Our church is currently in the midst of a series called "Invasion: I Love My Church!" The premise is this: our pastors just show up at members' homes unannounced with a video camera and interview them about why they love their church. If you have time, I'd really encourage you to check out these stories.
Well, the Tulsa Campus LifeGroups Pastor, Aaron Swensen, took it to a whole new level by invading LifeGroup Leaders or members and asking them why they love their LifeGroup. So, with that said, here is the video of Michele and myself being invaded by Aaron. By the way, the videographer is a guy named Bill Aycock. He's a real cool guy and super talented.
I pray you catch the message of this video: God is a MULTIPLIER! He loves to take something small and MULTIPLY it exponentially. Our campus is just one example of this. Others are 5 loaves and 2 fish. small, then LARGE. The widow's flour and oil supply. small, then LARGE. The Acts 2 church. small, now LARGE.
So, what "small" thing can YOU offer to God so that He might MULTIPLY it?
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
For Those Who Weren't There......
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could
have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually
in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and
again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming,
but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who
spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows,
in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the
worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who knew neither victory nor defeat."
the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could
have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually
in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood,
who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and
again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming,
but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who
spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows,
in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the
worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who knew neither victory nor defeat."
-Theodore Roosevelt (emphases mine)
This past Monday night I led a "class" of men from my church in a discussion about this very quote. I challenged each and every one of them with these thoughts:
- Every man has an "arena."
- The "arena" is for testing.
- Many men avoid the "arena" because of fear of failure.
So, I challenged them to consider this quote I read in Craig Groeschel's new book "It" (provided by my boy Scott Williams from the N-Dub! Thanks again, buddy!):
"Failure is the tuition you pay for success." - Walter Brunell
I don't know Wally, but that guy has it all figured out! We have to change the way we view "failure." Now, I'm not saying we should rush out and fail, fail, fail. What I am saying is we should be willing to risk failure to experience our "triumph of high achievement."
What about you? What's your "arena?" More importantly, are you in it?
Thoughts about Temperature and God
Now that it's starting to get a little chilly outside, I've noticed something. In my car, I have a digital display that tells me the temperature both outside and inside the car. The other day I noticed it was a chilly 43 degree morning. As I started my car, the air conditioner was already pre-set on 68 degrees from the day before, when the outside temperature was in the 70s. What struck me was this - the day before 68 degrees felt cool, but on that particular morning it felt warm. What gives?
It's not that suddenly overnight 68 degrees changed it's mind and decided "Hey, tomorrow I'm gonna be a warm 68." No, 68 degrees is a constant. 68 degrees is 68 degrees all year round. So what changed? What changed is the environment by which I experienced 68.
God is like 68 degrees - He is constant. Our perception of Him, however, can change much like the temperature. Sometimes it seems as if my relationship with Him is hotter than the surface of the sun itself. Other times, He has seemed as cold and distant as the planet Pluto. What changed? Not God.
Have your times with God become stale? Change the environment. Have your prayers become routine? Change the environment. Has your "family time" become uninspiring and lost its originality? Change the environment. When the temperature dipped into the 40s, I experienced 68 degrees in a whole new and fresh way. Why? Because the environment changed. The same can happen with your relationship with God. Try it!
It's not that suddenly overnight 68 degrees changed it's mind and decided "Hey, tomorrow I'm gonna be a warm 68." No, 68 degrees is a constant. 68 degrees is 68 degrees all year round. So what changed? What changed is the environment by which I experienced 68.
God is like 68 degrees - He is constant. Our perception of Him, however, can change much like the temperature. Sometimes it seems as if my relationship with Him is hotter than the surface of the sun itself. Other times, He has seemed as cold and distant as the planet Pluto. What changed? Not God.
Have your times with God become stale? Change the environment. Have your prayers become routine? Change the environment. Has your "family time" become uninspiring and lost its originality? Change the environment. When the temperature dipped into the 40s, I experienced 68 degrees in a whole new and fresh way. Why? Because the environment changed. The same can happen with your relationship with God. Try it!
The Apocalypse is Upon Us! #2
A continuation from this post...
Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 were letters from Jesus addressed specifically to 7 different churches which existed at the time the Apostle John was alive. In effect, we are getting to read Jesus' emails to each of these churches. Here's a brief synopsis of what each letter said:
Ephesus:
Jesus chastised this church because it had "departed from your first love." The original Greek word for departed literally means "divorced." Basically, this church had become spiritually complacent.
Smyrna:
This is the first church Jesus doesn't admonish. Jesus warns this church of coming persucutions and encourages them to remaing strong and faithful. Their reward will be the crown of life - eternal life untouched by spiritual death.
