The Weekend Update (or Lessons Learned While Looking For A Fake Coach Purse)...

This weekend was busy and full as usual. We had trackmeets and Thursday and Saturday and in between that I got to spend some time with two close friends. Two of my buddies, who are also Youth Pastors, were in Austin this weekend for the girls state basketball tournament. On Friday we got together in Lockhart for some early morning (9:30 AM) golf and some famous Kruetz Bar-B-Q for lunch. After that we headed off to Austin to watch the UT baseball game, get some Longhorn gear from the Co-Op, and hang out in the ATX that evening. Saturday, after doing some work stuff and errands in the morning, Johanna and I headed to Austin to spend some time together in the afternoon and evening.

One thing that Johanna wanted to do was to find a fake Coach purse. One of her co-worker's daughters had gotten her one for Christmas and Johanna really like it. So we called to find out where they got it but couldn't get ahold of anyone. All Johanna knew was that they found it at a flea market in Austin. In case you're not familiar with the Austin area, that really doesn't narrow it down too much. We stopped at a gas station once we got to Austin and borrowed their phone book to look up some numbers for some flea markets. After looking them over we decided to call one that we thought sounded like a pretty big one. When we asked where they were located we found out that they were in north central Austin...about 30 minutes away. But since I knew she really wanted to find one of these purses we headed off in that direction. We exited off of I-35 and began to follow the directions the lady had given us over the phone. And I began to notice that the further away from the interstate we got, the more the signs and billboards and stores began to change. We were getting into a different neighborhood and most of the signs were in Spanish. Needless to say, once we arrived at the flea market, we were in an area we were not really familiar with at all. We noticed that most of the people outside the flea market were very different than us. Especially when it came to ethnicity. Once we entered the building where the flea market was we quickly realized that we had walked into another world. The flea market was almost 100% Mexican-American, with the exception being a couple Asian-American run booths, an African-American woman shopping, and myself and my wife. As we walked the aisles and scanned the collection of goods that were being sold, we could have easily been in another country. Much of the signs and descriptions of the goods, as well as the background music, were in another language than what I speak. And a lot of the products, such as video games, movies, books, and magazines were in Spanish and not English. The goods that were for sale in this place appealed to a certain people group, one of which I do not exist. We walked around inside for several minutes and received several strange looks. We got stares and puzzled looks from people, most of whom were probably trying to figure out why we were there. I even caught a couple of glances that seemed angry toward us, but that could simply be my perception in the given situation. However, after making our way up and down a couple aisles, we decided to head to another place, with no fake Coach purse in hand.

As I have pondered that experience over the past few days, God has really used it to speak to me. Every Sunday, and on some other days of the week at certain places, all across our country this experience occurs. And other people experience the same thing I experienced in that flea market on Saturday. Yet the experience for them doesn't happen in a flea market, or on a quest to purchase goods, or even across ethnic lines. Every Sunday this experience happens to the unchurched who gather up the courage to walk through the typical church doors of their local congregations in our country. And as I have pondered my experience in another culture, I wonder if their's is much different. Most churches and Christians have, in my opinion unfortunately, adopted their own culture. We have Christan music, Christian clothing, a certain order of Sunday morning worship, Christian songs and Christian singers, Christian books, and even our own Christian language. Think about it for a second: How many times do you use words like justifaction, redeemed, sanctified, and thou in every day conversations? It just doesn't happen...except for at some Christian churches on Sunday mornings. And when unchurched people, who may not know anything of the gospel or the love of Christ, walk through our doors they are thrown into a culture in which they have no experience, no connection, and is completely foreign to them. They don't understand the music or the language or the "goods" and yet we are shocked and puzzled at why they do not return. In many cases, they stand out and look different, just like I did at the flea market, and because of that they receive the same treatment and hurtful stares that I received in my experience. And still we wonder why our churches for the most part aren't growing and reaching unchurched people. The church sits around in meetings wondering why people outside our doors aren't being drawn into a life-changing relationship with the living Savior. Maybe it's because the culture that we've created is something so foreign to them that we've actually gotten in the way of the message of Jesus. Maybe people don't come back because they are so confused by the language and the culture that they really don't see the need for what we offer. It's my fear that in creating this Christian sub-culture here in America that is exactly what we've done. So how do we fix it? Well, I think there are some big, major, institutional changes that need to take place in the church. And those changes would affect some of our practices and the more practical aspects of what occurs at our gatherings and in our ministries, but those are big things that take time to unpackage and explain and can easily get a guy in trouble. There are definitely some BIG things we need to change to begin to more effectively share the love and grace of Jesus with those who are yet to understand and accept it. But there are also some smaller things that each of us can do in our own communities of faith and in the places in which we live that can make a difference. While this list is in no way comprehensive or exhaustive, it's a small start.

