just getting started

weather man (or woman)

being a weather man/woman in phoenix, az, has to be 1 of the easiest jobs in america. this week has been a little exciting around here since we've had a few days in a row of rain. usually the forecast sounds something like this: "today is going to be sunny, tomorrow, sunny, thurs, friday, & saturday - sunny. in fact, all next week will be sunny."

so are you like me? do you check the weather every morning to make sure that you can handle the day? is your favorite segment of the evening news when they show the 7 day forecast?

i think i figured out why that's so important to me. i want to know what tomorrow holds. i want to be able to be prepared for what i'm going to have to face in the next day (or 7 days). i remember growing up in the mid-west and getting totally ticked when the forecast said it was going to be sunny, in the low 80's & it ends up being cloudy, damp, & in the mid-60's!

2 important verses that i'm reminded of today is Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord..." & Matthew 6:34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

as much as we want to plan, organize, administrate, manage, manipulate, control... we can't. we can't even plan how to handle the weather tomorrow! we need to remember, God has the plans for us & the ability to make it happen. the best thing we can do is live out Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

i wonder if i should have grabbed the umbrella.

watch out!!

ok, so during my lunch today, my wife & i made a quick run to a store to pick up a few things. ends up that they didn't have much other than some discounted wrapping paper. melissa handed me 2 rolls & asked if i'd go pay for them while she kept shopping. me being the incredible husband i am (in my own mind), i went & got in line.

what i didn't realize was that the line snaked down an isle away from the 3 open checkouts. i found who i thought was the last lady in line & stood behind her. now here's where it got interesting. what i failed to notice was the lone shopping cart that was piled high with items just 3 feet behind the lady that i thought was the end. as i stood there, "gramma jones" showed up & dumped more items into what i deduced was her cart. then she pushed it forward into the the "buffer zone" between me & the lady ahead of me. asked if she was in line before to which i received a look very similar to the 1 linked here. she eye-balled my 2 rolls of wrapping paper & then gave me the look "pfft, rookie."

it's Christmas time. i love Christmas but absolutely hate shopping during this time of year. right away, i could feel something mean rising up inside me towards "gramma jones." call it maturity or experience or both, but i realized after a moment or 2, i need to watch out for myself during this time of year.

you and i are the only ones that can forfeit our peace & joy. no one can take it away so watch out!

if you use a PC...

i know the feeling...

"Green" Christianity

i hate fads... but i love cool things. like i love that chuck taylor converse shoes are back - again for the 3rd time?

have you noticed how everything is going "green"? now we have "green" Christianity! i was doing some reading on stewardship and came across the Wikipedia article on this subject.

i have to be honest, i'm not that good at being "green." i recycle a few things @ home, we use those cfl light bulbs, but i don't feel like jumping on the "fad" yet.

i think it's because of all the "tree-huggers" that i'm a little resistant to really jumping in full force. if i go "green," does that mean i have to grow dread-locks & quit showering? probably not, but...

i think it's interesting that some very visible Christian leaders have made such seemingly polarizing statements regarding environmentalism. rob bell did the best job of getting Christians to have to address the issue. in his book, velvet elvis: repainting the Christian faith, he says that we as humans are supposed to be environmentalists by the assignment that God gives in Genesis 1:28.

so where do you stand on this hot-point?

maintenance (yeah, that's spelled correctly)

i'm sitting in the waiting room of a car dealership right now while my car is getting it's regular oil change & maintenance checks. earlier this year we decided to purchase a new car figuring it would be an investment that we would have for many, many years. one of the requirements of having a vehicle that lasts more than 10 years is to have regular maintenance done - fluids checked & changed, belts tightened, pressures checked, tires rotated, pads replaced.

when we talk about our spiritual lives, many times you will hear some one speak on the evils of "just maintaining." maybe we need to change our spiritual perspective on maintenance. think about it: if i don't do regular checks, changes, & adjustments, how is my spiritual life & connection with God supposed to last me for my whole life?

