Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: alarm, Michael Phelps, monday morning, wake up
Second Look
I woke up this morning at 6:45. I thought it was 8:45. I was freaking out. I thought I was late for work, but then after I had rolled out of bed in a panic, I took a second look. That is always a nice feeling, the second look. I don’t know if that feeling is aggravation or relief.
Dancing SugarPlums
There have been times after the second look where I could jump back in the bed in pure excitement, reset the alarm and fall fast asleep with sugar plums dancing away. However today was not one of those days. Instead of the dancing fruit I had a Monday morning thought.
Today is Monday, the first day of the week. I have two options. Retreat or Attack. I chose attack. I actually really enjoy those morning where I get up early, get a shower, read my Bible, and attack the day. The problem most days is getting my body to agree with my head. I want to attack the day but every bone under the cover is telling me to retreat.
Today I won
So for whatever reason, here I am at 8:42 having already felt victorious over this Monday. I feel like I won a medal, forget Michael Phelps. I am the Gold medal winner of Monday! Yes, Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
Now what about Tuesday?
I know it sounds strange.
But the truth is, Jesus is just like a GPS. I mean think about it. No matter where you are, He knows. No matter where you want to go, He will be there. He can tell you how to get there, correct your mistakes and speaks like a million languages!
You gotta have a receiver.
The truth is the GPS you have in your car is just the receiver. It doesn’t do anything other than chit chat with the satellite. So just think if you don’t have a receiver/relationship then it doesn’t matter that the satellite is up there in orbit watching over us. You have to buy a receiver, have a relationship with God in order to have the benefits of the GPS.
I know it isn’t deep but it is true.
The reality is some people have the receive/relationship yet they refuse to turn it on. They think they know a better way, a shorter way, a quicker way. I don’t understand why they don’t just sit back and let the GPS tell them which way to go.
Buy one, turn it on, and enjoy the ride.
The truth is if we really relied upon the GPS we wouldn’t have a care in the world. No more maps, no more preplanning, just jump in the car, turn it on and listen closely. If you make a mistake, the GPS will let you know and course correct. The GPS isn’t angry, you will just have to take longer now. The GPS isn’t going to shut down because you didn’t listen. It will offer you advice and you will have the option to listen to ignore.
Enough GPS talk
When it comes down to it, Paul said it best in Colossians 1 starting in verse 13.
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
Just turn the GPS on.
Thank God for Jasmine!
I guess I tend to forget that I work with teenagers. I was so excited about practice tonight. The truth is I had prayed for it, printed music, copied cds, and turned the air on early just to get ready. In the end, thank God for Jasmine. It was me and her for about an hour. Tara and the choir were there too, but as far as teens it was just Jasmine.
Don’t miss the putt
It is so easy to take your eyes off the goal and miss the putt. I used to get distracted and disappointed when things didn’t go my way. Reality is, I am not going anywhere. I will still be here next week and so will the teenagers. So I don’t fret, I don’t throw my hands in the air and give up. I just keep moving.
Keep on strumming
Although it was just me and Jasmine tonight, I do have a dream! Did that sound weird? I do have a dream that in one year we will have a completely student led band. Although after tonight it might be one year and one week 
but I do have a dream.
The story is called “Joey”
I think to often we give up too soon. We don’t want to put the time or the energy into making something turn out great. But I have a story to tell you. The story is called “Joey”, and it wasn’t a short story. It wasn’t an easy one but it turned out incredible.
Joey was a student I had in Florida. He played the drums. He wasn’t bad. In fact he kept a straight beat which is more than most. But Joey was shy and played really simple. I worked with Joey for two years playing music each week. Joey turned into the only guy I ever wanted to play with. There were other drummers, other guys who played well. But no one, no one, knew me like Joey. No one played better than Joey in worship and no one had a heart for worship like him. He learned knew beats, complicated stuff, and he got good and loud. I wish I had a million Joey’s. A million Joey’s could play the most incredible music ever.