#1 - Realize that what we have done in many churches is create a culture that many unchurched people do not understand. Be conscious of ways in which you can break down those cultural barriers, explaining your faith and your churches practices to someone in a way that makes sense to them.

#2 - Quit judging the unchurched without knowing them. Every Sunday in churches across our land people are on the receiving end of stares, whispers, and looks that let them know they are different and for whatever reason don't fit the mold. We need to THROW OUT THE MOLD and began to treat people as Jesus would, welcoming them into our community of faith, regardless of their ethnicity, dress, soci-economic background or any thing else that might cause them to be a little different than we are. It is not our place to decide who is in and who is out. Jesus already made that decision on the cross. Our arms ought to be as welcoming as His.

#3 - Don't talk in a foreign language. Be real and authentic in your communication of the love of God to others and encourage your church, your church leaders, and your church structure to do the same thing. So many times we feel that we are communicating something when we are simply just talking. If people are not understanding and receiving our message then we are not communicating. Let's not let the incredible message of the gospel get lost in translation from some Christianese language that we have made up in the church. Make sure people around you understand the love of Christ in their language.

#4 - Live authentically. Regardless of what form of worship your church has chosen, whether it appeals to the unchurched or is steeped in traditon that someone outside the walls wouldn't understand, it is not the church service itself that draws people into following Christ in this society. Relationships are everything. It is our relationships with the unchurched and lost that will prove to be the main factor in their acceptance of the love and grace of Jesus Christ. If we do not take the initiative and show others the love of Christ, and then authentically live it out in real and practical ways in our daily lives, then it doesn't matter what else we do. It is in the authenticity of our faith, our love for God and others, that people will see Christ and His love for them. That can overcome a lot of barriers that the institution of the church has built up over time.

As I look back on my experience at the flea market, I know there are several more lessons to be learned. And hopefully as I continue to process those lessons and God continues to teach me through this experience, I'll be able to share more of what I've learned. It is sometimes good to be the outsider and see how others feel from the outside looking in. I'm thankful for the experience and the lessons learned...and by the way, we still haven't found that purse!

This...Is...Awesome...

2 Posts in 1 Day...Crazy!...

After being gone from blogger world for a week, now I've posted for the second time today. I guess I had more to talk about the last week than I realized. Because of the busy-ness of the first part of the week, I forgot to blog my regular weekend update. I wanted to give you a quick recap of the best part of the weekend. Sunday morning I got to baptize two of our students. Craig and Dylan are both junior high guys who have recently made the decision to ask Christ to forgive them from their sins and to come in and be the boss of their lives. It has been cool to see how God is working in small echoes and waves in our community within the student life. These guys are two examples of that. At my previous church I got to see a whole lot of students come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, but I was never given the chance to participate in any of their baptisms. I was at the church for almost 10 years and got to see God move in a lot of ways, but really never got to experience the joy that comes with baptising a student whom you've had a role in their faith journey. This is the third time I have done the baptisms here and it is really a special time. I understand that the baptism is just an outward symbol of what is already inwardly done, but it is still pretty cool to be a part of. While the weekend was oustanding (including a great "Man Shower" for my friend, Jeremy's upcoming wedding and lots of hanging out with friends) this was definitely my highlight of the weekend.

Satisfied?...

I know it's been a while since my last post and I do apologize to both of you who read this for that. It has been crazy since our Disciple Now weekend, with just trying to catch up on rest and life not slowing down at all. But that's all good.

Since our D-Now (actually since about a month leading up to it) I have been listening to a lot of Lindsey Kane. She's the fantastic artist that led worship at our D-Now a couple weekends ago. The title track on her album is called "Satisfied" and here is the chorus:

I am satisfied
I will abide
I have decided to run away with You
Humbled on my knees
It's You I want to please
Captivate me Jesus, To keep my eyes on You
Steal my eyes from distraction
You are my lasting satisfaction

I have heard that song dozens of times the past few weeks and it really has began in me a pondering process about being satisfied. In the midst of this pondering I have come up with a couple thoughts:

First of all, too many time we (a big I included in that) look beyond our relationship with Christ for satisfaction. In my calling, working with students, I see it on a daily basis. There is the desire to be the best in sports, to be the prettiest, to be the smartest, to gain the approval of a parent or a girlfriend or boyfriend, the strive to be popular or included. All of these things speak to our satisfaction. As adults, it comes as us in the need to make more money, the need to be in a certain "class", the desire to drive certain cars or live in certain homes, the constant striving to keep up with the Jones' and buying into the lie of the American Dream, where we believe the more stuff we have, the more satisfied we will be. As I have pondered this, I realize that it just doesn't make sense. Look around us: Students are comitting suicide at a record rate. School violence is at an all time high. Divorces are a daily occurrence, with families being shattered all around us. I have come to this conclusion. We, as a people, are looking for satisfaction in places where it cannot be found. Real, true, lasting satisfaction cannot be attained apart from an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. Our only true satisfaction, the one that lasts, comes from running away with him and abiding in him. But too many times He has to steal our eyes from distraction. We buy into the lie that the things of this world will satisfy us. But it IS a lie. You can be the prettiest for a while...but it doesn't last. You can be the fastest and strongest for a while...but it doesn't last. You can have the most money and the biggest house for a while...but it doesn't last. The only place where true satisfaction is found is in a real, authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.

