Still Digging

A Philosophy of Missions

2011-01-19T17:03:00.000-06:00

This is rather old news, but several months ago, I was asked to add global missions to the ministries that I oversee. While the challenge has been quite daunting, it has also been a ball! I'll speak more about all of this later, but for the remainder of this post, I'd like to share the philosophy of missions that I have come to adopt.

The Kingdom Wheel: A Philosophy of Mission Partnerships

When it comes to short-term mission trips, the picture that I always share with our teams is of a spoke in a wagon wheel. That little spoke is very limited in what it can accomplish by itself, but when it is followed by another spoke, and another spoke, and another, all connected to the wheel, suddenly you have the potential for great movement. In the same way, a single mission team probably will not move mountains in one or two weeks on the ground, but when it is a part of an ongoing relationship between Christ-centered churches, the impact of that trip cannot be contained. It is with this perspective that our church has recognized the importance of intentional partnerships in our mission endeavors.

The philosophy behind this is pretty simple. Just as our financial support of the Great Commission is based on a partnership with other churches, our conviction is that short-term mission trips can be strategically maximized through supportive relationships with those we serve. We believe that by developing an ongoing partnership with Gospel-sharing teams and individuals around the world, we will develop a better understanding about the needs and challenges in a particular area, our church will be informed to make better decisions in allocating resources to these particular partners, and the members of our church will become more personally engaged in our Lord’s redemptive work around the globe. Also, as the years move forward, the church will be able to hear and see the progress of the Holy Spirit in these particular areas.

While the methods and strategies of our involvement in differing locations may vary, our fundamental commitment is to be obedient to our call to be witnesses of our Lord Jesus to the ends of the earth. We are grateful for the privilege we have to partner with other brothers and sisters around the world in this mission, and by His grace we can say that we are thrilled to be “a spoke in the wheel.”

Sermon Clips

2011-01-06T14:12:00.000-06:00

Over the Christmas holidays, I was able to spend time with several members of my family, many of whom I only see once or twice a year. Upon realizing that some of them keep up with this blog, it occured to me that I could put up links to share sermons and other resources that I develop for ministry at Travis Ave with any of my family or friends who may be interested. Here are two of my most recent messages:

(Click on the link below, then click the play button on the next page.)

http://www.archive.org/details/Rocks_John7.53-8.11

http://www.archive.org/details/WhatKindOfFollowerIsJesusLookingFor

My Favorite Travel Gear (part 2)

2010-12-21T12:57:00.000-06:00

Picking up where I left off last post, let me share a few recommendations for great travel clothing. One of the most important principles in packing for travel is to get as much versatility in as little space and as little weight as possible. For this reason, I have become a huge fan of all things synthetic. Clothing made from polyester, nylon or any synthetic blend of fibers will weigh less and often be less bulky than cotton pieces. Synthetic clothing also offers protection from cold without being as thick and stuffy as wool; it allows your skin to breath while keeping you comfortable. Finally, synthetic apparel dries much quicker than cotton or wool items, making it possible to do laundry in the sink or shower, thereby needing to pack less clothing. Trust me, synthetic is super!

Now, here are a few items that I find especially useful in my international travels. If you have some last-minute Christmas shopping to do, let me offer these suggestions.

1. Convertible Pants. I can't say enough how much I love these. Never again will you struggle with figuring out your pants-to-shorts ratio. These pants allow you the ultimate versatility. I have worn the same pair of pants in 40F mist in Scotland and 90F sunshine in southern Italy, and they kept me comfortable in both places. They are especially helpful in places where shorts are not considered appropriate, like when visiting religious sites or conservative regions. Personally, I often have to wear the leg coverings while in villages, but then I'm able to zip them off whenever I get into the cab or bus (frequenty NOT air conditioned). Sometimes little tricks like this make a big difference in surviving and thriving in the travel experience. Fortunately, you don't have to spend too much to get a good pair of convertibles. Academy will often have them for as little as $20, but if you want to invest a little more, check out these from Ex Officio. They are insect repellant through 70 washings!

2. Light shirts. Even when I'm traveling in a little cooler area, I like to have a few light mesh shirts for layering. I'll use these as a base layer under a good fleece or light jacket. For instance, Adidas makes a nice, light mesh tee that is comfortable and affordable. For something a little more versatile, I like this shirt from Ex Officio. It carries the convertible idea over to a long sleeve shirt that has sleeve-shortening buttons and air vents. If you want a less expensive approach to the same idea, check out the Magellan brand at Academy.

3. Fleece. If you will be in a cooler area, I definitely recommend you check out some fleeces. Now, this is one place I recommend you don't pinch pennies. There is a noticable difference in quality between some of the lesser brands. If you will be frequently travelling to cool climates, it will be to your advantage to check out these options from Mountain Hardwear. First, check out this pullover fleece. It's light enough to pack for those occasionally cool nights in the Meditteranean, but it will keep you comfortable on moderate fall days. I also love this fleece as an under-layer for icy mornings in the duck blind. For something a little heavier, I really recommend this light jacket. It's just a bit heavier than the fleece, and can be worn over light mesh shirts or combined with a heavier outside coat for ultimate warmth. I wore this when hiking through a brisk rain in the Scottish Highlands, and it kept me warm despite the weather.

4. Footwear. Here's one place where we could look at a whole lot of options, depending on the trip. Of course, the idea is to pack as lightly as possible, so how do we accomplish that? Well, my starting point on any trip is a sturdy pair of sandals like these from Teva. These are comfortable enough for the beach, tough enough for hiking ancient sites, and small enough to fit in the bottom of a backpack. I don't go anywhere without these sandals. Something like this is especially helpful in cultures where you take off your shoes at the door. If you know you'll be doing quite a lot of hiking, I would point you to anything made by Merrell. While not the cheapest option, these shoes and boots are renowned for comfort and quality. For our trip to Europe, we knew we'd be hiking some decent "day trails", including one 9 miler. I also wanted to buy a boot that I could "grow into" as I take on more hiking and backpacking trips. For this reason, I decided to spring for the Chameleon3 Mid tops. I couldn't be more pleased! I wore these for about 15-18 miles of hiking trails in 3 days, then I followed by wearing them all around Rome and Pompeii for several more miles. My feet, though tired, did not blister at all, and the boots proved to be quite versatile. In short, I'll be buying another pair IF these ever wear out (they have shown little wear in 9 months). While your trip will determine your footwear needs, these two options would be useful in most settings.

So, that's the basics for clothing. Let me know if you have any other recommendations for travel apparel.

My favorite travel gear (Part 1)

2010-10-29T23:37:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, I've had the privilege to hop around the globe a bit, especially this past summer. One thing that I alluded to in my Top Five Travel Tips was the importance of having good gear. Now, "gear" can include a whole variety of stuff, depending on the type of trip one takes. For the next few posts, I will share some of my favorite travel tools, attire and baggage, along with the general settings in which I found them useful.

One of my very favorite travel tools is my iPhone. Here's why: it contains more helpful travel tools in a 4 inch x 2 inch package than I could carry in my backpack. For keeping travel itinerary and reservations handy, I simply built an email file of all my confirmation messages, ready to go at a moments notice. No shuffling with paper, just tap and point. To communicate with villagers in Cambodia, I just utilized my "I Speak Khmer" app. To figure out if I was getting a deal or getting ripped off in the market, I just opened up my currency exchange app. I was able to keep in constant contact with folks back home through email, facebook, and my latest favorite app HeyTell. In fact, with the latter I was able to talk to my wife almost every morning while in India, free of charge.

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to traveling with an iPhone. 1) You need an international data plan. These can be purchased at varying levels from AT&T. They're not too bad when you consider how useful it can be. 2) You need to follow all of AT&T's directions for adjusting your phone's settings while abroad. Warning: if you skip this, you could get a brutal phone bill. 3) iPhones are easily lifted by pickpockets. If you will be traveling in cities, like pickpocket-capital Rome, be cautious how often you whip out your phone. Everybody may have one over here, but it will attract a lot of attention overseas. Also, I chose to keep my phone in a hidden, zipped inner pocket inside a pocket in my pants. Call me paranoid, but I do still have my iPhone!

Top 5 Travel Tips

2010-09-17T12:32:00.001-05:00

This past summer has been one of the most rewarding (and weary-ing) of my life. Between a European vacation to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and two separate service trips to Asia, I spent a total of 38 days out of the country. Let me first say that, contrary to what is shown on cable tv, international travel often is not luxurious. It does have its challenges. At the same time, let me also say that knowing how to navigate the rigors of travel abroad absolutely has its rewards. This little list is an introduction to help you start to think strategically about how to best navigate the travel experience. I will dive into more detail in the coming posts.

Travel Tip #1 Keep Organized Plans

Much of this happens before you go. Making travel and stay preparations are a huge part of any trip. Even if your desire is to keep spontaneity as a core part of your experience, a little bit of planning will be necessary. It is advisable, therefore, to keep copies of all reservations and travel documents, emergency phone numbers, as well as your atm or credit cards. These should be in a secure location (preferably carried with you). Let's face it, sometimes reservations don't make it into the computer. It sure is nice to be able to show proof of your arrangement. Also, know your plans and review them before you go. Planning on the front side of the trip means you don't have to think about it much once you are there.

Travel Tip #2 Pack Smart

Basic premise: If you pack it, you better be able to carry it. Don't fall into the temptation of thinking that you need a separate outfit for every day of your trip. You can have a much more enjoyable trip if you will pack the right kind of clothes/gear, especially things that are light, synthetic, and can be sink-washed and hung dry overnight. Even if you are going to be traveling in "nicer" attire, you can still find ways to limit how much you bring. Packing smart not only means less you carry, but it also means you pack expecting to have hiccups along the way. Five days in Cambodia without luggage makes you rethink your carry-on strategy. Simply put, if you can get away without checking any luggage, do that. If you must check baggage, for size or restriction reasons, then make sure your carry on has everything you need to survive for a few days.

Travel Tip #3 Adjust to the Culture

Things are done differently around the world. Get over it. It may not be as efficient; it may not be as you are accustomed. Gaining a better understanding of the cultures of the world is a part of the travel experience. Rather than try to make things fit into your framework, why don't you try to understand the people you are visiting? Remember, you are a guest visiting in someone else's neighborhood. At the end of the day you will probably still prefer your cultural attitude to many situations, but you will at least have been exposed to different practices and ways of thinking, which will make you more thoughtful as you view your world.

Travel Tip #4 Taste the Culture

While this is similar to the tip above, I think it merits specific mention. Get out and eat some of the local cuisine. Don't travel across an ocean and spend all your time at McDonalds and KFC (yes, they are in Southeast Asia). Go eat at some reputable local places. As you sample what the locals enjoy, you'll gain a better sense of connection with them and their community. Many times you'll also be eating only the foods that are produced nearby, an experience that is unknown by most Americans who are used to finding whatever they want at their Supermarket. One word of caution on this: be sure to take some Acidophilous pills to protect your digestive system from the new and unusual elements found in food in different parts of the world.

Travel Tip #5 Get Out of the City

I have been to London, Edinburgh, Rome, Phnom Penh, and Bangalore in the last three months. You know what's remarkable? That despite their obvious differences, they are amazingly similar. Cities are cities. I am not advising you to miss the remarkable aspects and attractions that are offered in cities such as these. Things like the British Museum and the Roman Colosseum shouldn't be missed! But, I would urge everyone to experience life outside these cities, in the towns and villages that are often overlooked by travellers. These are the places where you really get a taste of the uniqueness of a culture, and where you see life through a different pair of lenses. Only off the beaten path will you really find "the best fish and chips in the UK," or will you get to see farmers planting rice fields or harvesting sugar cane. Only out there will you come across the best iced coffee you've ever had, or get to see border collies "work the sheep."

Delphi

2010-08-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

Our final stop on this trip was to Delphi, Greece, home to one of the most significant artifacts in New Testament studies. But we'll get to that in a moment. First, in the above picuture we are standing in front of the famous Temple of Apollo for which the city was known in antiquity. Delphi was also home to the Pythian Games, one of the four panhellenic games held in ancient Greece. Below is a picture of the stadium, which sat high above the rest of the city on the mountain. It is estimated that this stadium could hold over 6,000 spectators to view the games.