Pergamum:
This church had within it certain people who claimed to be Christ-followers but were participating in idolatry and sexual sins. Christ warned this church to repent or face judgement. Those who repented would be rewarded by Christ Himself.
Thyatira:
Like Pergamum, this church had serious problems. Specifically, a woman "prophetess" was leading its members into idolatry and sexual immorality. Jesus announced his judgement upon these individuals was coming soon unless they repented. For those who did, Jesus would reward them.
Sardis:
This church was on the verge of becoming spiritually dead. They were a hypocritical church - longing for the recognition of being Christ-followers but severely lacking in living it out. Jesus warned them to repent or else.
Philadelphia:
This is the second church that Jesus doesn't admonish. They were being obediant despite being persecuted. Jesus encouraged them to remain strong and promised them victory over those persecuting them. He also promised to spare them from "the hour of testing" the rest of the world will have to endure.
Laodicea:
This church was full of self-pride. They were a wealthy, prosperous community and had become too dependent upon material possessions instead of Christ. Jesus pleaded with this church to humble itself and repent.
To sum it all up, the word "repent" was repeated seven times. Jesus makes it plain He will not tolerate a complacent attitude towards sin in His Church. This reminds me I need to do the same in my life. I think our churches do a great job of preaching the grace and mercy of Christ, but a lousy job of preaching about our personal responsibility to turn from sin daily. It's as if the word repent has become a Christian's curse word or something. Repentance takes time, sometimes a lifetime. The point is to be continually in the process. And for those who overcome, the reward will be worth it!
Thoughts?
Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 were letters from Jesus addressed specifically to 7 different churches which existed at the time the Apostle John was alive. In effect, we are getting to read Jesus' emails to each of these churches. Here's a brief synopsis of what each letter said:
Ephesus:
Jesus chastised this church because it had "departed from your first love." The original Greek word for departed literally means "divorced." Basically, this church had become spiritually complacent.
Smyrna:
This is the first church Jesus doesn't admonish. Jesus warns this church of coming persucutions and encourages them to remaing strong and faithful. Their reward will be the crown of life - eternal life untouched by spiritual death.
Pergamum:
This church had within it certain people who claimed to be Christ-followers but were participating in idolatry and sexual sins. Christ warned this church to repent or face judgement. Those who repented would be rewarded by Christ Himself.
Thyatira:
Like Pergamum, this church had serious problems. Specifically, a woman "prophetess" was leading its members into idolatry and sexual immorality. Jesus announced his judgement upon these individuals was coming soon unless they repented. For those who did, Jesus would reward them.
Sardis:
This church was on the verge of becoming spiritually dead. They were a hypocritical church - longing for the recognition of being Christ-followers but severely lacking in living it out. Jesus warned them to repent or else.
Philadelphia:
This is the second church that Jesus doesn't admonish. They were being obediant despite being persecuted. Jesus encouraged them to remain strong and promised them victory over those persecuting them. He also promised to spare them from "the hour of testing" the rest of the world will have to endure.
Laodicea:
This church was full of self-pride. They were a wealthy, prosperous community and had become too dependent upon material possessions instead of Christ. Jesus pleaded with this church to humble itself and repent.
To sum it all up, the word "repent" was repeated seven times. Jesus makes it plain He will not tolerate a complacent attitude towards sin in His Church. This reminds me I need to do the same in my life. I think our churches do a great job of preaching the grace and mercy of Christ, but a lousy job of preaching about our personal responsibility to turn from sin daily. It's as if the word repent has become a Christian's curse word or something. Repentance takes time, sometimes a lifetime. The point is to be continually in the process. And for those who overcome, the reward will be worth it!
Thoughts?
Acting and Marriage Vows
There's a great story I read this morning about Kirk Cameron. Basically, he has made a commitment not to kiss anyone but his wife, especially while acting. You can read about the story here.
Here's what I like about this story:
Here's what I like about this story:
- Kirk wants to honor God with his marraige.
- Kirk wants to honor his wife above all others.
- Kirk has a plan to do both #1 and #2.
- Kirk is not afraid to stand-up for his principles. I like the fact that he wouldn't kiss the actress playing his wife in his new movie, but rather kissed his "stand-in" wife. In my opinion, it probably made the kiss more believable as well.
So, what do you think? Should married actors/actresses think twice about kissing someone other than their spouse on-screen?
The Quest for Security
Let me just say this to start - this world is not safe. Before you label me a "Debby Downer," let me flesh that statement out a little bit.
Over the past few weeks the Stock Market has been taking a nosedive. Understandably, this has a lot of people upset and on edge. There is great concern about our nation's economy and whether or not we are headed towards another Great Depression.
