2 Fast 2 Furious

We always begin with noble intentions...like blogging weekly. The pace of life often forces us to define our priorities, and we soon find that what once seemed important to us could afford to wait. I'm sure these sentiments are familiar to us all. While the general experience of being pushed to our limits in managing time is quite similar, sometimes the particular nuances of how individuals spend their personal time is most interesting.

Let me share a picture into the life of a pastor on a busy weekend. He gets up on Friday (his day off) and heads out to a fundraising clay-shooting event at 9am. After a round of sporting clays and the catered BBQ lunch, he briefly mingles with a few participants. He then heads home drop off his trusty shotgun, drink a glass of water, and then proceeds to do some necessary shopping. Once this errand is done, he heads into the office to finish up a couple of projects that should have been done the day before. By 4:30, he heads back home to clean up for a wedding rehearsal that night. After the 1.5 hour rehearsal (not his preference!), he picks up a pizza and heads home to his wife.

The next day he gets up, has breakfast, and helps his wife with some of the laundry before going out to make the first of two Sam's Club runs for the day in preparation for a singles party that evening at his in-laws' home. He then helps them prepare for the party for 3 hours before leaving to prepare for the wedding, which happens to start at the exact same time as the singles party. Not great planning on his part. He makes it to the wedding, participates in a beautiful ceremony of 35 minutes in length (yes, 1/3 the length of the rehearsal) and returns home. He then changes clothes, heads over to the party, and plays Scattegories until 10:15. After everyone has left at the house is somewhat returned to normal, he goes home and crashes for a few hours of rest.

When Sunday dawns, he awakens and begins a new day. He and his wife go to worship at 8:30, followed by Bible study. He gets lunch for several of the leaders in his area, stops by the second service to welcome new church members, and then heads right over to a strategy meeting with his leaders. After a very productive 3 hour meeting, he gets a 30 minute break before his next meeting, which only lasts an hour and 15 minutes. Exhausted and thrilled at the day's events, he heads home, makes his Sunday night pancakes, and then blogs about his day to share his joy with the other 4 people who read it!

Now, I must say that this weekend was unusually busy for me; this is not how I normally live. In fact, it would be impossible for me to sustain this pace continuously, but for a few rare moments, it is a lot of fun. I must also point out before you waste any emotional energy sympathizing with me, that I was the one who put this schedule together. If I am a victim, I am only a victim of my own ambition.

The Start

After months of debating the pros and cons of blogging, I have decided to throw my voice into the sea of opinions currently available on the web. Not that I think my opinion really needs to be heard; rather, I think I need to express it. I need to write and put my ideas on the page in black and white. Often, it is only after seeing one's thoughts written down that the inherent absurdity of said ideas becomes apparent. At the same time, I just like the friendly give and take that blogging allows.

I should probably explain the title I have chosen. It is a play on a couple of different ideas. First, I used to work on a landscaping crew when I was in school, spending most afternoons digging holes. Now I dress a little nicer when I go to work, but some of the lessons I learned then are still very helpful. Also, I have, on occasion, spoken too quickly and have gotten myself in a relational hole. Sometimes I spend a lot of time digging my way out. It may well be that this blog takes me down that road a time or two! Finally, I enjoy digging through some of the tough and controversial issues that come up along life's journey. I love getting to sift through the ideas and emotions surrounding these issues and trying to come up with a thoughtful response, especially when considering these ideas from the point of faith. I think this is a vital practice for Christian leaders to adopt as a part of their lifestyle for the good of the Kingdom.

All this is to say, expect a variety of topics on this blog. Sometimes I'm going to purposefully word ideas in a controversial way to force you to think about it. Other times, I'm just going to share fun, hilarious stories from life. On occasion, I may even give a few glimpses into the things I'm having trouble understanding. Dialogue with me, and let's learn from one another. Tell me where I'm wrong, but be prepared to back it up! So, that being said, let the fun begin.