What made Delphi truly a special stop to me, and what makes it a significant location in New Testament studies is its claim as home to the Gallio Inscription. This particular artifact establishes the date when Paul was in Corinth on his second missionary journey, and gives us a likely framework for dating all of Paul's ministry! I'll explain this in detail below, but first let's have a moment to stare in awe at the famed Gallio Inscription.

Ok, this inscription was written by Emperor Claudius and placed at the wall near the Temple of Apollo. It is dated according to the year of the Emperor's reign, which we can figure to be between AD 52 and January 53. Further events indicated help us narrow the time period down even more to no later than August AD 52. This inscription also mentions Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia. This provides us another clue, for proconsuls served a one year term, from July 1- June 30 before being replaced, often being recalled back to Rome. Based on this information, we can deduce with a high degree of certainty that Gallio was Proconsul of Corinth from July 51- June 52. So why does this matter?

In Acts 18:12, Paul is taken before Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia by the Jews for preaching the Gospel. We know, therefore, that Paul, having spent 18 months in Corinth, appeared before Gallio between AD 51-52. This is the linchpin in dating all of Paul's ministry. And I could have touched it!

Corinth

2010-06-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

(Street in ancient Corinth with shops on each side.)

Near the end of our trip, we finally arrived at one of my most anticipated sites: Corinth. Paul had more known dealings with this city than any other, having lived there 1.5 years, visited at least twice more, and writing at least 4 letters to the church at Corinth. (Our books of 1 and 2 Corinthians are actually the 2nd and 4th letters. The first and third letters are lost to history.) Corinth was also a booming metropolis in the first century with a massive commerce industry and a notorious reputation as the Sin City of antiquity. A temple was built for the Greek goddess Aphrodite in Corinth, and unbelievable perversity was offered as worship to her. An example of the city's wealth can be seen below in the exquisite mosaic that was originally on the floor of a wealthy Corinthian's dining room. This can be dated to very near the time of Paul.

One of the reasons Corinth attained so much wealth was its strategic location. It was built on an isthmus, and had harbors on both sides of the city. Cargo from ships would be loaded onto a rail system on the east, taxed by the city, and rolled to the west where it would be loaded on another ship, saving sailors days or even weeks on the sea. Though it was tried many times throughout history, in the late 19th century a canal was built that linked the two sides. The canal is approximately 1.5 miles long.

We know that while he was in Corinth, Paul worked for a time as a tentmaker with Aquila and Priscilla. It is likely that they had a shop in the local agora. The partially reconstructed shop below gives an idea of what Paul's tent shop may have looked like.

We also know that Paul first went to the Jewish synagogue in Corinth to preach the message about Jesus. For some time, archaeologists questioned if there actually was a Jewish synagogue in the city. With the discovery of this stone, however, all doubts were laid to rest. Though it is not easy to read, the upper stone reads "goge (H)ebr..." in Greek. While there are letters missing due to the break in the stone, there is no question what is being mentioned. Also, notice the menorahs on the stone below.

Here is Dr. Vang teaching about when Paul was taken by the Jews before Gallio, the proconsul of Corinth. This account is recorded in Acts 18:12-17. In a legal dispute, offended parties would take a defendant to the Proconsul, an official appointed by Rome for a one year term, from July 1- June 30. The Proconsul would sit on the "Bema" seat of judgement. This one event provides New Testament scholars the foundation for dating all of Paul's travels and ministry. More on that in the next post.

One other "rock of interest" is this stone. It was a marker outside the Corinthian theater which mentions of the patrons who financially supported the construction efforts, a man named "Erastus." He was, undoubtedly, one of the most important and wealthy men of the city to have overseen such a significant project. It should also be noted that as Paul closes his letter to the Romans, a letter he wrote from Corinth, he mentions in Rom. 16:23, "Erastus, the city treasurer and our brother Quartus greet you." It is highly likely that this is the same person, one of our Christian brothers.

Athens (part 2)

2010-05-27T19:46:00.001-05:00

(The Parthenon and Mars Hill as viewed from the ancient city of Athens)

After touring the Parthenon and Mars Hill, we got to go down to the ruins of the ancient city of Athens. While the site itself is not as impressive as Ephesus, one does get a better picture of the Roman times by the restored stoa (strip mall) in the midst of the Athenian ruins.

Here is an impressive view from inside the reconstructed stoa. Little shops would be set up to the right of the photo, just past the columns in single-room arrangements. If you have been to a Middle East bizarre, you get the idea.

Here are the original remains of the other stoa. Though Athens was not the only city that had three stoas in its agora (marketplace), it does indicate the city's wealth and size in the early Roman period.

While we know that Athens was advanced, many of us rarely realize just how advanced the Greco-Roman cities were. Here we see the relics of the underground sewer system.

This is one of the temples for the pagan gods referenced in Acts 17. In particular, this is the Temple of Hephaestus, the Greek god of technology, craftsmanship, and blacksmiths.

Me and my long lost brother.

I just have to share my useless trivia on this. This sign obviously is an exit sign, but the Greek word for "exit" written above is exodus, which explains how the book of Exodus got its name. But that's not all. Not only does this word have biblical significance, but it also serves to give us an insight into how literal the Greek language can be. Translated literally, the work actually means "the road (or path) out."

Athens (part 1)

2010-05-07T12:34:00.000-05:00

First, let me say that I'm glad we took this trip last year considering the current situation in Athens. Second, I must also say that I was rather disappointed with the condition of the city. Not only was it dirty, but an abundance of graffiti really countered the mystique of the ancient city. That being said, the ruins and sites of ancient Athens were amazing!

One of the first places that we went to was the agora or downtown of ancient Athens. This area once contained 3 large stoas, or shop buildings (think strip mall; a reconstructed stoa can be partially seen on the right edge of the picture with a large red roof.), a large enclosed auditorium, and monuments to the 12 recognized gods. It was here that we read about Paul finding an altar devoted "to the unknown god," and being compelled to go and preach to the philosophers of the city.

After stirring up the crowd of Athenians in the agora, Paul was taken up to the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill. It was on this hill overlooking ancient Athens that the key philosophers of the day would gather and discuss thoughts on life. It was on this very place that Paul gave this well-reasoned explanation of Gospel, evangelically engaging the leading philosophers of his day.

(Mars Hill viewed from the Parthenon)

The two of us on top of Mars Hill with the ancient city of Athens below.

In the footsteps of Paul...

Next time we'll include our pictures of the Parthenon and a few other shots from the ancient Athenian agora.

Santorini (expanded)

2010-04-26T22:05:00.001-05:00

The final Greek Island we stopped at on our cruise across the Mediterranean was the gem: Santorini. This tiny island has no biblical significance, but it was one of our favorite locales on the entire trip. As we approached the harbor, we saw what appeared to be snow caps on top of the cliffs.

As we grew closer, however, we recognized that we were not gazing upon snow, but on the picturesque settlement that seemed to gracefully sit atop the rocky island like frosting on a cupcake. Many of the uniformly colored white buildings were adorned with bright blue roofs, making every little shop and structure look like works of art.

To get up to the serene settlement, we first had to climb nearly 700 feet to the top. We followed the winding pathway pictured below, ascending 660 steps in the process. It may look glamorous or romantic, but what you cannot experience from the picture is the smell of the donkey droppings all along the path. Yes, it is cheaper to walk than to ride, but it's not without a cost!

Here was the reason for the smell. On our way back down, one donkey was coming up and tried to run me over. I stuck him in the eye with a forearm. He moved over.

We finally made it to the top. Yes, it was worth it!

This is probably the most beautiful picture of the whole trip. This church had a blue-domed roof just about the same color as the sky. In Athens, I happened upon some small canvas prints of this same chapel; one is in my office. It continues to inspire me.

After our long journey to the top of the island and a bit of touring, we decided we were overdue for a snack, so we headed off to find a crepe shop. It took a little bit of asking, but eventually we found two side by side. We chose this one.

Fresh, warm crepes...sitting under a blue sky...on Santorini...yeah, we enjoyed ourselves!

Easter Gift

2010-04-02T20:52:00.000-05:00

This morning we had our annual Good Friday Service for the community around our church. It's one of our most special Easter traditions, beginning with an always-captivating worship service and culminating in "The Marketplace," a bizaare-like setting where our neighbors can shop for a wide variety of specialty food items and other goodies. The whole event is always a lot of fun, but the most special gift I received came through an unexpected friendship.

We began the day by baptizing two gentlemen who had recently committed their lives to Christ. One of these, Mr. Zachary, was an 80 year old African-American with only a single tooth on the bottom, but he swore he didn't feel a day over 20. My job was to prep these men for baptism, so we began talking about their backgrounds and their conversion. In the course of our conversation, Mr. Zachary shared how he had grown up walking or riding a wagon a couple miles to church each week. For them, "church" was not simply an hour long service; it was an all-day event. Services were held for several hours in the morning, followed by a potluck lunch on the grounds and a time of relaxing, and concluding with several hours of evening service. He talked about how "everyone got along back then..."

I ended up staying with Mr. Zachary for the whole morning, worshipping with him after the baptism and helping him carry his bags as he shopped. Every few minutes he stopped to tell me how much he appreciated our church, my help, and everything else he could think of. When it was over, I gave him a ride back to his little house. As he got out and I unloaded his groceries from the truck, he again thanked me profusely. I shook his hand and assured him that it was truly my pleasure to meet him and to spend the morning with him.

As I drove off, I was overwhelmed by the paradox of our relationship. He was an older man from a by-gone era; certainly in his lifetime he has witnessed atrocities and pain that I will never know. He lived through the days of "Whites Only" and the struggle for Civil Rights, while I have merely read of these in history books. Though his basic needs are provided, he has certainly not known the affluence that I have been afforded. Yet, because of the work of Christ, he and I are brothers, sharing both the hope and the inheritance that became available when the tomb was emptied.

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility..." Ephesians 2:14

Oops!

2010-03-16T16:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, here is our account of one unforgettable wrong turn on our trip. After our lunch in the Rhodes courtyard, we then headed out to the beach for a little nap. (Pictures to come).

After a little bit, I woke up and started looking around. About 30 yards away, something just caught my attention. I noticed a rather rotund, shirt-less older person sitting down, talking to another senior. I was still a little groggy from my nap, but something in my mind kept on going off. Suddenly it hit me: the older dude was not a dude, but a lady! I'd been looking at a topless, obese geriatric woman!! "Ohh, my eyes!"

Needless to say, Rebekah and I got off that beach as fast as we could. But the damage had already been done. I will forever bear on my mind visual proof that topless beaches, regardless of what seventh-grade boys may think, are a BAD idea.

Rhodes

2010-03-12T12:38:00.000-06:00

From Crete, we once again boarded the Aquamarine and set out for Rhodes. Previously I alluded to the deficiencies of the ship; let me explain. Built in 1971, the ship's fresh paint could hardly mask its age. While we have all seen pictures of contemporary luxury cruise ships, with their endless amenities and laissez-faire attitude, this particular craft betrayed its age with a swimming pool so tiny no one dared to get in, an exercise room that was clearly in a converted closet, and more rules than a seventh grade classroom. Though breakfast and lunch were open for leisure, dinner reservations were to be made for either 6 or 8, with the doors to the dining hall shutting precisely at one past the appointed hour. In light of this, our group promptly renamed the boat the Shawshank Cruise.

Despite the many rules, we did still manage to have fun on the ship.

Discussing theology with The PROF: Dr. Preben Vang.

Once we landed at Rhodes, we were free to enjoy the afternoon by ourselves. Though it has no significance for New Testament studies, we found Rhodes to be a great tourist stop.Rebekah and I enjoyed strolling through the alleys and peeking in the little shops along the way.

Eventually, we came to an open courtyard with balcony restaurants on every side. Each restaurant had a barker trying to persuade passers-by to come and dine at their finest table.