This November, we will be electing a new President for our nation. It's clear there is passion for the nation on both sides. There is also, in my humble opinion, a tremendous amount of fear and worry that the "other side" will win the election. Repubs are scared to death the Dems will win and vice versa. Each party only sees gloom and doom if they don't win.
My friends, this world is not safe. It was never meant to be safe. We can not place our security in the things of this world, for it is not our home. The one thing we can be sure of is this: God will be on His Throne whether the Stock Market completely falls apart or the "other side" wins this election. God is Sovereign over all of it. Trust in Him, not in these other things.
Confession time: God is stretching me big time in my "quest for security" in my finances. Lately, I've noticed my mood fluctuates with my bank account. When I deposit my check, I'm a happy camper. At the end of the month when things are a little tight, I'm a grump and worrier. This must break the heart of God big time. After all, He is still the same God when my bank account is full or low. Where is my hope? In God or money?
Repenting and chasing Him all the more today.
How about you? Where do you naturally drift towards for security?
Over the past few weeks the Stock Market has been taking a nosedive. Understandably, this has a lot of people upset and on edge. There is great concern about our nation's economy and whether or not we are headed towards another Great Depression.
This November, we will be electing a new President for our nation. It's clear there is passion for the nation on both sides. There is also, in my humble opinion, a tremendous amount of fear and worry that the "other side" will win the election. Repubs are scared to death the Dems will win and vice versa. Each party only sees gloom and doom if they don't win.
My friends, this world is not safe. It was never meant to be safe. We can not place our security in the things of this world, for it is not our home. The one thing we can be sure of is this: God will be on His Throne whether the Stock Market completely falls apart or the "other side" wins this election. God is Sovereign over all of it. Trust in Him, not in these other things.
Confession time: God is stretching me big time in my "quest for security" in my finances. Lately, I've noticed my mood fluctuates with my bank account. When I deposit my check, I'm a happy camper. At the end of the month when things are a little tight, I'm a grump and worrier. This must break the heart of God big time. After all, He is still the same God when my bank account is full or low. Where is my hope? In God or money?
Repenting and chasing Him all the more today.
How about you? Where do you naturally drift towards for security?
Out and Open...and What Now?
If you haven't heard by now, last week Ray Boltz announced he was a homosexual. Yes, "Thank You" Ray Boltz said he was gay and has been for his whole entire life. You can read more about it here.
There have been several bloggers give their two cents about it, like this one. Personally, I'm amazed at some of the comments left on others' blogs about this topic. It certainly appears as if We, The Church, are quite divided on this issue. So I figured I might as well weigh-in too. Here's some of my thoughts, and as always, feel free to chime-in with yours too.
1) I want to first say that I have many friends who are gay, and everything I am about to say I have said to their face with all the love of Christ I had in me at the time of our conversation.
2) Homosexuality is a lifestyle of choice, not birth. God doesn't make someone gay as much as He would make someone a child-molester or murderer. These behaviors are all choices made by the individual, and as such carry consequences.
3) Homosexuality is clearly defined in Scripture as contrary to God's will. Therefore, it is without question or debate sin. See this, this, and this.
4) Just as homosexuality is a sin, so are heterosexual perversions, i.e. adultery, prostitution, etc. GOD HATES ALL SEXUAL SIN.
5) Homosexuality can be overcome, with the power of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.
6) The overcoming may take time, if not a lifetime for some. The point is, they may need a helping hand to keep them strong and motivated during their battles.
7) We, The Church, should support any and all who are battling this sin nature.
8) Oftentimes however, The Church does a very poor job of doing this (#7) - which breaks the very heart of God.
The problem I have with the Homosexual Agenda is this: they are attempting to force upon us an acceptance for their behavior. Once they are "out", they are proud of their lifestyle. They show no remorse for their actions, because they don't think it's wrong or sinful. If someone disagrees with them, that person is a "hater" or "intolerant." My friends, we can not be afraid to stand up for the Truth. However, we can't beat them over the head with it either. Don't be discouraged or afraid to speak the Truth in love. Because, after all, that's all anyone wants in this life - to be loved - even homosexuals.
Thoughts?
There have been several bloggers give their two cents about it, like this one. Personally, I'm amazed at some of the comments left on others' blogs about this topic. It certainly appears as if We, The Church, are quite divided on this issue. So I figured I might as well weigh-in too. Here's some of my thoughts, and as always, feel free to chime-in with yours too.
1) I want to first say that I have many friends who are gay, and everything I am about to say I have said to their face with all the love of Christ I had in me at the time of our conversation.