tough talk

last night we are sitting together as a family watching "the biggest loser" & a commercial came on for a popular anti-depression drug. as all drug commercials go, they have to list all the bad side effects... have you ever wondered why anyone would take some of these drugs after hearing that you might start bleeding out of your eyebrows if you take that prescription?!

so one of the side effects of this anti-depression drug is the possibility of suicide. our 10 year old son turned to us & asked what suicide was. i explained that suicide was when someone took their own life. he thought about that for a moment & then followed up with "why would anyone do that?" it was amazing to see the compassion in his eyes at that moment.

the conversation continued for only a few more moments, but that look will never leave me.

mile markers

i enjoy driving & going on trips. there is something that happens to me when i get behind the wheel & head out: i become incredibly quiet. it's my time to get in "the zone" & think. my poor wife has gotten used to this & usually brings a book along for any commute over 15 minutes. she must really love me!

now when i'm on a long trip, i usually have some significant places that i feel that i need to make it to - like a state line, a big city, a rest stop. sometimes it can be quite a ways between those places, so the government was brilliant enough to help people like me from going crazy & they put up markers at every mile along the highways. since most states have their exits numbered by what mile they are on that particular highway, with some quick 3rd grade math, you can figure out how much farther you have to go before your 32oz bladder realizes you just drank a 44oz SuperExtraHugeSlushyEnergyNoIce Drink.

i like mile markers in my own life. for me, they help me to see that i'm progressing along in my journey through life. some significant markers in my life have been: my dad dying when i was 16, accepting that God had some BIG plans for my life @ 17, graduation from high school & college, getting married, my first church as a youth pastor, my son being born, me realizing my top 3 passions as a pastor, and the list continues.

each of these markers have huge significance to me. i can look back on each one & see how God guided me, provided, protected, lifted, strengthed, confronted. it's important to have these to make sure we keep moving forward.

In Joshua 3-4, God has Joshua lead the Israelites through the Jordan River into the promised land. God has Joshua get 12 guys to pick up these huge stones out of the middle of the river on their way through. Once all of the Israelites made it into the promised land, they piled up those rocks where they slept that night.

Joshua explained to the people (vs 6-7) "We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?' Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a permnant memorial among the people of Israel." It goes on to say in verse 9 that at the time of the writing of the book of Joshua, that "the memorial remains there to this day."

God didn't want the significant events of one generation be forgotten by the next or to be forgotten by those that lived it! the same thing is true in our lives! the markers in our journey need to be remembered for the fact that God was there with us and He will continue to be with us on this journey. Now the question is: have you past any markers lately?

do you have some major mile markers in your life that God reminds you of?

quit squinting!

for the second time in 3 weeks i have walked into my office donning my sporty sunglasses as if my entourage was close on my heals. i was doing my best to make it to the safety of my office before too many people noticed... but i wasn't so lucky.

today i had another visit to the eye doctor & i had my eyes dilated so they could get a better view of the back of my eyes. that makes it easy for them... the problem is that afterwards, ANY light creates a headache & any font smaller than 2" is hard to read. and so there is the reason for the sunglasses. in my office. with the door shut.

a friend of mine has been dealing with retinal detachment issues this year that has left him nearly blind in that one eye. he has had to adapt the way he does everyday chores due to the reduced vision now. "you don't realize how much you rely on your peripheral vision..." he said.

i began to think about that again today as i was dealing with my own temporary vision problems. i was driving from the doctors visit to my office, squinting behind my sunglasses, when i realized that i was being passed by another car on my right (i was in the left lane). i consider myself an A+ driver & use my mirrors, check my "blind spots", etc. but i didn't notice the car until it was already beside me. it snuck up on me. i didn't see it coming. i was squinting, focusing so hard to try & accomplish the task in front of me i missed what was going on around me.