How could we resist? It was truly a marvelous lunch, overlooking a timeless courtyard from a shaded balcony somewhere in the Mediterranean.

Ok, I know I promised to tell of our notorious adventure on Rhodes in this post, but I've had too much else to cover. Check back on Tuesday afternoon for our big "Oops" moment of the trip.

Crete

2010-03-05T12:04:00.001-06:00

Resuming my series from our tour of Greece and Turkey last summer, we will pick up immediately after our tour of Patmos. From there the P.O.C. Aquamarine set out west to Crete. Though we did not see any biblical sites in Crete, the island does show up in the New Testament a few times. The book of Titus was written to one of Paul's companions, a man who was serving on the island of Crete. Also, Paul's extra-biblical Fourth Missionary journey may have included a stop in Crete.

What we did see in Crete was the archaelogical remains of the Minoan civilization. This Kingdom was from the same time as Abraham (2100 BC), and was extremely advanced. Notice how the columns above are wider at the top and smaller at the bottom. This was not only unusual, but an impressive engineering feat at the time. Also, below is a picture of part of their plumbing system. Believe it or not, 2000 before Christ there were some with indoor plumbing!

Oh, this picture needs to be explained. The whole cruise ship basically breaks up into tour groups to see the site. We each have guides who hold up our sign, so that we won't get lost. That's right, we're international travelers, and they treat us like we're in Kindergarten. Well, our guide was moving exceptionally slow, allowing a lot of other groups to pass us on the way to the site. Rebekah and I discussed the matter and agreed that I should confiscate the sign and lead at a more progressive pace. Sometimes you just have to takeover.

Below is a picture of the Minoan throne room. On the left side of the picture is the actual throne of a 21st Century BC king. I think I'd prefer the seat of 21st Century AD average joe.

Our next stop on this blog journey will be Rhodes! Check back for some great pics, and one unforgettable wrong turn!

What We Need

2010-02-23T11:12:00.001-06:00

Forgiveness.

I need it. You do, too. And so does everybody else.

I was reminded of this recently while watching Tiger Woods apologize for his unfaithfulness to his wife. His recent fall is certainly tragic, but I found his apology to be particularly heartbreaking, not so much for what he said, but for what he did not say. He did own up to his mistakes; he did take responsibility for his actions. He very clearly recognized that his choices had hurt others, showing a thoughtfulness and concern for others that seemed sincere. He apologized. He said, "I'm sorry." But he did not ask for forgiveness.

By omitting this request, Woods gives us a peak into the mentality of most world religions. Most of the major faith systems teach that sins or immorality must be countered or neutralized by good deeds. The idea is that our positive moral behavior must outweigh our negative moral behavior. While there is certainly some appeal to this sort of thought, an honest search inside our own souls must certainly reveal the depth of our own depravity. Even our good deeds are often tarnished by impure motives. I know that I often act honorably with selfish intent. So, is it really wise to trust in our own righteous acts?

Another question to ponder is this: Does such a model actually take seriously the damage that is done by moral wrongdoing? Or does it instead brush over the seriousness of the offense? Suppose a murderer spends the remainder of his life saving others. Can he really overcome the guilt of having taken a life? Will the thousands of lives he saves remove the pain, sorrow, and loss suffered by the family of his victim?

Tiger appealed to the passage of time covering his mistakes. He acknowledged that many people had believed in him, and he asked that they "find room in (their) hearts to one day believe in me again." Of course, the old saying is that time heals all wounds. But how true is that? With the passage of time, we do often see that some offenses were exaggerated, or perhaps were merely accidental. Yet, we must also recognize that many wounds only fester and grow with the passage of time. Time may give perspective, but it does not provide healing.

Ultimately, I believe we must all recognize the unblunted seriousness of our own moral failures, the damage caused by them, and come to accept that we can never undo the pain that we cause. Our only hope is to offer ourselves to the Judge, to receive our due punishment, to come face to face with the consequences of our actions, to take on forever the penalty of our sins...

And then receive the forgiveness available. Only when we go through the dark depth of our just desserts do we realize the beauty of forgiveness, the one thing that we all need more than air.

Return of the Shoveler

2010-02-08T17:35:00.006-06:00

Ok, after several months off, it's time to get back in the groove. I've got several posts ahead that are long overdue, including the rest of our Turkey/ Greece pictures with commentary. Along with these, we will continue our ongoing quest to dig through some meaty topics and, hopefully, progress on our journey forward.

Before we get there, I sense a need to explain my long absence. While I could lay out a number of tired excuses or laundry lists of the past few months' activities, my silence can essentially be attributed to the convergence of two recent factors:

1. First, I have been preoccupied with proofreading my wife's Ph.D. dissertation, leaving me little time to develop any substantial thoughts of my own.

2. Second, I also succumbed to peer pressure and got an iPhone. I now no longer need to sit down at a computer, as I have one on my hip at all times. Unfortunately, the iPhone does not inspire one to write thoughtful, developed blogs. It mainly keeps me obsessed with the Tyranny of the Urgent. And occasional theories on LOST...

Coming soon...

2010-02-06T17:49:00.002-06:00

Patmos

2009-07-10T20:23:00.006-05:00

After Ephesus, we took a cruise to the nearby island of Patmos. You may remember that this is where John the Apostle was exiled and where he wrote the book of the Revelation. What many don't realize is that he was not likely the only one exiled to this island, that it actually served as sort of a home for exiled enemies of Rome, somewhat like Australia did for the British Empire several centuries later. Here are some of the pics we took.

This cave is held by the Catholic church to be the location where John received the vision of the Revelation. Though this is a bit fanciful, it does serve to help you think about what it may have been like for John to write there as a prisoner.

Pictures are not allowed inside the cave, but our irreverent theology professor broke the rules! We're all glad he did, because we get to share them with you.

One of the things I loved at this point in the journey was all of the Greek writings that we found. It was a great way to practice what I learned in seminary, as well as to impress my bride. Below is the first chapter of Revelation as it appears in the Greek New Testament.

Here Dr. Vang and I are translating the inscriptions on a mosaic at St. John's monastery which depicts John the Apostle and Christodoulos, the monk who founded St. John's in the 5th century. The figure on the left is identified as "Saint John, the Theologian." The one on the right is "Saint Christodoulos." Christodoulos is clearly holding a copy of the book of Revelation.

Here we are just outside St. John's monastery.

Ephesus part 2

2009-06-23T18:09:00.007-05:00

(Above is a sculpture of the Greek goddess, Nike)

Acts 19 describes Paul's ministry in Ephesus. He spent the first 3 months there teaching in the synagogue. Though the synagogue's ruins have not been identified, the menorah etched in the steps of the Library below may have pointed the way to the meeting place.

After being run out of the temple, Paul resorted to preaching in a lecture hall. Great crowds of people came to faith in Christ. The Gospel transformed the society so much that former socerers burned their books of magic and witchcraft; we are told the total cost of the books burned equaled 50,000 day's wages. About 60 years after Paul, one of the largest libraries of the time was built in Ephesus.

One of the key claims of Ephesus in the first century was its status as the home of Artemis the goddess of fertility.

In Acts 19, some of the craftsmen who made statues of Artemis became worried Paul's message would hurt their business, so they stirred up the city to riot. We are told that they all ran into the theater and shouted for 2 hours, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians."

This theater could seat 25,000. Its acoustics are incredible. I could speak on the stage in a normal voice, and you could clearly hear me on the last row.

Later, around 90 AD, Ephesus became a central stronghold of Imperial worship cults. These cults demanded that all people pledge allegiance "Caesar is Lord." Those who did not pledge would not be allowed to buy or sell in the province. It is widely believed by scholars that the Imperial cult is the beast out of the sea described in Revelation 13. Here are the remains of the Imperial Temple, established by Domitian.

Here is a statue of Domitian that was erected at the Imperial Temple. This is identified with the "image of the beast" described in Revelation13:14. Before it was broken, the whole statue supposedly was 21 feet tall. Historians record that mysterious activity surrounded the image. Many of our Christian brothers and sister died because they would not bow to this stone.

No doubt, Ephesus is one of the most fascinating places I have ever been. Imagine only being allowed to spend a few hours there! I feel a return trip on the horizon!

Ephesus

2009-06-19T18:50:00.006-05:00

(Epic Library of Celsus, constructed 120AD, Ephesus)

One of the greatest ancient sites to go see in the world is Ephesus. Paul spent nearly 3 years at this coastal city, and the community was transformed by the Christian message. You can read about his experiences there in Acts 19, but before you do, check out some of these pictures. It really brings Paul's world to life. (I'm pointing to a Greek inscription that reads "Ephesus".)

Here we are on "government road." Unlike most cities of the time, Ephesus had two agoras (market place), one main agora and one primarily for the government and aristocracy. This road leads up to the government agora. You can see statues of Ephesian patrons and pillars lining both sides of the road.

We rarely think of advanced plumbing in the first century, but they had it here. First, you see the clay water pipes.

Then you see the public latrines, which featured constantly running water... automatic flushing.

And then you see the public bath house. The baths featured hot and cold water, and the "ruts" in the wall were actually chambers where steam was piped in to heat the room.

The wealthy patrons lived in rather large, multi-room homes with slaves and extended family. Here are some similar remaining homes built onto the base of the hill.

And here are the ornate insides of a typical wealthy Greco-Roman home. Notice the mosaics and the frescoes.

It is likely that many of the early house churches met in the homes of patrons similar to these. In particular, we know that Paul stayed at the home of Lydia in Acts 16.

That's all you get for now. I don't want to saturate your capacity to be wowed by this stuff, so you've got to come back on Wednesday for more. By the way, the best is yet to come!

Assos and Pergamum

2009-06-11T13:21:00.006-05:00

From Troas we went down the coast to Assos, a port city just south of Troas a bit. Paul walked from Troas to Assos on his 3rd missionary journey, possibly to see people along the way or because he did not wish to sail that leg. A few remaining ruins can be seen of the city.

We then went down to Pergamum. This city was renowned for its production of parchment, a type of paper made from animal skins that was smoothed and dried. While likely more expensive than papyrus, parchment lasted longer and could be washed clean and reused. Pergamum was also one of the 7 churches address in Revelation.

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne." Revelation 2:12-13

It is widely believed that "Satan's throne" refers to this temple of Zeus. Though we view Greek gods intriguing examples of mythological literature, the worship surrounding these gods was extremely vile and pagan. Our Christian brothers and sisters felt the oppression that came from opposing this part of their culture.

Here's a view of Pergamum from below. You can barely make out the large theater on the front side of the hill, and the temple of Zeus stood where the trees on the right side of the hill are now.

Journeys of Paul Trip- part 1

2009-06-06T21:06:00.006-05:00

I apologize for not getting this up sooner. A couple weeks ago, Rebekah and I enjoyed the trip of a lifetime as we joined Palm Beach Atlantic University's Honors Study trip for a Journeys of Paul tour. One of my former Ouachita professors, Dr. Preben Vang, led the tour and was our connection for the trip. Our trip covered many of the key places that Paul visited on his second and third missionary journeys, along with a few other significant sites along the way.

We began in Istanbul and worked our way down the western coast of Turkey. Here are a few shots from Troas, where Paul received the Macedonian Vision in Acts 16:6-10.

Here I am overlooking the location of the ancient harbor Paul would have left to take the Gospel to Europe for the first time.

Notice the nice pile of broken pottery. Shards like this sometimes were used for jotting little notes or agreements.

No trip to Turkey is complete without experiencing Turkish coffee. Here's the before:

Here's the after:

Here's the reason why:

Yes, that's the silt-like coffee grinds. That little mug will go a long way! Check back Thursday for part 2.

The Athenian Way

2009-05-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

Today I stood at the top of the Areopagus, the very site where Paul debated the philosophers of Athens. How cool is that? I also paid a Euro for one hour's worth of access to let all the fam back home know that I am still alive. So, with time left over, the Scottish blood in my veins won't allow me to waste these last few minutes. Hence, you get this post. I'll be doing a series of posts over this pilgrimage in the next few days.