2) Homosexuality is a lifestyle of choice, not birth. God doesn't make someone gay as much as He would make someone a child-molester or murderer. These behaviors are all choices made by the individual, and as such carry consequences.
3) Homosexuality is clearly defined in Scripture as contrary to God's will. Therefore, it is without question or debate sin. See this, this, and this.
4) Just as homosexuality is a sin, so are heterosexual perversions, i.e. adultery, prostitution, etc. GOD HATES ALL SEXUAL SIN.
5) Homosexuality can be overcome, with the power of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.
6) The overcoming may take time, if not a lifetime for some. The point is, they may need a helping hand to keep them strong and motivated during their battles.
7) We, The Church, should support any and all who are battling this sin nature.
8) Oftentimes however, The Church does a very poor job of doing this (#7) - which breaks the very heart of God.
The problem I have with the Homosexual Agenda is this: they are attempting to force upon us an acceptance for their behavior. Once they are "out", they are proud of their lifestyle. They show no remorse for their actions, because they don't think it's wrong or sinful. If someone disagrees with them, that person is a "hater" or "intolerant." My friends, we can not be afraid to stand up for the Truth. However, we can't beat them over the head with it either. Don't be discouraged or afraid to speak the Truth in love. Because, after all, that's all anyone wants in this life - to be loved - even homosexuals.
Thoughts?
Profoundly deep spiritual lessons l've learned from a 5-week old..
So my baby girl came and paid me a visit yesterday at work. I was pumped! I was definitely living up the "proud papa" moment as my staff "oooohed" and "cooohed" at my lil' cutie. As luck would have it, I noticed a particularly unpleasant odor arising from my wee little one's nether region and instantly decided it was a perfect opportunity to show-off my fatherly diaper-changing skills.
So, I sprang into action! Little did I know just how bad it would be! Whoa! There was poop everywhere! Now, I grade these situations on a 1-10 scale - meaning how many wipees are necessary to get the job done. This was a 7! So as I'm doing my best to clean her up, she starts wiggling and kicking and jerking and moving and before I realize it I have poop all over my fingers and hands. Plus, she has managed to relocate her "mess" somehow from her nether region to the soles of her feet and up her legs! To make matters worse, I had 4 women standing over my shoulder laughing and giggling and commenting on how "great" a job I was doing. Talk about pressure!
As I was just about to complete the task, all of a sudden, I noticed a warmth come over my hands. That's right, she peed all over me and herself at the same time! What a darling! I guess she felt bad and just wanted to help clean my hands for me.
So, here's the deep super-duper spiritual lesson my 5-week old taught me:
Sometimes life gets messy. Sometimes messy gets all over you. But don't worry. God will provide a warm shower to help get messy off you. And then He will sit back and laugh!
So, I sprang into action! Little did I know just how bad it would be! Whoa! There was poop everywhere! Now, I grade these situations on a 1-10 scale - meaning how many wipees are necessary to get the job done. This was a 7! So as I'm doing my best to clean her up, she starts wiggling and kicking and jerking and moving and before I realize it I have poop all over my fingers and hands. Plus, she has managed to relocate her "mess" somehow from her nether region to the soles of her feet and up her legs! To make matters worse, I had 4 women standing over my shoulder laughing and giggling and commenting on how "great" a job I was doing. Talk about pressure!
As I was just about to complete the task, all of a sudden, I noticed a warmth come over my hands. That's right, she peed all over me and herself at the same time! What a darling! I guess she felt bad and just wanted to help clean my hands for me.
So, here's the deep super-duper spiritual lesson my 5-week old taught me:
Sometimes life gets messy. Sometimes messy gets all over you. But don't worry. God will provide a warm shower to help get messy off you. And then He will sit back and laugh!
It's not everyday you get to meet an angel...
Michele and I count ourselves doubly blessed to know this young lady. She is the birthmother of Kari Lynne Marie. Her name is Angela Marie, and it's no coincidence that the word "angel" is in her name. Because that' exactly what she is to us...an angel. She is strong. She is brave. She is kind. She is intelligent. She is beautiful. She is unselfish. And above all, she is very, very loving. We felt it was only right that Kari Lynne shared part of her name with the person who gave her to us.Angela, we praise God for you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you!
Today was one of the best days of my life!
Today was absolutely, unequivocably one of the best days of my life. Today was probably the 4th best day of my life.
#1-Being born again (Oct. 31, 1982).
#2-Our first kiss (at the altar) in two years (June 6, 1997).
#3-Hearing Kari's first cry as she was born (July 23, 2008).
#4-Finding out she will forever be our little girl (12 noon today).