i can't tell you how many times life situations have snuck up on me. when you squint your eyes, you narrow your focus and attention towards one point or object. you also reduce the amount of peripheral vision that you have. the problem then comes when you are trying so hard to see better that you actually see worse.

the key is to balance focus of what is going on in front of us & keeping peripherally aware so we aren't blind-sided. the Bible tells us in Proverbs 2:11 (MSG) that "good sense will scout ahead for danger, insight will keep an eye out for danger." a wise person's attention is not only focused on what is ahead but also stays aware of what is going on around.

i definitely will be driving checking my mirrors a little more often on the way home.

biscuits & gravy

i love biscuits & gravy. there's just something about those hot, fresh buttermilk biscuits & that hot, thick, sausage gravy with just a touch of pepper. i'd be hungry right now if it weren't for the fact that i just had a plate of them!

what is it about food that make us feel like we just have transported to the 7th level of heaven? if you're like me, each meal on your list of "comfort foods" has special memories linked to it. for me, biscuits & gravy reminds me of a family vacation that we went on to southern missouri. my great aunt & uncle hosted us & uncle charles made homemade biscuits & gravy almost every morning! pumpkin pie reminds me of grandma bette, oreo cookies takes me to grandma lorraine's, and the list goes on...

we connect these foods with times in our lives with warm feeling, loving memories. we look back on those times with fondness. if your life is anything like mine, you look forward to those brief moments of food bliss that seem to bring some semblance of sanity.

life is crazy right now. we've got issues with the election, housing markets going down the drain, the stock market reads like a heart monitor on a heart attack patient, gas goes down, wars go on, people are loosing jobs, companies that were the "pride & joy" of america are going bankrupt...

i was just reading some of Jesus' last words to his disciples before he took off to heaven. they (the disciples) were so confused about what was going on & what Jesus was trying to explain that was going to happen that he finally just had to stop and say:

"I told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33)

in other words, life is going to be crazy. the 1 place we will find warmth, security, stability, peace & comfort is in our connection with Christ. He's (Jesus) is my "biscuits & gravy" in this whacked out world.

i wonder if biscuits & gravy sales have gone up in the last 3 months.

Funny Friday

let me know how many days this is stuck in your head.

i'm ready to do... something.

so what happens when you have the situation, circumstances, and time just right to do something really mind-blowing... and then you have nothing. you just sit there, staring blankly at the screen, wondering if there is any more M&M's in your desk drawer.

so that's where i'm at - i'm ready to do... something. do you ever get that itch? to do something? i want to be creative. i want to get my hands dirty. i want to be able to step back and be able to see what has been accomplished. i'm ready to do... something.

that's when i realize that this maybe the time to step back and see what is done.

do you know what i enjoy? house painting - more specifically, painting a room. my wife has had me do this many times & what i like the most about painting a room is that in just a matter of minutes, you can stop and see what you have done. if you're like me, you want to finish as fast as possible. but it's in the brief moments when you are refilling the paint tray that you glance up & see how much you have done.

today i'm ready to do... something. but maybe it's time to stop. turn off the tv, ipod, and cell phone and consider what is done.

and then i came across Job 37-38. i got to Job 37:14 - "Job [insert your name here], are you listening? Have you noticed all this? Stop in your tracks! Take in God's miracle-wonders! Do you have any idea how God does it all...?"

so here's the deal: i'm ready to do something - stop, consider, and thank God!

who is God to you?

i'm putting together a new series that i will be starting on Oct. 12 and i'd like your input. if you would, answer this one question for me:

if you could describe who God is to you in one word, what would that be?

tongue in cheek humor

I wonder if they have sold out of these posters yet?

a great compliment

yesterday i was paid one of the greatest compliments i have ever received. i don't bring this up for bragging rights, but more as a wake-up call to how i treat everyone i come in contact with.

here is my paraphrase of what was said to me: "i have never felt more appreciated for what i do..."