Paradox of Faith

2009-05-07T21:34:00.002-05:00

Among other things, one of the books I'm currently reading is a fascinating little study titled The Celtic Way of Evangelism by George G. Hunter III. In it, he reviews the missionary works of St. Patrick to Ireland, and to a lesser extent Columba's work in Scotland around the 5th century AD. He notes many of the significant contrasts between these mission efforts to the Celts and the approach taken by the Roman church in that time period and the following centuries. One key quote caught my eye and just begged to be shared on this blog, comparing Augustine's understanding of the human condition with that of Patrick.

"Augustine looked into his heart and found there the inexpressible anguish of each individual, which enabled him to articulate a theory of sin that has no equal- the dark side of Christianity. Patrick prayed, made peace with God, and then looked not only into his own heart but into the hearts of others. What he saw convinced him of the bright side- that even slave traders can turn into liberators, even murderers can act as peacemakers, even barbarians can take their place among the nobility of heaven."

Without both perspectives, we do not see the masterpiece of God's redemptive work. Instead, we only see a cheap cartoon.

Spring Stampede 2009

2009-04-23T11:22:00.008-05:00

I'm a little late with this one, but better than never. On April 11 our singles ministry put on our second annual Spring Stampede Disc Golf Tournament. We do this to reach out to the disc golf crowd in our area, demonstrating God's abundant love with them and sharing our hope in Christ. This year we made a decision to move the tournament to a course that would prepare us for future growth. While we are continuing to learn how to do this better, it's always exciting to see how God blesses our efforts. The highlight of the day was the baptism of my friend, Eric, the first outdoor baptism I've done. Check out some picks of the day.

As promised...

2009-04-13T20:11:00.002-05:00

Thanks to those who shared their personal axioms with us. For those that did not, keep working on them. It's a worthwhile effort for two key reasons.

First, axioms allow you to clarify your convictions. Most people have general ideas about how to approach life, but these ideas are rarely concretized. Usually some nebulous mass of thoughts hover out in the nether world and, because there is no clarity, these thoughts are often pushed aside by the hasty demands of the moment. But when I say, "Work from your rest," I am acknowledging an important conviction that I best function when I am regularly recharging my body and my soul with down time. Just this statement helps me be clear that I am not supposed to work continously like a marathon runner. We work best when we work in a cycle of sprints interspersed with rest.

Second, axioms enable you to pass on your principles. From the perspective of influence, this is crucial. When you develop compact, memorable proverbs, it enables you share your values with those around you. If your axioms connect with the hearts and minds of those near you, they will be adopted. It also gives the people in your organization a common language around which to build a unique culture. When I say "we're made for community," most of the young singles I serve know what I mean. Those words are like a short-cut to the often recalled passage in Acts 2:42-47 about what the first church experienced, and how it is God's plan to work through a community of faith to fully express His love to the world around us and to live in connection with one another.

So, here's another chance. Develop your own personal axioms. Clarify your convictions; pass on your principles. We'll be waiting on you.

Personal Leadership Proverbs

2009-04-06T20:32:00.003-05:00

In his 2008 book, Axiom, Bill Hybels encourages pastors and all leaders to formulate some of their convictions and guiding ideas into axioms- personal proverbs that can be recalled at a moment's notice. I've had a few months to reflect on my own thoughts and some of the language that I tend to use when carrying out my duties, so here are my own axioms.

1. If you're the one pulling the trigger, be sure you like where the gun is pointing. Most of us are put in a position at some time or another where we must make a key decision that will affect others. When this happens, we often find multiple voices in our ears trying to persuade us which choice to make. Though it is always important to listen to those around us, we must not yield the responsibility of our decision to satisfy the demands of others. Simply put, if you're the one who makes the decision, then be sure that you make the decision that is comfortable to you.

2. Challenges are opportunities for greatness. It's easy for people to get down and discouraged when things start to get hard. They see struggle and the possibility of failure around every corner. In reality, it is when we face challenges that the possibility of great success first appears. If there is no challenge, then there's nothing great about success; if it's easy, then who cares?

3. It's about people. In virtually any given situation, people get priority over anything (other than God!). When this starts to slip or get fuzzy, problems are soon to follow.

4. Isn't this fun? When I'm involved in doing God's work, especially within a group of friends, I'm often struck by how much I enjoy it. I love that we get the privilege of doing stuff that matters. I love getting hear stories of how God is at work all around us, blessing our activities and efforts well beyond our understanding. When I get tired, or when I've been through an intense time where God has done amazing things, I like to remind myself and those nearby, "Hey, isn't this fun?"

5. Sharpen the blade. Everything, from programs to systems to strategies, needs to be improved from time to time. For this reason, we must all regularly engage in re-examining and retooling components of life around us. We don't live in a static world; we must never assume that once we create a strategy that we will never again need to solve that particular problem. Even the best blades need to be sharpened occasionally.

So, what are some axioms you've developed? Let me kindly request that everyone who reads this post submit at least one, and then I'll post a further summary and comment at the end of the week.

Loss of a Hero

2009-03-20T12:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I received word that Mickey Sampson, a friend and our main contact in Cambodia, died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He was one of my heroes of the faith, a brilliant scientist who used his abilities to bring holistic change to the poverty of Cambodia and who was then able to share the hope of Christ to the hungry hearts of those he served. The scope of his influence for the Kingdom is hard to overestimate.

In 2006, his organization produced over 25,000 ceramic water filters for use in Cambodia, saving the lives of thousands of Cambodians. (1 in 5 Cambodian children die before the age of 5 due to water impurity issues.) He also oversaw programs to improve health and hygene, education, agriculture, and farming. He began using Karaoke videos to educate the culture about various safety and life matters. He even developed an educational television program that became the top-rated children's show in Cambodia. Just over a week ago he was one of the key note speakers at a conference in Atlanta for the Center of Disease control on his work in Cambodia. And just last week he was working on the finishing touches for a portable, ceramic water filter factory with the intentions of sending it to Sudan to help the refugees of Darfur.

Please pray for his wife and their five children. Please also pray for God to use this to bring salvation to the hundreds of thousands of Cambodians who have been impacted by Mickey's work.

25 things

2009-03-09T19:51:00.002-05:00

I know this is a Facebook thing, but if I write it, it should count toward the blog.

25. I tend to be either a part of the "late majority" or a "laggard" when responding to current trends, fads, or fashions. This explains why everyone else has done this but me.
24. While I hold a fairly wide interest in a number of topics, I almost always have one particular thing that I'm really intrigued by at the moment. Some examples include: Baseball, The Dukes of Hazzard, Muscle cars, football, etc.
23. One of my positive addictions is weightlifting. Since I began lifting in seventh grade, the longest break I have taken is three months one summer.
22. I am most energized when I have a good balance of time with close friends and time alone.
21. I am extremely grateful and proud of my family, especially my Mom and Dad.
20. I used to get into quite a few fights when I was child. The only one I ever lost was with one of my best friends. Isn't that right, Andy?
19. I've been pulled over driving (for a variety of things) 9 times. At the moment, I've received only 2 tickets.
18. After being pulled over for the 8th time, you no longer get that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach.
17. I was taken to the police station (in the backseat of a squad car) for "disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct." I had blown a musical horn I had installed in my truck.
16. I love deer and duck hunting with family and friends. One year I shot a 7 point buck on Saturday right-handed, and an 8 point on Sunday left-handed.
15. Despite going duck hunting more often, I killed more deer this year than ducks. Oh yeah, I killed one deer.
14. I love traveling with my wife, Rebekah. We've been to Israel and Cambodia together, and we hope to see more in the years ahead.
13. I can trace my ancestry back to Scotland on both my father's and my mother's side. If you're ever in Newtonmore, Scotland, be sure to check out the MacPherson clan museum.
12. I married the most beautiful, most brilliant, most fun girl in the world.
11. However, we are both first-borns in our family. Guess what that means.
10. While I can't seem to remember certain things I'm asked to do around the house, I can remember tons of useless junk. Ex. my high school football locker combination:10-12-17, my phone numbers from college: (870)245-4019 fresh, (870)245-4866so & jr, (870)230-8532 sr year.
9. I love my job and the men and women with whom I work.
8. I have been privileged to be mentored by several awesome men. Special recognition to Dick Bagwell, and the late Roy Buckelew.
7. Of all the different parts of the Bible, Paul and his letters are the parts that I have studied the most in-depth.
6. One day I would like to write a book about my friends, Nathan, Andy, Charlie, Matt, and Craig and the trouble we got into. I'm waiting until the statute of limitations runs out.
5. I am becoming a coffee snob. I got a coffee grinder for Christmas 2007, and I no longer drink instant coffee unless it is an emergency.
4. I split my brother's tongue down the middle on a family vacationone time, but they sowed it back up. It was the most quiet trip we ever took.
3. A few years later, my brother punched me and chipped my tooth.
2. As my brother and I have gotten older, we have become very good friends. We frequently talk over issues and challenges in our lives.
1. I love to read. If you have made it all the way down here, apparently so do you.

Reviewing The Shack

2009-03-01T20:52:00.003-06:00

Plot Summary: Mack's youngest daughter is abducted and killed. Though her body is not found, evidence of her death is found in an abandoned shack in the forest. Some time later, he receives a note from God to meet Him at the shack. What transpires is one man's struggle with life's heartaches and God's role in this. It is one of the most popular examples of narrative apologetics in recent days. (Spoiler warning!)

General Analysis: I found The Shack to be a captivating read, particularly once I had gotten through the first few chapters. It nobly attempts to address and often answer some of the most difficult questions of depravity, liberty and God's power over all. What I found particularly refreshing is that the author did not shy away from the tough questions, nor did he simply regurgitate overly-simplistic pat answers. This boldness has caused a number of readers to recoil with alarm, but I believe such courageous attempts should be thoughtfully considered and critiqued. Hence, this review.

Objections: I try to be generous to those who thoughtfully wrestle with understanding the faith, but I found two issues that ought to be called out. First, one of the more controversial features of the story is that God is personified as an African-American woman. This is explained as God's choice to reveal Himself in this way to Mack, to shatter his preconcieved ideas about God, formed by tradition and not by Scripture (in particular, that God is an old white guy). The author rightly notes that God is not simply male nor female, but that both together bear the image of God (Gen. 1:27). While this alone might could pass, it does cross the line of orthodoxy in the next frame. The book shows the full Trinity interacting with each other, talking together and so on. Here's the issue: the relationship between God and Jesus is revealed in the Bible exclusively as that of God the Father and God the Son. Jesus always refers to God as Father, and portraying their relationship to one another in any other way ventures into bad theological waters. It changes the way that we view the relationship between the first and second person of the Trinity, a relationship that the Gospels spend a decent amount of time discussing.

Second, the claim is made that their is no "boss" or authority among the Trinity. While it is true that no member of the Trinity is of less worth or power than the others, there is an authority structure or role for each member of the Trinity. "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" 1 Cor. 11:3. (See also John 16:12-15) God has established authority and order in His Creation, not as a demeaning thing, but as an opportunity for submission and love. The Shack shows a misunderstanding of the idea of authority, possibly even contempt toward it, missing the Bible's approach by a fair margin.

Commendations: Despite the issues above, I found quite a bit of the answers given in this book to be well-developed and acceptable. While the negative issues have received much of the attention, the good deserves more recognition. Solid, biblical truth is affirmed repeatedly, and often it is the extra-biblical traditions that are rightly attacked and corrected.

Most importantly, however, is the central idea of the story: God is love, and He desires to have a real, loving, and personal relationship with every person on the planet. He is not a distant redeemer, but One who is willing and available to be known by His people. This truth redeems all the short-comings of The Shack.

At least, that's my opinion.

I admit it...

2009-02-26T22:32:00.002-06:00

I've gotten out of the blogging habit. Sorry for letting you all down.

I have, however, been developing some new stuff to post, and I think it will make up for the time away. Next post, I'll be reviewing the controversial novel The Shack.

No, it's not about the house I lived in during my senior year of college.