That's right. Today we learned that Kari will be our little girl. Her birthfather did not appear at his scheduled court date, and therefore his parental rights were officially terminated. This was the last major barrier that could've prevented her from being our baby girl, and God took care of it for us. At 3 p.m. today, our amazing birthmother sacrificially surrendered her parental rights as well. This amazing act of love, which staggers me still to this very second, allows us to adopt Kari outright.
Psalm 52:9 says: "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope for your name is good." This verse has become especially dear to us over the past few months, and today it became more real than we could ever imagine. God is so good!
#1-Being born again (Oct. 31, 1982).
#2-Our first kiss (at the altar) in two years (June 6, 1997).
#3-Hearing Kari's first cry as she was born (July 23, 2008).
#4-Finding out she will forever be our little girl (12 noon today).
That's right. Today we learned that Kari will be our little girl. Her birthfather did not appear at his scheduled court date, and therefore his parental rights were officially terminated. This was the last major barrier that could've prevented her from being our baby girl, and God took care of it for us. At 3 p.m. today, our amazing birthmother sacrificially surrendered her parental rights as well. This amazing act of love, which staggers me still to this very second, allows us to adopt Kari outright.
Psalm 52:9 says: "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope for your name is good." This verse has become especially dear to us over the past few months, and today it became more real than we could ever imagine. God is so good!
Can a Christian be a Liberal too?
As a blogged about earlier, I am reading this book for free in exchange for posting my thoughts and critiques of said book. To help get me started, the publisher emailed me the first two chapters. So, here goes....
The author, Stephen Mansfield, also wrote this book. What I'm impressed with so far with this book is the lack of any hint of bias. In fact, he stated in his introduction he doesn't intend to "press a political agenda" nor "rage against the realities of his life." Mansfield hasn't crafted a vehicle to submarine Obama's political ambitions. Rather, this book was written "in the belief that if a man's faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him, and thus it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding the religious vision that informs his life" (pg xxiii). I applaud Mansfield's objectivity.
Obama has stated he indeed has a Christian faith and this faith guides him daily. However, he is also quite liberal in his political agenda. He is unapologetically pro-choice and is a big supporter of gay rights. I'll admit, I'm having a difficult time reconciling the two - oil and water just don't mix.
Which begs the question: Can a Christ follower have liberal political philosophies, and not contradict God's Word?
Thoughts?
The author, Stephen Mansfield, also wrote this book. What I'm impressed with so far with this book is the lack of any hint of bias. In fact, he stated in his introduction he doesn't intend to "press a political agenda" nor "rage against the realities of his life." Mansfield hasn't crafted a vehicle to submarine Obama's political ambitions. Rather, this book was written "in the belief that if a man's faith is sincere, it is the most important thing about him, and thus it is impossible to understand who he is and how he will lead without first understanding the religious vision that informs his life" (pg xxiii). I applaud Mansfield's objectivity.
Obama has stated he indeed has a Christian faith and this faith guides him daily. However, he is also quite liberal in his political agenda. He is unapologetically pro-choice and is a big supporter of gay rights. I'll admit, I'm having a difficult time reconciling the two - oil and water just don't mix.
Which begs the question: Can a Christ follower have liberal political philosophies, and not contradict God's Word?
Thoughts?
Is Barack Obama a Christian or not?
So, as we all know, the elections for President are very important and very close. I've been trying to educate myself as best I can on both candidates, their politics, and their beliefs. Beliefs are especially important in my voting desicion. Some people would scoff at me basing my decision upon a candidate's personal faith, I honestly don't care. Faith is important - after all, this individual will be the leader of the free world. I have to know he relies on wisdom higher than his own.
So, to help, I recently scored a free copy of this book. As a token of gratitude for said free book, I've agreed to blog my thoughts, feelings, criticisms, and ideas about the book. With that said, be looking for my posts. I'm going to post my thoughts as I read each chapter.
How important is a candidate's faith to you as far as your vote is concerned?
So, to help, I recently scored a free copy of this book. As a token of gratitude for said free book, I've agreed to blog my thoughts, feelings, criticisms, and ideas about the book. With that said, be looking for my posts. I'm going to post my thoughts as I read each chapter.
How important is a candidate's faith to you as far as your vote is concerned?
Tentmaker Redux
Since I'm a winner now and S-Dub from the N-Dub is pimping my blog for a week, I figured I might get a few new readers. With that in mind, I'd like to re-post my first post to introduce my passion and purpose to all of you. Hope you find some commonality and inspiration.
From Nov. 7, 2007:
First off, welcome to my blog. I'm truly honored you have shared a few moments of your time with me.
So, what exactly is a "tentmaker?"