So when band practice bombs and it is just me and Jasmine. I am reminded that there are more Joey’s out there. It might take a while. It might take 2 years but Joey is coming!
What if you could give up an entire week with no distractions?
We took 8 teenagers away from everything. We gave them food of course, but everything else was taken away. No cell phones, no internet, no boyfriends or girlfriends, no myspace, facebook, text message, Ipod, or email. The only thing we gave them that week was an opportunity to meet with God.
We prayed together, worshipped together, learned together, ask questions, did personal mentoring, mowed the lawn, and cleaned the church. It was incredible.
Biggest Lesson
The biggest lesson I took from the week was the church’s greatest weakness. The church might look great on the outside. Joel Osteen might be busting at the seems, and Rick Warren might have a best seller, but the American church is missing something. Might I dare say that one thing is DISCIPLESHIP.
I was shocked
at how little these students knew about basic Christian practices like prayer and bible study. They all knew we should be, but the how to was never explained. I mean basic stuff, like what do we pray about, how long should we pray. What happens when I get bored? Do I have to read the bible everyday? Why should I go to church?
…most faithful
I don’t say that as though these students are void of knowledge or passion for God. In fact some of these students were our most faithful. The problem was that as leaders we have not taken the time to ask the basic question of “Do you know how to…”
Failure to follow through
I think the reason we fail to ask is follow through. If I ask and find out, I am required to follow through. Discipleship is hard. These students lived at my house for a week! An entire week. We ate together, brushed our teeth together. I mean to get where we got took a lot.
I don’t say this all to push us down and shame us. I just personally came to the place where I realized I wasn’t doing anything to disciple my teens. Sure I preached and got em to the altar, but what then?
Jesus and the Disciples
I wish we could have done it with more. I wish all of the student could have packed into my house for the week. But reality says 50+ people would not do good in a 4 bedroom house.
I guess the conclusion that Tara (my wife) and I came to was that discipleship cannot work with the crowd. It can only work with the few. If we brought in all of teenagers the mix would not have been right. Bad attitudes and mixed emotions would have killed the momentum and in the end we would have had a week long “lock in”.
I think jesus knew what he was doing when he pulled 12 guys out of the crowd, away from the fishing net and into a holy huddle. Something incredible happens when you lay down your net and follow Christ. That something is discipleship.
The Masses
Although I want to reach the masses, I know the dynamic of people. Intimacy is not possible with dozens and dozens. Intimacy is only intimate if there are few. So next year although we want to grow, I want even more to disciple. We will pray that God gives us direction for next year’s God week. And I pray we don’t have to wait till next year to disciple again.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: new phone, old phone, ppc 6700, sanyo s1, sprint
Simple Is Better
I can’t remember the last time I synced my phone. I don’t use the excel or word on it. I have manually put in numbers since I got it and I don’t ever use the wi-fi or the bluetooth. Those were all the reasons I got the phone, but six months later, I just want to make a phone call. So I downgraded to simple.
Check out all the features of the old phone versus the new.
OLD PHONE FEATURES
This compact, feature-packed PDA phone runs Windows Mobile 5 and sports a slide-out text keyboard, and triple radios: CDMA EV-DO, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Other key features include a 1.3 megapixel camera with video capture, miniSD card slot, touch screen, speakerphone, and the full suite of Windows Mobile software.
NEW PHONE FEATURES
No camera, no slide out keyboard, no wi-fi, no media card slot, no touch screen, no windows mobile. It does have text messaging and it has blue tooth. But the best feature, it makes phone calls.
Call me crazy,
but I can actually make a call and best of all it fits in my pocket! Thank you Jesus!
Filed under: Uncategorized
I am a mac user now
I haven’t figured out yet if I am completely behind the die hard mac fans. They scream pretty loud talking about a more secure and solid operating system. I haven’t got there yet. i am still trying to figure out how to copy and paste :) but soon I will return to let you know what life is like on the other side.