Grief and Hope

2009-02-09T20:22:00.002-06:00

Many of you noticed my absence over the last month or so before my previous post. Let me share the cause. On December 10, I got one of the worst phone calls of my life, as I learned that Becky Burns, one of the leaders in our singles ministry, had passed away unexpectedly. It rocked me, and it rocked our singles ministry. It was one of those tragedies that we all know is a part of life, but we try to avoid at all costs.

The days following her passing were paradoxical. On the one hand, it was one of the most stretching times of my life, as I tried to minister to the family and to our church while dealing with my own grief. On the other, it was so inspiring to see how our singles ministry rose up and met the crisis with unbelievable grace. The group ministered to the family by providing food, cleaning the house, helping to plan the memorial service, composing the service order, and putting together a slideshow for the reception. All this, along with countless emails, phone calls and text messages ensured that care was given in every possible way. It was nothing short of remarkable, truly the closest experience of "Acts 2" church as I have known.

I was honored to be asked to bring the message at Becky's service. It was, however, the hardest thing I have had to do in ministry. I don't know that I have had such an intense sense of dread about anything ever before. Yet, God's grace carried me through, just as it had for us all in the preceding days.

Now that several weeks have gone by, God is continuing to heal me along with the rest of our folks. We are not completely different than we were before our loss; in many ways the singles ministry is the same as before. At the same time, we have all been changed by this experience. We have experienced in a new way the concept of "community." We have learned together how to be vulnerable in our times of weakness, and to be strong in the face of intense difficulty. Most of all, I think we have learned a deeper truth of the Christian faith, that we do not"... grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." Praise be to the everlasting God, who comforts us in our time of trial.

Anatomy of a Miracle

2009-01-31T09:15:00.003-06:00

Ok, friends, I'm back. My blogging sabbatical is at an end. I'll explain the circumstances of my silence in my next post, but this time I must share "the rest of the story" to our Compassion for Christmas campaign. (See previous post.)

In preparing to launch our campaign to the GAP young singles group, our mission project leaders felt that we should set a goal for the number of food parcels our group would send to provide aid to Zimbabwe. Jim suggested that 20 could be a good goal. We decided that we should spend some time praying about it, that setting an arbitrary goal apart from the Lord's leading would do more harm than good. So, we planned to spend the next few days praying about it on our own, and we would come back together and see if we had been given an answer.

This whole exercise was a bit challenging for me. For some reason, I had never prayed for the Lord to direct me to a numerical goal like this. Sure, I'd prayed for direction, for answers to tough problems, and I had experienced the Holy Spirit prompting me with an answer. Numbers, however, seemed awfully specific. Would any number come to mind? How would I know the difference between the Lord's leading and my own best guess?

In my prayer time over the following days, I laid all these concerns before the Lord, and I asked for a clear answer. Suddenly, I had the number "25" come into my mind. Doing the math to see how much money that would equal, I quickly shook the thought aside, saying, "20 is bold; 25 is nuts." As I continued to pray, though, I kept feeling compeled or urged to 25. I simply could not ignore it any longer.

I emailed our leaders and just told "I'm thinking 20, but my heart keeps telling me 25." They both replied that day that the Lord had been impressing them with 25 as well. So we had our answer.

We all agreed that this was an outrageous goal, one that we could not motivate or inspire people to hit on our own. We decided together that if God had led us to this goal, that it was His business what He was going to do. We shared the goal with the group on launch day, and we kept them up to date each week on how we were doing. We focused, however, on the Bible's teaching for us to be compassionate, and to be responsible only for what God had entrusted to us. We intentionally highlighted the significance of each gift rather than the need to reach the goal.

On Celebration Day, January 11, we had collected $1,623, enough for 18 food parcels. We praised God and shared what the Lord had taught us through this campaign, and prayed for the people who would receive this aid, that their hearts would be open to the Gospel. After our meeting, I was told that more money had been given that day, though we had planned to no longer receive funds. I looked in the box and found $495, enough for five more parcels. Later that night, I received a text message from someone else who wanted to give money for another parcel. And then during the week, I received the final dollars necessary for us to hit our mark.

The Lord led us to trust Him with an outrageous goal: for 45 or so single adults in their 20s-30s, many with school loans, several still in graduate school or seminary, to sacrifice in the midst of the most stressful season of the year in the face of the greatest economic turmoil any of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. Because of God's provisional work in us, $2,250 was given, in big gifts and small, to feed 150 people for over a week. Because of this, people we will never meet, never see face to face on this earth, will hear the Gospel and be our neighbors in eternity. And I learned a little bit more about trusting God.

Compassion for Christmas

2008-12-10T20:10:00.002-06:00

This year we decided to have a special emphasis in our singles ministry for the month called "Compassion for Christmas." The idea is pretty simple: Christ's coming to earth was the ultimate act of compassion and love by God for humanity. The Father saw our needs and sent Jesus to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. As followers of Christ, we are to grow to be increasingly more like our Lord.

For this reason, we will be collecting funds all month long to provide food parcels for Zimbabwe, a nation which has been racked with inflation and famine. It is our desire that as we cut unnecessary expenses and share out of the abundance that we have, that God would shape our hearts to be more like His. If you would like to join us in this venture, click here for more information.

Christmas in a Cup

2008-12-05T13:53:00.004-06:00

This year I believe I am more inspired and prepared for the Christmas season than ever before. This has led to far more blog ideas than I generally come up with. Check back often this month for more Yuletide ponderings and observations.

Today I want to highlight my favorite beverage for Christmas 2008, the Espresso Truffle from Starbucks. Not only is this delicious elixir a joy-inducing concoction beyond expectation, it is also a "compassionate-consumer" product. Teaming with the ( )red initiative to provide care and medicine for AIDS victims in Africa, Starbucks donates a nickel for every one they sell. You can click here to see how many days of medicine have been provided by other consumers. If the winter weather is chilling your bones, go treat yourself to an Espresso Truffle. (Before 6:00pm, that is. You want to allow some time for your metabolism to burn this sucker off!)

Now we can celebrate

2008-12-03T20:49:00.002-06:00

I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to getting things in the right order. I never eat dessert before the entree. I do not read the end of a book before I get there; I refuse to edge the lawn before I mow it. I would not think of proposing to my bride to be before I had purchased the ring and had talked to her father. I will not leave a football game before it ends, and I always shave the right side of my face before the left.

That being said, I have a very strong conviction that Christmas music and Christmas paraphernalia should not be used or exhibited until after Thanksgiving. Growing up, I always anticipated the drive home from Thanksgivings in San Antonio, for then we would be allowed to begin playing the Christmas music. So now, it is official. Let the Christmas celebration begin.

(Be sure to turn up the volume on your computer and listen to the festive background music I've selected.)

Fellowship of the Hunters

2008-11-11T18:54:00.004-06:00

This past weekend marked one of my favorite holidays-- the opening weekend of deer season. For years this has been one of the most special weekends on my calendar. Each November, I head back to my parents' home in south Arkansas for several days of jam-packed fun. Here's how it went this year:

On Thursday I arrived at Mom and Dad's place around 8:30pm to find a full pot of my mom's homemade chicken 'n' dumplins. Each spoonful is an emotional experience, one which words simply cannot describe.

On Friday, Dad and I test fired our rifles, and then we enjoyed lunch at the Backyard BBQ. You'll not find a better kept secret in slow-smoked delight. After lunch we went out to the farm to put out some persimmons and to do a final check of our stands. My cousin David and his son Ryan met us there, as did my buddy Nathan. Once we got everything ready for the big hunt, we all went home to another inspiring meal by Mom.

Saturday we arose at 4:00am and headed out into the fresh, cool dark to prepare for the hunt. Though we all saw deer, Ryan was the only one to bring one home on this morning. We got off the stand for a great lunch that my mom and aunt made for us. We then all headed back out for the rest of the day, making time for Dad and me to grab a quick nap. The afternoon brought no reward for our efforts.

Nathan and I then headed out to our buddy Andy's deer camp. We stayed out there on Saturday night and arose at 5:00am the next morning. This day was also packed; in addition to all our stand time, we also had a Bible study after lunch. We even managed to have a little more success than the day before. I killed a little doe, but Nathan really stole the show. He killed a doe in the morning, a doe at lunch (while we were all sitting around talking!), and then a huge 6point that evening.

All told, it was a great weekend! For those of us who participate, it really is about a lot more than simply getting a deer. The times of raucous laughter, shared meals, working together, catching up with each other and old-fashioned storytelling make the Fellowship one of the most special things I get to experience. (Sorry I don't have a pic of Dad, Andy, David or Ryan).

Presidential Options

2008-11-04T17:16:00.004-06:00

With the come of election day, I want to again offer a word of perspective. As a follower of Jesus Christ, my vote was not cast on a whim, but rather based on deeply held convictions. At the same time, I must make it clear that my wagon of hope was not and is not hitched to these two or any other presidential candidates. Only a fool would put so much stock in mere men.

I also have to say that I have found it difficult to be faced with these two men as the only real choices. I respect John McCain's service and Barack Obama's political skill, but from a leadership stand point I have a real issue with both. Senators, by the necessity of their role, are compromisers; they work to build consensus to get things done. This is drastically different from Executives, who are given the responsibility to make the right decision no matter the resistance. For this reason, I just want to put forward a few last minute write-ins for the 2008 election. (In no particular order.)

1. Howard Schultz-the CEO and Chairman of Starbucks led the Seattle coffee shop to international exposure. It was not until his hiatus from the CEO position that the company overextended itself, leading to sigificant drop in stock prices. With Schultz's return to the helm, he has made the humbling decision to close some stores in order get the company back on track.

2. Carly Fiorina- the former CEO and Chairman of Hewlett-Packard successfully led a dramatic rebuilding effort at HP, including a highly controversial merger with Compaq. While her dismissal from HP was less than gracious, she has taken the high road when discussing those involved. Though she was polarizing at HP, particularly among the establishment, she has a proven track record at getting things done.

3. Colleen Barrett-the former President of Southwest Airlines began with the company in 1971 as a secretary before moving up the executive level. While all the other airlines struggled to avoid filing for bankruptcy, Southwest grew from an in-state commuter airline to become the most profitable airline in the nation. Barrett's pragmatism and down-to-earth demeanor greatly influenced Southwest's unexpected success.

So, which of these would you like to vote for?

Autumn Air

2008-10-28T17:57:00.002-05:00

Last night, I turned on the heat at our home for the first time. Now, this makes it official to me: Fall is here! Now, I'm not one of the legalists who say it's not really Fall/Autumn until September 21. On the contrary, summer ends with August. Get over it.

But, when it's 95 degrees outside, you can't rightly say it's fall either. It's just "not summer." It's almost like purgatory- just kind of an unhappy middle ground. But, no longer. Now it's Fall, and with Fall comes some of my favorite things:

1. Cool, refreshing days and even cooler nights.

2. Real football weather (This would mean more if the Razorbacks or the Cowboys were playing well.)

3. The coming of Deer and Duck Hunting Season, one of my favorite yearly holidays!

4. Leaves changing colors. (Though I'm not looking forward to raking them this year. What the heck... at least I own these leaves!)

5. The anticipation of total surrender to gluttony on Thanksgiving Day! Good idea, Pilgrims!

Thought of the Day

2008-10-23T13:58:00.002-05:00

At least Nero's not on the ballot.

Reveal

2008-10-16T09:30:00.002-05:00

I returned late last night from one of the most intense conferences I've been to. Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago hosted the Reveal Conference, which focused on recent findings in some research they have done regarding spiritual formation. The whole study is nothing short of fascinating. What began as an evaluation of their church grew into a study of over 250,000 people in 800 churches. The conference highlighted some of their key findings about what facilitates spiritual formation, and it also studied 15 churches that ranked in the top 5% in helping their members grow. To learn more, check out Reveal.