Acts 18:3 reveals a little snippet about the Apostle Paul's life that I find extremely fascinating. The Message says it like this:
Yep. Paul, at one point in his life, had a day job. A regular 9 to 5'er. However, he didn't merely toil at making tents for no reason. Rather, he leveraged his profession to advance the Gospel.
So, to answer the question, a "tentmaker" is someone who has a career and a passion to let God use them in their career to further the Gospel. Like Paul, God may call them to vocational ministry, or not. The point is, a "tentmaker" uses their career as a propellant for ministry.
What about you? What is your career, and how do you see God using you as a "tentmaker?"
From Nov. 7, 2007:
First off, welcome to my blog. I'm truly honored you have shared a few moments of your time with me.
So, what exactly is a "tentmaker?"
Acts 18:3 reveals a little snippet about the Apostle Paul's life that I find extremely fascinating. The Message says it like this:
"Paul moved in with them (Aquilla & Priscilla) and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking." (emphasis mine)
Yep. Paul, at one point in his life, had a day job. A regular 9 to 5'er. However, he didn't merely toil at making tents for no reason. Rather, he leveraged his profession to advance the Gospel.
So, to answer the question, a "tentmaker" is someone who has a career and a passion to let God use them in their career to further the Gospel. Like Paul, God may call them to vocational ministry, or not. The point is, a "tentmaker" uses their career as a propellant for ministry.
What about you? What is your career, and how do you see God using you as a "tentmaker?"
It's My 100th Blog Post!
I've been intentionally waiting to blog this post so I could include pictures of my baby girl! Her name is Kari Lynn Marie, and she is just amazing. She is doing well and her mom and I feel incredibly blessed to be her parents. God truly is amazing!
So, if you want, you can see her pics here and also here. It's taken me a little while to figure out Flickr and to upload all the pics - what with having to peform feedings and changing diapers I haven't had a lot of free time! But, I'm looking forward to blogging consistently again. God has been stirring a lot of thoughts lately - I'm even mulling over a book idea!
Thanks again to all who have emailed, called, commented with encouraging words and well-wishes. You can not know how much they mean to us! Also, we started a family blog so all our friends and family can keep up with us. You can see it here.
God is good!
So, if you want, you can see her pics here and also here. It's taken me a little while to figure out Flickr and to upload all the pics - what with having to peform feedings and changing diapers I haven't had a lot of free time! But, I'm looking forward to blogging consistently again. God has been stirring a lot of thoughts lately - I'm even mulling over a book idea!
Thanks again to all who have emailed, called, commented with encouraging words and well-wishes. You can not know how much they mean to us! Also, we started a family blog so all our friends and family can keep up with us. You can see it here.
God is good!
Overwhelmed by Generosity
This a blog about generosity. Michele and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends these past few weeks. Whether it's the random phone calls just to tell us we are being held up in prayer, a funny, encouraging card, the unexpected checks to go towards our adoption costs, or the unbelievable outpouring of diapers, clothes and various gifts....words can not describe how much all of this has touched our hearts. Deeply.
If there was a guage that measures just how much a person is being loved by others, our guage would be pegged right now. Check that, it would have broken the peg and be spinning like mad! It's been truly amazing to see God's love through His Church - all of you! You have certainly represented the lavish love our Savior has poured out upon the world.
So, from Michele and I, thank you so very much for your love for us and our baby girl. We are honored to share this journey with all of you!
If there was a guage that measures just how much a person is being loved by others, our guage would be pegged right now. Check that, it would have broken the peg and be spinning like mad! It's been truly amazing to see God's love through His Church - all of you! You have certainly represented the lavish love our Savior has poured out upon the world.
So, from Michele and I, thank you so very much for your love for us and our baby girl. We are honored to share this journey with all of you!
Which is Worse?
Which is worse - someone who is called to vocational ministry and doesn't answer the call, or someone who isn't called to vocational ministry and does it anyway?
Tear it up.
P.S. Sorry 'bout the hiatus. More on that later. Show me some blog lovin'.
Tear it up.
P.S. Sorry 'bout the hiatus. More on that later. Show me some blog lovin'.
God Only Knows, But Still I'd Like an Answer
I'm sure many or most of you have heard the devastating news by now of the passing of Steven Curtis Chapman's little daughter, Maria Sue Chapman. She was only 5-years-old. You can read more about it here.
This hits me especially hard right now given the fact that I'm soon to be a father of a little girl. My heart, my thoughts, and my prayers are certainly with the Chapman family as they begin to walk forward from here.
This tragedy brings to mind so many questions. God, where were you? God, why did You allow this to happen? God, why did this little girl die? God, why the Chapman's? Are you angry with them? Did they do something wrong? What? Why? Where? How?
