowded to the point you can barely keep from touching the person next to you?

 

It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it?

 

The funny part is there is usually no conversation happening.  Everyone just stares straight ahead or at the numbers as the elevator creeps from floor to floor.  It seems like the longer you are in there the more uncomfortable it gets, but everyone just keeps staring forward determined not to acknowledge the existence of the others on the ride.

 

Sure, every once-in-a-while someone will make a comment like “have a nice day” as someone leaves, or “sure is slow” to try and get a laugh, but for the most part it is stare straight ahead and get off as quickly as possible.

 

I think that is how most Christians have become in the US.

 

They are out in the world, surrounded by people without Christ, yet stare straight ahead and refuse to acknowledge the needs around them.

 

Sure, the may offer a “God bless you” as they leave a store or even a “praise God” when something good happens, but for the most part it is stare straight ahead and try not to offend anyone.

 

I really think it has to stop.

 

It is time to take our jobs seriously and start sharing our faith using truth and mercy with the people around us.  The church meeting is a time to recharge; our mission is in the world sharing our faith with those who do not know Christ.

 

It’s time to acknowledge the people around you.

 

Loving God, Loving People, Changing the World!

Wind

The last couple days here have been pretty windy.

 

It reminded me of growing up in Southern California when the Santa Ana winds would blow.  For those of you who do not know what the Santa Ana winds are they are strong, extremely dry offshore winds that characteristically sweep through in Southern California and northern Baja California in late fall and winter according to Wikipedia.  I remember being a kid at school and would throw our jackets up in the air and watch them stick to the top of a chain link backstop.  The wind was blowing so hard that they would just stick there. 

 

It was way cool…

 

Have you ever heard anyone, perhaps standing at a window, exclaim, “Wow!  Look at the wind!”  I was thinking about how strange that statement is for one main reason;

 

You can’t see wind…

 

Now, you can see the effects of wind, in the trees, on the grass, dirt flying around, etc, but you can’t see the wind.

 

I guess it is kind of like our faith…

 

No one can see it; all they see are the effects…

 

James 2:18 says:  “Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

 

Now I am not saying that works is what saves you, salvation is by faith alone, but the only thing that shows others you are saved are the effects of your faith.

 

The things you do, the things you say, and the way you act.

 

So I wonder, does our faith have enough impact to make a jacket stick to a backstop, or is it nothing more than a slight breeze that passes by without notice?

 

Let’s start letting our faith show.

 

Loving God, Loving People, Changing the World!

Messy Kitchen Solutions

 

The kitchen is messy…

 

I mean like right now, I’m looking at it….

 

Now, I am aware that most of you have perfectly clean kitchens, the kind that has no trace of dishes in the sink and not a scrap left from last night’s dinner. 

 

However, with me, not so.

 

The kitchen is messy…

 

Not overwhelmingly messy, mind you, but messy enough to be annoying.  The worst part is and I quote, “no, don’t worry about it honey, I’ll clean it tonight.”

 

Those were my words to my wife last night.  So, I figure I have a few options.

 

One – blow the kitchen up.  Probably not the best option as I fear what it would do to the rest of the house.

 

Two – wait a really, really long time and see what happens.  Maybe the kitchen will disappear if I ignore it.

 

Three – hire someone else to clean it.  That admittedly would be pretty cool, except it is only a one-time solution because I am sure it will get dirty again.

 

Four – clean the kitchen.  Certainly not the most exciting option and it will require some work to maintain, but overall probably the best solution.

 

So, I wonder if our lives are like kitchens, and the mess that accumulates is like sin. 

 

We try all kinds of way to avoid the problem of sin, yet sometimes it persists.  We ignore it, thinking that it will just go away on its own.  Others may have other people come in to see if they can help them clean it up yet put forward no effort on there own.  While yet some, may say forget it, I’m blowing it all up and go crazy with there life.