While there, I was motivated to do a little research of my own. In my short trip there, I did a comparative analysis of 2 of Chicago's most famous pizza places, Gino's East and Lou Malnati's. (I also tried Reggio's Pizza in the airport, but they weren't worthy of this list.) Here's what I found:

1. Both pizza's take a long time (over 30 minutes) to come out.

2. Gino's East clearly has the thicker crust, by about 1/4 inch at the edge.

3. Gino's East also has more sauce (on top, of course), making it seem a little more balanced.

4. Lou Malnati's has a crisper crust, and a disproportionate amount of cheese.

5. Gino's East tastes slightly better when hot, Lou Malnati's is much better out of the fridge the next morning.

6. Finally, Gino's East cost about $1 more per pizza than Lou Malnati's.

While these facts are quite revealing, more research must be done to make a more conclusive statement. Also, to be thorough, future studies also need to include Giordano's and Uno's in the mix.

Class of '98

2008-09-19T09:50:00.005-05:00

This weekend is my 10 year reunion at Magnolia High School. Although we were unable to attend, the idea of it all did cause me to look back. Here's a glimpse back at my life a decade ago:

My ride: 1991 Chevrolet S10 Ext. Cab (AKA The White Knight). It was white with a blue interior, and had a custom rims and fat tires. It also had a 4.3L V6. Not quite the race car that I imagined it to be, but it could scoot.

My crew: Nathan, Andy, Charlie, Matt and Craig. We're all a little older, a little heavier, and some have less hair, but we still love hanging out together.

My income: While still enjoying the financial support of my parents, I did lawns and other odd jobs to put away some coin for $1.13 gasoline and fun stuff. (I actually made 33% more per hour back then than I did working the landscaping crew at seminary...with a college degree!)

My tunes: Collective Soul(check the playlist), Van Halen, Whitecross, and DC Talk. Still good stuff. Unfortunately, my Sony CD player would skip anytime I even drove close to a bump or pothole.

My classes: I loved Physics, hated Trigonometry, excelled in Composition and totally goofed off in Art and Speech. But at least I gave a speech. Would you like a Zero, Andy? "That's ok, I don't mind."

My Obsession: Football. I have been and will always be a Magnolia Panther at heart. Too bad we went 3-7.

Ode to Dreams

2008-09-06T12:12:00.001-05:00

In honor of football season, I've selected some special music for the blog for this week. Please un-mute your computer and turn up the volume as you read the previous post.

The Power of Conversation

2008-09-01T21:42:00.004-05:00

Conversations happen all the time. They occur in virtually every corner of the world; they are quite common. Sometimes, though, we may fail to realize the potential value of something so utterly ordinary. Sunday I had several unrelated conversations at church, each of which with special significance in its own right. Taken together, they seemed to act as a neon sign saying, "Pay attention! You've got something to learn here!"

1. On the way to Bible study I ran into a dear woman whose husband passed away this week. Though I was a bit shocked to see her there so soon, I went and gave her a hug and expressed our love and concern for her. She mentioned her appreciation, and then we relived a few good memories. It was a short moment, but it occurred to me that this sort of love and support is exactly what compeled her to get up and make the drive to church just 2 days after her husband's funeral.

2. Walking out the door, I passed one of our welcome team members. I don't know this man well, but I felt prompted just to let him know that I appreciated him serving in this way, and what a big help his service was to our guests. He seemed genuinely touched. He found me 2 days later to thank me personally for my word of encouragement.

3. In the hall, I ran into a woman whose son got back from Iraq months ago and is now preparing to go to Afghanistan in the near future. She asked that I remember to pray for the situation in that part of the world, that peace would come. She obviously bore the kind of burden I have never experienced, and she needed to share it with her church family.

4. After the service, I got to speak and pray with a friend having a particularly difficult challenge. When I asked how he was doing, he tested the waters to see if I really wanted to know. When I demonstrated my genuine concern, he invited me to join him in the struggle.

5. On my way out, I ran into a man who just started coming to our church earlier in the summer. He's had some tough times, and when he first showed up, he didn't look like he "belonged" in church. We talked and I showed him to a seat in the worship service. The next week he was back, and we got to talk again. This past week, he thanked me for welcoming him and speaking to him, explaining that he's not been good at relating to people throughout his life. He's now found a church home and is growing relationally as well as spiritually.

Frankly, this past Sunday was not the norm; too often I tend to focus on the next thing I need to get done. The Lord really used these examples to remind me that He works in those ordinary conversations, using ordinary folks like you and me to build His community of faith and expand his Kingdom.

Beijing: A Look to the Future

2008-08-25T17:32:00.003-05:00

Like so many millions around the world, I was thoroughly drawn in by the 2008 Olympic Games, enthralled by the spectacles and inspired by the performances. In fact, never before have I been held with such rapt attention by an Olympiad. Perhaps it was the stunning Opening Ceremonies that captivated me so; possibly the Michael Phelps phenomenon is the reason for my unprecedented interest. Maybe I just finally realized the significance of the Olympics.

As I watched the Closing Ceremony last night, I was impressed at the wonder of such an event, not just in the remarkable artistic expressions, but in the global scope. For 17 days the nations of the world set aside their differences and had fun together. Certainly, the competition was fierce and national pride rose to new heights; yet, people came together and played games. Taiwanese athletes came to China to compete. The Putins and the Bushes sat in the bleachers together. And the little island nation of Jamaica wowed the world.

We saw that people really are people no matter what colors they wear. We heard shouts of celebration in languages we don't know, but we all could understand. We saw tears of heartache and disappointment, as well as tears of joy. We saw mistakes and failures, victories and stunning upsets. We saw fear and courage, sportsmanship as well as disrespect.

We also saw the yearning for more. Though with the Closing Ceremonies the politics and struggles of the world will again take center stage, we saw the hopeful vision of humanity expressed in Beijing. Deep down, we all long for that mysterious and majestic land, that place of wonder and delight. We long to peak inside the gates and get a look with our own eyes. We all long to gather with people from every tribe and nation and celebrate as never before. Yes, we long for something more.

Food for thought?

2008-08-20T12:54:00.002-05:00

One of the great joys of American living is the countless number of buffets available around the country. One of the staples of our culture is the pizza buffet. From Chuck E. Cheese to CiCi's to Sbarro's, one can enjoy a multitude of styles, settings and economic tiers of pizza buffets in this great land of ours.

With that in mind, let me voice a deep disturbance in my mozzarella-loving soul: why are buffets always out of pepperoni pizza!?! Pizza buffets are among the most mismanaged arenas of consumption in the food service business. Think about it. Every time you go up for a slice of pepperoni, disappointment sets in as you see everything else but that which you were hoping to find. Oh, sure, there's always plenty of Canadian bacon and pineapple, an abundance of hamburger, and several slices of vegetarian. Not a sliver of beloved pepperoni.

Let me raise my voice on behalf of my fellow pie-obsessors. Pizza-pushers, lend me your ears! Is it really that hard to get it right? It's simple supply and demand. We demand pepperoni at the buffet; it's your job to supply us with the goods. Keep your trendy, creative attempts on the menu for those who enjoy a taste of the bizarre. I for one will stick to the classic.

Canoe Trip

2008-08-16T15:15:00.002-05:00

This week I got to serve as Camp Pastor for a Men's (and Young Men's) Wilderness Canoe Trip. We headed down south for 3 days on the San Marcos River. It was a blast! A few of the guys had virtually no paddling experience, but by the end of the week, we all safely navigated some class 3 whitewater in our two-man canoes. All told, we ended up traveling 20 miles down the river.

On the more meaningful side of things, we spent our time focusing on Peter's call from Jesus to "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." All of the guys, young and old, responded well and were a great encouragement. Thanks for inviting me, guys!

(I'd love to post a picture, but we didn't take any. Ah, the freedom of an all-male excursion!)

Insights from a Homeowner

2008-08-05T05:56:00.003-05:00

Just a few changes I've noticed about myself since we officially put down roots:

1. I have the superhero ability to notice every imperfection, even if it doesn't exist.

2. All I really wanted for my birthday was rain (and I got it!). I'm asking for the same thing for Labor Day and Christmas.

3. Having profanity-laced dreams about others breaking things in our house; starting to wonder about my mental health.

4. My slob instinct seems to have dissipated.

5. Blogging has become a much smaller priority.

And so we came to Rome

2008-07-16T16:07:00.002-05:00

I've been waiting to post some pictures from my 4th of July weekend. Hopefully, I'll still get to that in the future. In the mean time, I would like to share an insight I received yesterday while doing my Bible reading.

Acts 28 records the last leg of Paul's trip to Rome, culminating in the simple statement at the end of verse 14, "And so we came to Rome." I've read through the book of Acts several times, and so I know that I've rushed past this particular verse before, without so much as a moment to ponder its power. Yesterday, however, I remembered that earlier in chapter 23 the Lord promised Paul that he would one day testify about Jesus in Rome. Acts 28:14 is the statement of fulfillment for that promise...3 years later.

When the Lord Jesus appeared to Paul and promised that he would preach in Rome, Paul had no idea that he would first spend two years in prison; that he would first share his faith with 3 Roman governors; that he would first be shipwrecked; that he would first declare God's promise to save all 276 passengers aboard that doomed ship; that he would first spend 3 more months ministering to the people on the island, and that only then would he be allowed to go to Rome.

We may hear the promise of God or sense where He may be leading us, but rarely do we realize the places He will take us along the way.

The 4th

2008-06-30T00:12:00.003-05:00

July 4th is almost here. Time to get out on some water, fish, and then grill.

I like fire.

LOST Fathers

2008-06-24T16:37:00.003-05:00

While I was out driving one day last week, a thought began to form in my mind. An observation became theory, and then theory became conviction. Have you ever noticed that almost all of the main characters on Lost have problems with their fathers? Think through it for a bit. Jack's father was an overbearing drunk. Kate killed her father for beating her mother. Sawyer's father killed his mother and then himself. Hurley's father abandoned him when he was a child. Clare's father (same as Jack's) was unknown to her for most of her life due to his "real" family. Aaron's father was a dead-beat. Walt's father Michael has numerous issues in their relationship. Locke's father was a con artist and tormented him. Desmond and Penny were troubled by Penny's father. Jin and Sun's problems mostly all came from her father. Even Ben had problems with his father, the drunk who blamed his son for his mother's death.

So, here's the question: is this "Father Phenomenon" a key part of the script, or is it merely a sad commentary on our society?

By the way, no problems here with my Dad. He's cool.

Quotes

2008-06-08T21:24:00.002-05:00

One of the abilities that I've worked diligently to develop over the years is my ability to remember an assortment of quotes from a wide range of sources. I've spent years honing this craft, mostly when I was supposed to be writing a paper. Nevertheless, I feel a moral obligation to challenge you, my faithful readers, to pack your brains with trivial (and not so trivial!) quotes. Therefore, today I am submitting to you a short quiz. I will write out five statements from memory, and I invite you to take a crack at identifying each quote. Whoever correctly identifies all 5 first will receive a free audio copy of one of my recent sermons. (Yes, I do realize that I'm a cheap jerk.)

Please identify both the medium (film, book, tv, personal quote) and the title or speaker.

1. "Thrice he was offered the crown, and thrice he denied it. But Brutus has said he was ambitious, and Brutus is an honorable man."

2. "The reports of my death are extremely exaggerated."

3. "In sleep he sang to me; in dreams he came. That voice which calls for me and speaks my name."

4. "You sold my dead bird to a blind kid?"

5. "Who's never wrong, but always right? Who'd never dream of starting a fight? Who get's stuck with all the bad luck?

Six Words

2008-05-21T17:23:00.003-05:00

Last week the Fort Worth Star Telegram ran an article challenging readers to think about writing their memoirs in six words. Some were insightful; some were dumb. No matter the case, I simply had to try it out myself.

"Love God. Learning to love people."

Now it's your turn. I'd like to challenge all of you to write your own memoir or motto in six words in the comment box. It's a simple exercise, but I believe you'll find it to be quite thought-provoking.

Oh yeah...

2008-05-12T16:45:00.002-05:00

I forgot to announce that we bought a house a couple of weeks ago. We have already gutted the bathroom, removed all the carpet and demo-ed some 70's era brick tile in the inner walkway with a 30 pound jackhammer. I'll post some nice before-during-after pics in the near future. In the mean time, I need to go ice my hands.