It is still a computer
In the end I think I might come to the same conclusion that computers are limited by our intelligence and not the other way around. So a computer is what you make of it.
Filed under: Uncategorized
Pure Pleasure
I am not a dessert guy. I don’t really like crazy desserts with all kinds of ingredients. I am just plain and simple. I like plain ice cream with one topping. I don’t go for the “Cram-It-All-In” stuff. I just like simple.
KitKat Bars
I know they are basic, they aren’t new, and there is not much to them. But that is really why I like them. They melt in your mouth and yet have just enough texture to make it feel like a cookie and not a chocolate bar.
Pointless
There really isn’t a point to all this except to let the world know that I love KitKat Bars. Well now that the world knows, I can continue with my day.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: calls, cell phone, pda, simple, smart phone
I am tired of my big phone
I have a Sprint PPC6700 Smart Phone. When I first got it, I loved it. I can sync my calendar, contacts, music and more. But now only 7 months later. I have realized that this large, “Zack Morris” style phone is a bit much for me. I don’t sync my calendar anymore, I don’t use my computer to add contacts. I have an Ipod for music, and all I really need in a phone is… a phone.
Following Suit
I am not the only one ditching the PDA these days. I have found a number of other people searching for cheap phones that just simply make phone calls. I think my best bet is to find a cheap phone on ebay, order it and make the change. I can’t stand my phone anymore. Mind you I haven’t made the switch yet. But after I found out that the PDA guru, Ted Stackpole, had made the switch I couldn’t help but want to do the same.
Coming Soon
Lookout cheap phones. You will be purchased shortly. Look out Sprint PPC6700. You will be dumped soon. Some unsuspecting eBay buyer will purchase you with great hopes of being a walking calendar with thousands of contacts and instant email/internet. As for me, I just want to make a phone call.
Changes, big changes
I am never really comfortable with changes, especially big ones. I don’t think anyone is really okay with change because we never know what to expect. We don’t know what is around the corner. We are unsure of ourselves, others, our reaction, their reaction. We don’t know if we will mess up or if things will crumble around us. We don’t know if things will be better than we expected. We don’t know.
So we change
Things never remain the same. Things have to change. We long and desire for the things we understand to stay. We hope that the memories we made will be lived over and over, but that cannot be. Things change, we change.
Memories
Memories are ambigious. They are not reality. They highlight the good, overstate the bad and leave us in great awe or great shame. Memories can captivate us or control us. I failed, I messed up, I succeeded, I won, it was fun, I hated it, we laughed, we cried, she said, he said. It is all goodbye and gone. What really matters is not what was or what is, but what is becoming.
We are today what we thought and we will be what we are thinking.
So we change
Don’t be afraid, and don’t fight it, there are no escapes. We must change. We must move forward. We change.
I am at Nikki and Denny’s Wedding
They asked me to video tape the big day so I am here a bit early setting everything up. Everyone is running around and getting things together. The photographer is lining everyone up taking family photos. The moms are straightening bow ties and fixing hair. It all seems so exciting and fresh.
I thought
It never really occurred to me until after my own wedding, that I really assumed my wedding was “THE” wedding of the century. I couldn’t help but think that so many were amazed, because I found the perfect one. I still believe that.
It never fails to amaze me
I realize that God brought my wife to me. I know other men say that and I believe them too. But for me, I know how I feel. I know how she treats me, I know how she holds me at night, and I feel like God gave us something special when he put us together.
So Nikki and Denny
bI am really happy for you two today in fact I love to see what God has brought together. I know you feel so incredible and I know that you feel as though the whole world should stop to see you get married. I love that feeling. I am so happy for you. But in the end I still feel as though I am the luckiest man alive. Thank you God for bringing me my wife.
Our Song
I wrote a song to Tara that I sang to her on our honeymoon. This is how the chorus goes;
Cus I prayed for you
And the Lord came through
Every dream and desire I’ve found in you
No longer do I question
Whether my God cares for me
Cus everything I prayed for
Is staring back at me!