 

I think the solution is the hardest one.  It takes work, dedication, and commitment.  How easy is it to keep a kitchen clean if you clean as you go and ensure it is spick and span before bed?  It’s a lot easier than if you let it accumulate.  Same way with sin, ask Christ to cleans you as you go instead of waiting for crisis.  If you find something in your life that is dishonoring to God, ask Him to get rid of it, don’t wait.

Noise

My wife and I have a cat named Orange Juice, yes, he is orange (the really ironic part is the fact that he is diabetic).  He has developed a somewhat disturbing habit…

He enjoys making noise…

His latest escapades involve the cat box.  He goes in there, does his business, and then starts scratching around on everything trying to cover the evidence.  He scratches the side of the cat box, the side of the toilet, the top of the toilet, on some shelves, he even scratches on the walls.  This makes a horrible amount of noise and lasts for what seems to be hours.  The worst part is, he is completely ineffective!  He scratches everywhere but in the litter box.

Most recently, during one of his scratching tirades, I just about couldn’t stand the noise any longer and yelled, “JUICE!”  To which, of course, he kept scratching and my wife replied, “oh, let him be.”  Of course my reply to that was, “If it was doing any good it wouldn’t bother me, but all he is doing is making a lot of noise but not accomplishing anything!”

That’s when it hit me…

Making a lot of noise but not accomplishing anything…

Sounds like some of our churches today.  Some churches go around making a lot of noise without accomplishing anything.  That is like someone saying they love the Lord but their life hasn’t changed since the day they were saved.  We have to be so cautious about making noise just for the sake of it.  Let’s strive to make a lasting impact in the areas we minister starting with our own lives.  People will see the difference and listen.

Love God, Love People, Change the World

3,190

You may have looked at the title and thought, “what on earth is 3,190?”

Well, that number, my friends, represents the number of miles Captain drove on his vacation with his family… 

3,190 miles with the wife and kids on board…

Which begs the question, how far is too far?  Or, is that really a vacation?  Or possibly, who is this Captain guy and what on earth was he thinking?  Or even, if you know Captain, those poor kids and his poor wife! 

Anyway, enough of that, back to the original question…

Just how far is too far?  I suppose that is for each one of us to decide.  As far as I am concerned, take a plane.  But, in Captain’s defense, the point was to drive around the North East and see historical sights… 

Whatever…

So, Captain loves his family enough to take a 3,190 mile road trip to build family memories.  Pretty cool in my book.

So, how much do we Love the Lord?  Enough to take a 3,190 mile road trip?

I think most of us would say, “yes!”  So put the math to it.  Say you average 60mph, 3,190 miles would last 53.17 hours.  I suppose that is not too much to ask.

But what about a life long journey?  One that is all day every day…

The kind of journey that you give your whole life for…

I hope you realize that is exactly what Jesus did for us.  Only His journey lead Him down a dirt road, to a hill, where he died for us.  People say you can get carried away with Christianity and they’re right, carried away to hill and killed.

So, how far is too far?

Power Outage

We had a major storm last night, which made me think about power outages and a conversation I had with one of the individuals who goes to PHBC.

Have you ever noticed how inconvenient power outages are?

I mean, it’s like nothing works.  Try as you may, nothing will turn on.  That was part of the discussion, have you ever tried to turn on the light switch, say in the bathroom, while the power is out?  You walk in, flip the switch, and then go “oh yea, the power is out.”  How many times have you done that?

It got me thinking though…

We are really trained and condition to hit that switch every time we walk through the door.

Do we ever get that way with church?

You know, walk through the door, flip the switch, and go on about our business.  I think we do sometimes, it’s business as usual, par for the course, not even realizing the power is out.  We get our power from God, and we can’t just turn Him on and off like a switch.

We have to prepare to meet God, it is an attitude of the heart not something that should be taken lightly.

God wants to fill us with power and be the source of strength in our life, every day, all the time, not just Sundays.  So lets all ensure that we are plugged into the power source every day instead of just trying to flip the switch occasionally.

Love God, Love People, Change the World