C. E. U.

2008-05-01T22:15:00.003-05:00

Ok, class, our word for the day is baluchitherium. This word originates from Latin, meaning "beast of Baluchistan." It was a primitive, hornless rhinocerous, and is the the largest known land mammal ever to exist.

It is also the name of one of the coolest instrumental songs ever by Van Halen.

I'm just sayin'...

2008-04-29T08:47:00.002-05:00

Three ideas American Evangelicals need to consider:

1. God has not obligated Himself to the United States in Scripture. While there are principles that do apply to every nation, we must recognize that we cannot substitute our country into the promises for Israel in the Bible.

2. The New Testament Church did not view their primary mission to be to lead the charge to bring a resurgence in morality throughout the Roman Empire and the world. They recognized their primary mission was to "make disciples of all nations."

3. Doing God's work means more than just voting "right."

What are the implications for the the American church if these three statements are correct?

Spring Stampede Results

2008-04-22T08:04:00.006-05:00

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us as we put on the first annual Spring Stampede Disc Golf Tournament. It went extremely well. We had over 50 participants, along with 15 folks from Travis who came to staff the event. Everything for the event flowed together in an organized way. More important than that was the reception we got from the participants. Everyone expressed their gratitude for our efforts to host the event, and they were quick to ask us if we would make this an annual event. Please pray for us as we now follow up with all those who came out for the tournament. Oh, and here are those pictures I promised.

Spring Stampede

2008-04-10T18:50:00.005-05:00

Ok, here's the scoop on my absence. I've been preparing for one of the biggest outreach events our singles ministry has ever done. On Saturday, April 12 we will be hosting the first annual Spring Stampede Disc Golf Tournament. The idea is simple enough: We'll attempt to put on an outstanding event for our community to enjoy, demonstrate our church's love for the community, and pray that the Lord will pave the way for some divine conversations as a result.

We're doing everything that we can to make sure it's a great experience for everyone. We've got some great prizes (top prize is $250 to Best Buy!), great food (catered by Eddie Deen's BBQ), and some great tunes (provided by the PowerMobile from 89.7 PowerFM). Now we are just asking the Lord to bless our efforts and prepare those we'll serve. Since you've got some free time right now (as you most obviously do!) please pray for this event and the follow up in the days to come. I'll be posting some pics and telling the stories after the weekend. Thanks!

Too much

2008-03-07T09:02:00.003-06:00

I've not blogged in a while, but I have been doing plenty of writing ( and speaking). This week I have already spoken or taught at three different occasions. I'm also getting ready to preach in the 11:00 service at Travis on Sunday. I'm praying that my cold and sore throat will go away by then! FYI, time change on Saturday.

On-Air

2008-02-15T11:38:00.002-06:00

After a 3:45am wake up, I made it to my big radio debut. If you missed it, sorry. Unfortunately, they did not record the whole show. They did, however, record the devotional and the interview. If you would like to listen to these, click here and then scroll down toward the bottom of the page.

Video killed...

2008-02-12T18:02:00.002-06:00

The Radio Star!!
(FYI, this was the title for the first video on MTV)

Faithful readers of Still Digging, I have some exciting news. I will be a guest host for the Morning Show on 89.7 PowerFM this coming Friday morning. If you want to listen, click on this, and then click on the "listen online live" tab on the PowerFM website. I'll be on from 6:00am to 9:00am. Can you say Starbucks?

Texas Safari

2008-02-08T17:23:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center this summer. Enjoy!

This guy tried to intimidate me. "You eyeballin' me, bird?"

It was hard not to visualize his head on my wall.

That's not your dang napkin!!

"Please, not the fingers! I want to play the violin!!"

I've Decided

2008-02-04T09:32:00.001-06:00

Continuing thoughts from my previous post, it is now my turn to weigh in regarding the involvement of the American church in the political process.

As God's chosen instrument, the Church does have a divine role to play in shaping the moral conscience of the state. It is right for the Church to stand up and speak words of truth, justice and wisdom to the moral questions of our time. We are obligated to raise our voices in defense of the values that the Bible upholds. For example, the Church ought to be the leading advocate for the sanctity of life in every discussion, not only in the abortion controversy, but also when looking at the AIDS pandemic, violence in Kenya, and the extreme lack of clean drinking in many parts of the world. God is the giver of all life; as His people, we should lead the way in protecting the value of it.

In recent years, however, it would seem that many within the Church have gotten so involved in the political process that one would wonder if their title should be changed from pastor to lobbyist. When listening to Christian radio, one who is unfamiliar with the Bible might assume that our Great Commission commanded us to "get the right people elected" rather than "make disciples of all nations." I find this trend troubling.

I also wonder how this looks to nonChristians. Of course, we are not to determine our beliefs based on a poll of what is acceptable to those outside our church, or those inside it for that matter. Our faith will often lead us to take unpopular stands in society. My concern for unbelievers is not whether or not they like the moral position the church takes; my concern is whether or not they believe we take our God-given call to make disciples seriously. If we spend more time talking about who we have to get elected than about our need to share the hope of Christ with the world, our true motivation is exposed. Can you really imagine Peter and Paul sitting around a fire saying, "If we can just hang in until Constantine is in office, everything will be ok"?

Political-action watch groups do serve a purpose. As participating citizens of the United States, many of us are helped by their work. I have no complaint against them. Yet, the Church has a higher calling than that. We have a God-given mission to carry out. We don't have the time or the resources to waste in secondary issues; we must remain mission-focused. We can offer the world much more than a candidate. We can offer the world Jesus.

You Decide...No, Really!

2008-01-27T23:32:00.000-06:00

I love Presidential campaigns. I love watching the news each night this time of the season, catching up on the big moments and hot sound-bites of the day. It's fun to sort through the various outcomes of each debate, caucus and primary, imagining all the while what the final ticket might look like. To me, the primary season is better than March Madness.

In recent years I have noticed that the evangelical church in America has become consumed with the political process. More and more we see denominational leaders, pastors, and other respected individuals in evangelical Christianity putting tremendous effort and resources into the political arena. In my next blog I'll share some thoughts on the Church's role in American politics, but today I would like to hear from you.

Does the Church and/or its leaders put too much energy/attention into the political process in America?

Looking Forward

2008-01-15T22:44:00.001-06:00

Here's a few quick predictions for 2008:

1. Neither of 2007's Presidential frontrunners, Rudy Guiliani and Hillary Clinton will end up winning the White House. Guiliani won't even get the GOP nomination.

2. Packers QB Brett Favre will win one final Super Bowl over the New England Patriots.

3. The Major League Baseball steroid scandal will spill over into other sports, particularly hockey and basketball.

4. The Arkansas Razorbacks Men's BB team will make it to the Elite Eight.

5. Providing all the rest of these come true, I will pick up a part-time gig as a fortune-cookie writer.

A Look Back

2008-01-05T09:22:00.000-06:00

While we live each passing year one day at a time, history has a way of compressing the calendar into cliff-notes form. For this entry, we'll survey a few of the big stories of the past year, and then vote on which one is most likely to be the key moment for which 2007 will be remembered. In no particular order:

1. Filmmakers claim to find the tomb of Jesus Christ, along with his wife and son. This "discovery" was based on names inscripted on the ossuaries (bone boxes). The story was later debunked by a number of theologians, historians, and archaeologists.

2. Al Gore awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness about Global Warming.

3. Barry Bonds breaks (*) the all-time Major League home run record. Because of his involvement in the steroid scandal and facing possible perjury charges, Bonds achievement is met with cold recognition. The ball was later branded with an asterisk and sent to the Hall of Fame.

4. U.S. Senator Larry Craig claims to have a wide stance. Enough said.

5. In one of the craziest college football seasons ever, 2007 saw the #1 ranked team fall 4 different times. The "year of the upset" began with #5 Michigan's loss to Division 2 Appalachian State. In the 15 weeks following, a slew of upsets would keep the top 5 rankings in a state of constant change.

So, which of these is the story most likely to go down as the historical marker for 2007?

Christmas Scavengers

2007-12-22T18:20:00.000-06:00

Recently I got to observe people in one of the wildest places on earth: Sam's Club at Christmas time! I made sure to arrive at approximately 3:30pm on a Saturday, which is a horrible time for productive shopping but ideal for sample consumption. Yes, I am a sample mooch; I confess this with a bit of shame. Nevertheless, I like free food, and I will continue to whole-heartedly pursue any strategy that will satisfy my palate. One thing I've learned, whenever there's a higher traffic pattern at Sam's, they really go all out with tons of samples.

As I was making my rounds, I was astounded to see that I was not the only one with this intention. People of all persuasions were circling the sample boths like third-world vultures. As soon as a new morsel reached a plate, men and women alike would reach in and snatch it in the blink of an eye. What blew me away was that these people were not even trying to act nonchalant. They had resorted to their natural instinct for survival, going on a full offensive to gather food.

After watching this for several minutes, I learned that I had to resort to this sort of behavior if I were to enjoy the riches of the sample aisle. It paid off big. I enjoyed two different kinds of shrimp, eggnog, cheese on a cracker, salami on a cracker, sausage and cinnamon toast, chip and queso, two kinds of cake, turkey salad on a cracker, bruschetta, olive dip and ham. It was magnificent!

On my drive home, I began to ponder this event. Soon I was completely mystified by my experience. What in the world could possibly possess adults who have more than enough money to survive, who in all likelihood had not missed a meal in the last decade, and who are (I am assuming) normally somewhat dignified in public to act like a bunch of alley cats? Where would this motivation come from?

Christmas Thoughts

2007-12-14T16:40:00.000-06:00

In my time off, I've had some time to learn from various life circumstances. Allow me to share. On Wednesday evening, my wife and I returned home to find a bit of a flood in our apartment. Our neighbor's hot-water heater had burst, spilling its contents into our bathroom and part of our bedroom. Long story short, I ended up sucking up water with a shop vac until the later hours of the night.

The next morning I was scheduled to go with a team from our church for the weekly pick-up from the local food bank. We were scheduled to meet at 6:30am; local temperature this particular morning was a chilling 31 F. In addition, the overpasses had iced over the damp night, leaving a number of slick spots and more than a couple traffic-altering fender-benders. It was not looking to be a great day.

Our pick up time was scheduled for 7:30, but the first palate was not loaded on our truck until nearly 8. Neither did our palates of food come quickly after the first arrival. We loaded what we believed to be the last arrival around 8:30. After I was several miles down the road, I got a call asking me to turn around, the final palate had just been pulled.

When I returned, they loaded a top-heavy palate of milk, juice, and sour cream in the back of my truck. At nearly every other stop light on the 15 minute drive to the church, Miguel and I had to redistribute the boxes in hopes of making it to our destination with all the goods. Unfortunately, one whole case of milk toppled out the back of my truck into an intersection. It was deemed an irretrievable loss.

That morning, weary and frustrated, I wondered why I had even bothered. Why not just call in about the flood and catch up on some sleep? Frankly, it was sheer obligation that motivated me to go, but I came to understand a deeper reason to move forward in future moments like this.

In the heart of the Christmas season, we celebrate the serendipity of the Nativity scene, complete with an overstuffed manger for the Lord to enjoy. We wrongly rid the stable of its splinters, sawdust and stink. We make it easy, but for the Lord of Hosts to come incarnate, ease was not a part of the plan. He sacrificed and subjected Himself to the common inconveniences and aggravations of life. So when life demands that you endure discomfort and frustration for the good of others, remember that in doing so you are walking the path blazed by Christ. Be inspired as you gain a greater understanding of the way He lived.

And I'll try my best to do the same.

Take Some Time Off

2007-12-05T22:11:00.000-06:00

Allow me to demonstrate...

Enough said.

Enjoy Enriching Hobbies

2007-11-23T19:24:00.000-06:00

Last time I began a three part look at what to do to get through dry times in your writing. Today I want to focus on the importance of engaging in some enriching hobbies. Eclipsing the sole motivation of improving your writing, hobbies are vital for personal health. One thing that all high-impact people recognize is the need to live a balanced life, and developing and enjoying a hobby or two is a key part of that equation.