of course i was incredibly flattered and felt like i had accomplished one of my primary goals which is to make the people i work with know beyond a doubt that i value their time and effort.

as i thought about this i began to wonder if i show this same level of appreciation to everyone or just those that i think deserve it. did i show a high level of appreciation to our waitress on saturday night? what about the check-out person @ costco the other day?

for some reason, there seems to be an unwritten criteria of the levels of appreciation that i show. fast-food workers & gas station attendants seem to be at one level whereas the lady that cuts my hair is slightly higher. then there is the front desk workers at the ymca where i go to work out that barely get a "hello" from me as i head into the health center.

if i'm supposed to be living out the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12 "do for others what you would like them to do for you.") and Acts 20:35 ("it is more blessed to give than to receive.") in my life, then how i show appreciation shouldn't be dished out in measured incriments. there must be sincerity in my "thank you"s and honesty in my tone and body language.

so here's the deal... "i won't receive it until i give it."

pardon me, but i have a few thank you notes i have to write now.

i argue with myself

why is it that i hate/love change?

when i was in college, my roommate & i loved to re-arrange our dorm room. @ our college, we weren't allowed to build lofts so we had to come up with some pretty interesting configurations in what seemed like 59 square feet.

i used to change my room around at home all the time. try the bed on a different wall, @ an angle, maybe just floating in the middle of the room - i tried them all.

now i start going into seizures if my wife suggests something like "so... you wanna move the couch over here tonight?"

i nearly went into panic mode when we found out our landlord was going to let the house we are renting go into foreclosure. we've lived in this house for 2 years. we've got every room set up as best (i think) as we can. i'm comfortable. don't make me change. i hate change.

i love coming up with new ideas. i love sitting down & brainstorming with creative friends about different things we can do, being more effective as youth pastors. i love coming up with new designs...

i hate/love change. i think i finally have a handle on this. i love change in MY life when I'M the one that decides it's time for change. don't force me to change. don't try to corner me into doing things different...

so how am i supposed to handle it when God wants me to change? what am i going to do about the "All Mighty" asking me to change something in my life? i want to say i handle it better than when my wife asks if i'm ready to change up the living room. but i don't. do i pretend like the water was too loud as i quickly try to wash my hands? do i pretend like i'm at the other end of the house and didn't hear? or that i was so engrossed in my book that i was reading i must have "missed what you just said."

when change comes crashing into my life, i need to realize that i'm not in control & look for the best way that this change can be of benefit to me. if God is asking for me to change, he obviously sees what my future is & that there is something holding me back from being the man that he needs me to be. it's in my best interest to accept the change.

i know the shortcomings i have in my life. i know there are things that i could be better at, things i should avoid. i'm guessing you do to.

what is one thing that you want God to change in your life?

challenges or opportunities

i'm not sure where i saw this shirt the first time, but i think it was in a target. for some reason i thought i'd go back and get it before i left the store.

i'm pretty sure i could become the president of the local union of procrastinators... if we ever actually got together. last i heard, we're going to try and get together next year.

if statistics are accurate, you're probably just like me in that you want to become the leader that God has designed you to be - but we keep putting off developing that characteristic, that drive, that habit, that ability to nail down what comes next.

process development has been something that i've wanted to be better at. you know what i'm talking about, right? it's where you evaluate yourself or a group of people to see where you are at and then (after much prayer) determine where God wants you to be. but what are the steps to make that happen?

here's what i have learned: it's the challenges and opportunities that God places in my life that gives me the chance to develop the leadership skill of creating a process. right now i have a huge challenge in front of me (for real!). so which "chad" is going to show up? the procrastinator or the "chad" that really wants to be the leader that God wants me to be?

imagine how joshua must have felt after moses his mentor died (Joshua 1) and God said to him "I want YOU to go in and clear out the land." i'm sure there must have been a lot of doubts, questions, "let's wait until tomorrow" moments. but after all those thoughts, joshua tells his leaders "let's go!"