Tragedies, such as this, also bring with it so many emotions. Anger. Grief. Despair. Doubts. Sorrow. Abandonment. Betrayal. Bitterness. I am very familiar with all of these, as I'm sure, so are you. We've all experienced loss. Someone you knew and loved was taken unfairly, too soon, and quite unexpectantly.
Still, I wonder "WHY?" I too have my personal list of "why's." Why has it been so difficult for Michele and I to conceive a child of our own? Why did we have to endure so many miscarraiges? Why did you allow Michele to have endometriosis? Why does she have to suffer so much pain from it? Why are so many babies aborted every minute when there are so many couples hungry to have them? Why us, are You mad at us? Upset with us? Are you punishing us for an unconfessed sin? Why?
Obviously I'm not God. I'm not even going to begin to think I have THE answer. Or that I could possibly even comprehend the wisdom by which it was formulated. One possible reason I humbly propose, however, for all the "unfair" and "unjust" and just plain "crappy" things that happen in this world is simply this:
God didn't bring sin into this world. Pain was not in His original plan. Suffering wasn't either. Neither were tears. They are all aftershocks from the original sin of Adam and Eve. Like a father has compassion on his little girl who fell and scraped her knee, God too has compasssion on His children as we patiently endure the trials and tribulations of this sin-wrought world. He cries when we cry. He groans when we groan. For you see, they weren't meant to be, and they will soon be gone for good! All praise to our Glorious Redeemer for His matchless grace!
This hits me especially hard right now given the fact that I'm soon to be a father of a little girl. My heart, my thoughts, and my prayers are certainly with the Chapman family as they begin to walk forward from here.
This tragedy brings to mind so many questions. God, where were you? God, why did You allow this to happen? God, why did this little girl die? God, why the Chapman's? Are you angry with them? Did they do something wrong? What? Why? Where? How?
Tragedies, such as this, also bring with it so many emotions. Anger. Grief. Despair. Doubts. Sorrow. Abandonment. Betrayal. Bitterness. I am very familiar with all of these, as I'm sure, so are you. We've all experienced loss. Someone you knew and loved was taken unfairly, too soon, and quite unexpectantly.
Still, I wonder "WHY?" I too have my personal list of "why's." Why has it been so difficult for Michele and I to conceive a child of our own? Why did we have to endure so many miscarraiges? Why did you allow Michele to have endometriosis? Why does she have to suffer so much pain from it? Why are so many babies aborted every minute when there are so many couples hungry to have them? Why us, are You mad at us? Upset with us? Are you punishing us for an unconfessed sin? Why?
Obviously I'm not God. I'm not even going to begin to think I have THE answer. Or that I could possibly even comprehend the wisdom by which it was formulated. One possible reason I humbly propose, however, for all the "unfair" and "unjust" and just plain "crappy" things that happen in this world is simply this:
Because sin is in the world, we have tragedies. Because of sin, this world is broken. Because of sin, things don't always go our way. Because of sin, there is pain. Because of sin, there is grief. Because of sin, babies die. Because of sin, children starve. Becaues of sin, people fly planes into buildings in the name of their "god." Because of sin, Heaven will be the sweetest thing.SIN.
God didn't bring sin into this world. Pain was not in His original plan. Suffering wasn't either. Neither were tears. They are all aftershocks from the original sin of Adam and Eve. Like a father has compassion on his little girl who fell and scraped her knee, God too has compasssion on His children as we patiently endure the trials and tribulations of this sin-wrought world. He cries when we cry. He groans when we groan. For you see, they weren't meant to be, and they will soon be gone for good! All praise to our Glorious Redeemer for His matchless grace!
I've Fallen for Another Woman
So I have to confess to my blog readers that I have fallen for another woman.
Don't worry, my wife is well aware. In fact, she's pretty excited about it too. You see, the "other woman" is my future daughter we are adopting in July.
I haven't yet blogged about this momentous event that is happening in our lives for various reasons. Lately, however, I have felt the urge to share with all of you about what God has been teaching me as my wife and I walk down this path. So, this week's focus will be on adoption.
This past weekend I got to see my baby girl, literally, via a 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. It's a moment I'll never forget. To see her tiny features - her nose, chin, chubby litte cheeks, feet, and ears - was nothing short of amazing. I may be biased, but to me, she is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. I can't wait to finally get to hold her. I find myself daydreaming about all the fun things I want to do with her - the zoo, Santa pictures, pictures with her cousins, pictures with her mom and I, dance recitals, etc. Needless to say, I'm excited.