One of my weekly hobbies is weight-lifting. Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to lift weights. I have been a bit of a gym rat for 15 years, and I am probably more addicted to it than ever. Three times a week or more I head over to Fit For Life to work off some of the stresses of the day and to push my body to its limits. Every time I leave, I walk out those doors with sharpened mental focus, increased energy and a renewed confidence for the next task that comes my way. (If you are looking to add physical fitness to your schedule, call Fit For Life and ask for King Hoover. You'll not find a better health architect!)

Two of my favorite seasonal hobbies are deer and duck hunting. I love escaping the maddening grip of the city to soak up the sounds and smells of nature. Add to that the fellowship of lifelong friends and family, along with the thrill of the hunt, and you can begin to see why I love November. Just a few weeks ago, I got together with my Dad, a couple cousins and two of my closest friends on this planet. In addition to having a side-splitting good time, I managed to bring this guy home on Saturday...

...And this guy on Sunday!

(Yes, that's a 7 point followed by an 8 point!)

I realize this probably is not for everyone, so here's your chance to provide some other examples. What hobbies do you engage in to reset your mental balance?

The Sabbatical is Over!

2007-11-14T20:11:00.000-06:00

After a month off, I've finally stored up enough thoughts to be able to post on a fairly regular schedule. As most of us have experienced, writing has its rich times as well as its dry times. Times come when the words seem to flow like rivers; at other times nothing even remotely interesting comes to mind. And let's be honest, few things are more discouraging than knowingly writing a dull blog.

So, what do you do when the compositional gears of the mind are stuck in neutral? Three things have helped me through this recent valley: 1) Read good stuff, 2) Enjoy enriching hobbies, and 3) Take some time off.

To reinforce the application of these three tips, I'm going to spend the remainder of this post and the next two highlighting how I practice each principle.

Read Good Stuff

Most who like to write also have a love of reading, a fortunate connection. Reading restores the verbal well and stretches the mental muscles. If you are always putting out but never taking in, you'll soon run dry! One key to get the most "bang for the buck" in your reading is to diversify your consumption. Read different topics and different authors. The broader your reading list, the deeper your writing.

If you do not know where to start, here's 5 must reads:

1. Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels

2. Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds

3. Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

4. Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels

5. From Every People and Nation by J. Daniel Hays

What about you? What books do you recommend?

Peace on Earth?

2007-10-12T12:45:00.000-05:00

Big news on the wires: Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

Yesterday, I had intended on writing a more moving, less-controversial blog. With today's news, I just cannot control myself. I am unable to stifle myself. All I can do is groan, "What a load of bull!"

Al Gore, aka Chicken Little, already won an Academy Award for his film An Inconvenient Truth. Of course, I have no problem with that. What I have a hard time stomaching is that Mr. Freak-out deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for squawking about global warming and living in a 10,000 square-foot mansion with $1,200 electricty bills. Yes, I do find that a bit hypocritical. Even though he does purchase "green power blocks," most observers would acknowledge that practice is simply a reinvention of the Catholic Church selling Indulgences in the corrupt days leading up to the Reformation.

What really disturbs me, however, is fact that what has been the most respected recognition for peace is going to those involved in a debated environmental discussion. The jury is still out on global warming. If one day the majority of environmental scholars comes to assert Global Warming as fact and not theory, then the work of Gore and the IPCC will deserve wide recognition and respect. Until then, as long as Global Warming enjoys the same theory status as the Big Bang, honors such as the Nobel Prize should be reserved for those fighting in legitimate battles for mankind.

A prime example is the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The emergency status of this continent is undisputable. Moreover, the people are dying each and every day that passes, so why are we putting so much energy and recognition toward the work of those that may fight off a climate change that might come and could kill us? Instead of rewarding Al Gore for his rants, the Nobel Peace Prize should have been given to Bono or World Vision for their work in fighting the AIDS pandemic.

(If you wish to challenge me on this matter, I would invite your comments.)

Gino's East

2007-10-05T08:29:00.000-05:00

One of the goals of my recent trip to Chicago, aside from picking up some practical how-to's about small group ministry, was to try some authentic Chicago-style pizza. Allegedly developed by the chef at Pizzeria Uno in 1943, Chicago-style is almost a whole other category removed from the standard pizza with which most of us are familiar. For our experience, my friend and I settled on Gino's East in Rolling Meadows.

We went there starving. After only a few mozzarella sticks and a roll, our pizza finally arrived. It was a 12" pie, with the thickest crust I'd ever seen on a pizza. We did our best, but neither Kirk nor I could complete 3 pieces of this monster!

Flying

2007-09-30T23:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I flew to Chicago for a conference at Willow Creek Community Church. It was a great time, and I learned a lot. More on that later.

One of the more interesting parts of the trip was my flight up there. We flew Southwest, which I really enjoy for the most part. The only problem I have is when you're in the last group to board, you always get stuck with cruddy seats. All of the good ones are taken first, and I got to choose from the leftovers.

As luck would have it, I had to sit between two rather large men. Apparently, these men liked to drink. They also liked to talk, which made for some very interesting conversations. As we were taxing down the runway, one leaned over me toward the other one and said, "Hey, Bob. You're gonna die!" They laughed a little, and then the first guy remembered that I was sitting there. He turned to me and said, "You're not scared of flying, are ya?" I replied that I was not, much to his relief. He then turned to me and imparted some of the deep wisdom that he had picked up along the way. "You know, you really don't have anything to worry about until you see dirt coming in the front of the plane!"

Profound.

Justice for All

2007-09-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

Certain events transpire to remind us of the countless injustices of the world. This past Wednesday the arrest of Nuon Chea called attention back to the seldom-remembered horrors of the Khmer Rouge. Also known as "Brother Number Two," Chea served as deputy leader to Pol Pot, the enigmatic figure who led the brutal regime that terrorized Cambodia from 1975-1980. During their reign, approximately 2 million Cambodians died by torture, execution, or starvation as the Khmer Rouge sought to turn Cambodia into an agrarian utopia. The cities were evacuated by force, the people were forced into rice fields and farm land, and anyone who resisted was punished.

For more than 26 years after the Khmer Rouge was routed from power, its leaders were not held to account. Until this year, no conviction had ever been sought for the brutalities committed against the Cambodian people. When I discovered this fact on my first trip to Cambodia in 2006, my only thought was, "Where is justice in this?" How could such evil go unpunished?

Charges are finally being brought against the most senior surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Kaing Guek Eav, better known as Duch, was charged July 31, 2007 for his role as commander of S21, the most imfamous torture camp in the country. Chea's arrest represents the highest ranking leader who will be charged; Pol Pot died in 1998.

It's hard to imagine that anything can be done on this earth to cover the evil done by the Khmer Rouge. A part of me is so disturbed by my visits to S21 and the Killing Fields that my own rage terrifies me. These feelings must be shared to an exponentially greater degree by the people of Cambodia, whose parents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters died at the hands of this murderous regime. Could any tribunal ever exact justice for horrors such as these?

Yet, all of the oppressors and perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge and every other diabolical government will stand before The Judge who does have the power to properly see justice done. Those who remain defiant, as Chea has to this point, will receive unspeakable punishment. The ones who turn to Christ in repentance before that day, as Duch claims to, will be pardoned, their punishments being carried out on a hill in Palestine in the days of the Romans.

And what of the one who has caused all of this, the hater who champions injustice? Will justice ever be done?

Yes.

Images

2007-09-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

What a difference six years can make. In the course of that time, much has changed. While I could spend hours pondering the changes our country has gone through since the attacks of September 11, 2001, I would rather focus on the change that must happen within us.

This morning, at the same time when the World Trade Center towers collapsed 6 years ago, I spent the better part of an hour speaking with my friend, Saleem, who happens to be a Muslim. He owns a gas station near my church, and we have struck up a friendship over the course of the last several months. Each Tuesday morning, after our staff prayer meeting, I head over to his store and pick up a couple of granola bars for breakfast. We usually talk for a few minutes or so, and then I head on my way.

Today, we got into a much deeper discussion as he shared with me his journey from being a student in India, to his time as a young engineer in London, to moving his family to the United States as he tried to provide for his family in the best way he knew. He showed me a picture of he and his wife, with their two young adult children. What a beautiful family! And, how he loves them!

Our conversation highlighted a lesson that the Lord has been showing me in recent months. We often tend to break humanity down into groups based on our own understandings and perspectives: good or bad, rich or poor, conservative or liberal, etc. A more useful way would be to look at people through the commonalities that we share. For instance, in Saleem, I saw today a picture of the image of God, a trait that all of humanity has shared since creation. In the hijackers, we saw a clear demonstration of mankind's depravity and hopelessness. The two images come together in a powerful way, reminding us how we each live in both camps. Throughout our lives, each of us display the image of our Creator as well as the extreme "fallen-ness" of the world we inhabit. It is in recognizing these opposing pictures that we begin to view all the people of the world as Christians should: a tarnished version of what one is supposed to be, but with the tremendous potential of being polished and buffed to a brilliant shine!

Painful memories

2007-09-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

As a child, I used to ask my mom to let me take piano lessons. I wanted to learn how to play songs like the Star Spangled Banner and other great pieces of music. By the time I was preparing to enter fourth grade, my parents signed me up to begin taking lessons. Then I found out the truth. Contrary to my prior assessment, I did not want to learn how to play the piano; I wanted to know to play piano. This information would have been nice to have before I signed my name in blood to the Piano Czar, Mrs. Site (*name changed for security reasons).

Mrs. Site seemed like a mild-mannered Presbyterian lady, that is until one's hind-quarters landed on her piano bench. Then she pulled out all the dictatorial force she could muster and blasted all "beginners" with both barrels. Everything had a proper way to be done. Hold your hands like this, sit like this, feet like this, etc. She even had a little red book which was to serve as our practice log, a record of the amount of time we had practiced the previous week. Eventually, I learned that watching an episode of Alf from the piano bench at home should be counted as 30 minutes of practice time, providing that I practice during the commercials.

Of course, the doctored practice log was her standard for how much a student should have improved since the previous week. Oh, how she hated it (and us) when we did not progress as prescribed. She would pull out the harder pieces and make us try to play them. When I would struggle to find the notes, she would berate me for not keeping the rhythm. To make matters worse, she would even get out here little rhythm counter, a little pendulum that could be adjusted to match the count, and she would set it in motion to "give some guidance." Tic-toc-tic-toc-tic-toc. It would go on mercilessly, and I would try desperately to keep up as I searched for the keys. Bang, bang, bang! Instead of realizing that this little tactic was not helping, she would then add to the confusion by counting out loud and even clapping her hands. Tic-toc-tic-toc. "One, two, three, four." Bang, bang, bang, bang!

If the lessons were bad, then the recitals were nothing less than diabolical. She would have all of her students come to her house on a Saturday morning, and we all had to sit and listen to each other play pieces that Mrs. Site had picked out. Once my mom had even tried to inspire me by getting me a special music book with simplified version of the Rocky theme. When I showed it to her and asked to play it for the recital, Mrs. Site said, "That's nice for you to play for fun, but for the recital, I want you to play 'Polly Sue by the River'." I hated 'Polly Sue by the River', but Mrs. Site had spoken. So we all gathered together, one big group of miserable kids, and had to listen to everyone play. I remember sitting down at the bench in from of all those kids and seeing the rhythm-keeper out of the corner of my eye, intimidating me, daring me to mess up.

Once I had stumbled through my piece, the other kids followed until we got to the "Advanced" musicians. With these, Mrs. Site would not merely call out their name. To celebrate the occasion, she would talk about how difficult the piece was and how hard so-and-so had worked to prepare such a fine presentation. Mrs. Site left no doubt who the "special" students were.
Ultimately, I was allowed to stop taking piano lessons after three long years. I was inexpressibly glad to be out, thankful to no longer hear that darn rhythm-keeper. However, as the years have passed, one question has consistently baffled me: Why in the world did my parents keep on forcing me to go to these stupid piano lessons at their own expense!?!?

2 Fast 2 Furious

2007-08-26T22:27:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

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.