maybe i'll go get that shirt today.

what's my point?

so here's the deal...

blogging isn't anything new to me, but there are times when you need to progress. so rather than have a obscure blog out in the deep nether-regions of cyber space, i'm going to try jumping out a little closer to the front.

so what's the point? i'm going to share some of my ideas, thoughts, frustrations, very random thoughts, & maybe something deep just to keep everyone guessing.

so stick around for a while, introduce yourself, & join me on my journey through life.

the adventure potentially begins!

i love summer. as far back as i can remember, i have always loved summer. winter was fun - building snow forts, snowball fights, skiing & snowboarding - but it had nothing on summer.

i think it was the summer i was 4 turning 5 that i really became addicted. there is just something about the potential of summer. there is new adventures and experiences on any given day. do you remember what that was like? i remember begging my mom to let me to go the park with my friends. it was at the park, on the playground (that many times was transformed into a castle, wild-west fort, or even a space station) that most of our adventures started. all the way around this park there were huge hedges of lilac bushes. what was cool about these hedges was that there were small paths that we could sneak around the whole park. there were many war games that included sneaking through those bushes.

this summer could be packed with adventure for each of us. it's filled with the potential of being a great summer. the problem with potential is that potential means that nothing has happened... yet. the opportunities are available, the options of adventure will be everywhere and i could fill several pages with all the potential that God has stuffed into our current lives. but nothing has happened yet.

here is what i learned a long time ago about summer - i can dream all i want about adventure & opportunities but until i step out into the sunshine, i'm not going to find anything.

so it's great to talk about potential but the problem is that it's just talk. adventure and experiences require action. God has placed the potential and Jesus Christ has provided the avenue (connection) to that potential for each and every one of us.

so what am i going to do now? what are you going to do? are you going to dream about what could be? are you going to long for the promises that God has made for you? am i willing to step out, asking Jesus to guide my every step (notice: steps require action) from God-given potential into God-led experiences.

those boyhood adventures bring back some fond memories but they pale in comparison to the God-led adventures i have been on. whether it was sharing God's love with teens in the formerly Communist East Germany, or to the street kids in El Salvador, or in the projects of the south side of Chicago, or with students in northern new england, the mid-west, or now here in the phoenix metro area.

all i can do is smile with anticipation because i know there is potential this summer for some incredible experiences with God. i can't wait!

so will you step out of potential into the adventure?

freedom of choice

the other day i was watching a video podcast with Erwin McManus and he made a statement that has been stuck in my mind ever since.

"just because you have the freedom of choice doesn't mean that choice brings freedom." - Erwin McManus

i wish i could break that down and unpack all the ideas, thoughts, and (being the speaker i am) points that come to mind. i would rather just have you read that again.

what kind of choices is he talking about? what choices have i made lately that simply limit my freedom now or even 30 min. from now? what choices am i making today that continue to limit my freedom because of "free" (and poor) choices i made yesterday, last week, 15 years ago?

there's a lot to chew on here & i have a lot to think about.

what if?

just some questions i've been pondering in this new year.

what if this is your/my last year?
what if deodorant is just a company conspiracy?
what if we quit playing with each other's feelings?
what if we actually believed that we could ?
what if you tried ?
what if starbucks cut their prices by 50%?
what if it tasted good to put chocolate on steak?
what if God really was our best friend?
what if i saw people around me they way God sees them?
what if i could never play guitar again?
what if we decided that we wanted a better life than our parents?
what if having a great weekend didn't result in trying to remember how much was drunk? broken? tagged? beat up? made out with? run from the police? getting grounded?
what if having a great weekend included volunteering? helping a neighbor? babysitting for free?
what if we actually spent time learning more about God every day?
what if the returns on our effort was doubled? (2x as effective @ work, school, relationships, etc.)
what if all the bills were paid off?
what if there is more?
what if there is even better?