The 3D/4D ultrasound reminded me of this verse. God doesn't need an ultrasound to see what's going on in our hearts and minds. He can read our minds just like you are reading this blog. Ultrasounds can reveal flaws in a baby's development. If they have a cleft palate, you can see it. If they have a deformed heart or spine, you can see it. As we were watching our baby girl, I was silently praying "God, please let her be whole." And she was! 10 fingers, 10 toes, perfect heart and spine, and a cute little chubby face! However, if she did have some kind of birth defect, I would still be as crazy about her as I am now. Of that I'm certain. You see, she is my baby girl. And daddies love their children no matter what.
Prior to this experience, I used to pause and ponder "How can God love me so much when I have so many spiritual deformities?" Now I understand. A Father's love transcends any and all "faults." For that, I am eternally grateful.
How about you?
Don't worry, my wife is well aware. In fact, she's pretty excited about it too. You see, the "other woman" is my future daughter we are adopting in July.
I haven't yet blogged about this momentous event that is happening in our lives for various reasons. Lately, however, I have felt the urge to share with all of you about what God has been teaching me as my wife and I walk down this path. So, this week's focus will be on adoption.
This past weekend I got to see my baby girl, literally, via a 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. It's a moment I'll never forget. To see her tiny features - her nose, chin, chubby litte cheeks, feet, and ears - was nothing short of amazing. I may be biased, but to me, she is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. I can't wait to finally get to hold her. I find myself daydreaming about all the fun things I want to do with her - the zoo, Santa pictures, pictures with her cousins, pictures with her mom and I, dance recitals, etc. Needless to say, I'm excited.
The 3D/4D ultrasound reminded me of this verse. God doesn't need an ultrasound to see what's going on in our hearts and minds. He can read our minds just like you are reading this blog. Ultrasounds can reveal flaws in a baby's development. If they have a cleft palate, you can see it. If they have a deformed heart or spine, you can see it. As we were watching our baby girl, I was silently praying "God, please let her be whole." And she was! 10 fingers, 10 toes, perfect heart and spine, and a cute little chubby face! However, if she did have some kind of birth defect, I would still be as crazy about her as I am now. Of that I'm certain. You see, she is my baby girl. And daddies love their children no matter what.
Prior to this experience, I used to pause and ponder "How can God love me so much when I have so many spiritual deformities?" Now I understand. A Father's love transcends any and all "faults." For that, I am eternally grateful.
How about you?
I Have Been Tampered With. You?
Have you ever noticed how everything you buy these days has a foil or semi-plastic seal on it? Over-the-counter medications, milk, orange juice, etc. The idea is if any of these items were opened, you would noticed it right away. Something about it has been changed. Permanently. Irrepairably. Tampered with. Never again the same.
It makes me think about this verse.
Christ, through the work of the Spirit, tampers with you as you walk with Him.
Can I see significant changes in my character over the years? I have seen some (more patient, less prone to swearing, quicker to confess sin, etc.) but, to be honest, in some areas it seems not so much (will purity always be a struggle?).
It makes me think about this verse.
Christ, through the work of the Spirit, tampers with you as you walk with Him.
My question is this: could anybody tell that I've been tampered
with?
Can I see significant changes in my character over the years? I have seen some (more patient, less prone to swearing, quicker to confess sin, etc.) but, to be honest, in some areas it seems not so much (will purity always be a struggle?).
What about you? Where has God tampered with you the most? What is He tampering with right now in your life?
If something is child-proof, then why can't I open it?
A funny thing just happened to me. One of my patients came in to pick up his prescription for an eye drop. He asked me to administer his drops for him, and I happily obliged. The trouble was, I couldn't hardly open the dang dropper bottle because it was "child-proofed" with a plastic wrapper around the cap. I struggled, and struggled, and pulled, and did everything short of jumping up and down on it to get that darn wrapper off!
Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
For some non-believers, this is exactly what church, God, and the Bible is like to them. We Christians have "child-proofed" the Gospel. They want to get it, they know they need it, but can't get past the "packaging." Here's what I mean:
Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning.
For some non-believers, this is exactly what church, God, and the Bible is like to them. We Christians have "child-proofed" the Gospel. They want to get it, they know they need it, but can't get past the "packaging." Here's what I mean:
- Marathon-length church services.
- Worship music that's dated, stale, and just down-right awful. Don't get me wrong, I like a good old hymn once and a while, but there's a reason you can't find a radio station in your town that plays hymns all day long. Think about it.
- Unwritten "dress-codes" at church.
- Christian speak. "Thanks be to Jesus who is our sanctification and justification by the election of God's redemptive predestination!" (Not trying to be sacreligious here, just saying.)
- "Us" vs. "Them" mentality. Come to us, we aren't coming to you.
Do you see any "child-proofing" at your church? If so, let me remind you of this verse and this one. Now, what are you going to do about it?
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