The second thing that I have been pondering lately about satisfaction has to do with the church and viewing satisfaction in a far different way. As I look at churches across the U.S., am in and out of different churches, and talk with fellow ministers who are serving in various places, it seems to me that the church, for the most part, has become extremely satisfied. And this is not the same satisfied that I am refering to above. We have become satisfied with where we are, who we are reaching, and what we are doing. In short, we have become complacent and lazy. Mediocrity fills the church in America and for most believers, it is ok. Most of our churches are failing to reach their communities and grow with any consistency and, for most believers, it is ok. People are being turned off from church in record numbers and, for most believers, it is ok. But it is not ok. Where in the word of God do we find the commission or command to be complacent. Where in our walk with God are we called to mediocrity. I cannot believe that Christ died on the cross so that His people could go through life living in a mediocre and complacent fashion, satisified with "well, that's good enough", while the people around them struggle through life without meaning and destined to spend eternity apart from a loving God. This is not what the Father intends for us. We are not called to be satisfied with the status quo or the size of our church or the number of believers in our community. The phrases "well, I guess that's good enough" or "i guess we'll just have to be satified with that" should never be uttered in the church. We do not serve a God who limits us to being satisfied with the status quo. We serve a God who empowers us to live and serve and reach people in ways that are limitless, because he is limitless. I think that there are springing up in different places people who are tired of the status quo. There are those who are tired of being satisfied with doing things the way they've always been done. God is raising up people here and there who refuse to be satisfied when it comes to reaching people for His kingdom. And while I struggle with living in a church culture in our nation that is predominantly one that is satisfied, it gives me great hope to know that there are those who feel spurred along with me. We will find our lasting satisfaction in Him, but we will not be satisfied when it comes to expanding His kingdom and His love.

Have a great day and let Christ steal your eyes from distraction, to prove that He can be your lasting satisfaction!

The Weekend Update...Immersed...

This weekend was our Disciple Now weekend here at our church for our students. It's basically a weekend where students come together for fun, fellowship, friends, and faith. The theme of the weekend was "Immerse" and it came from 1 Timothy 4:12-16 in the Message Bible where Paul challenges Timothy to immerse himself in following Christ. That is the challenge we provided to our students this weekend: to forget about religion, rules, and some "God-checklist" that they have made up and to plunge completely and totally into an authentic, intimate relationship with Jesus. And I think some of them actually got it. It's good to see all the work that so many people did to make the weekend happen pay off in kingdom terms. We got to see the coolest thing that anyone could possibly imagine: We saw life-change. And that is why I do what I do. That is why other adults drove several hours to come and minister to our students. We asked God to show up and he did...And because of that students' lives will never be the same. I believe that the kingdom of God will look different when we get there because of this weekend. I know it will.

Two things that really made my weekend on top of all the other awesome things and seeing God move in the lives of students. First of all, all of my leaders were former students of mine. It is such a blessing and so rewarding to see the ministry that you poured into students be something that they caught and are continuing themselves. That is the model of what healthy, good student ministry should be. The second great thing was Lindsey Kane. She was our worship leader for the weekend and although I knew Lindsey before this weekend, I had never had the privilege of seeing her lead as a worship leader with students. One word about her music and her ability to lead worship: Amazing. If you haven't heard her check her out at lindseykane.com or on hit up her myspace music page. Fantastic stuff and I could not say enough about how real and authentic she is.

As far as my quote of the weekend goes, there were dozens of funny and side-splitting comments made throughout the weekend as we hung out together. But I think I'll choose Dylan's statement on Sunday morning as the one quote that summed up what we as believers should be about and what this weekend was all about. Dylan is one of our 7th graders who God really spoke to this weekend. Here are his words: "Caleb invited me to church and I started hanging out with him and Brooks. And then Brooks started talking to me about how I talked and acted. Then they got me to come this weekend and God showed me that I needed to be saved so I asked him to be my Savior this weekend." That is what it is all about.

Love...

Love is probably one of the most overused and abused words in the English language in today’s society. We hear it constantly. I love my new car. I love playing soccer. I love pizza. I love my girlfriend (who I have been dating for 3 days and we are in the seventh grade). I love that song. I love this. I love that. But do we really understand what it means to say that we love someone or something?

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines love in various ways, including these:
Strong affection for another rising out of kinship or personal ties.
Warm attachment, enthusiasm, or devotion.
Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for another.
To hold dear.
To like or desire actively or to take pleasure in.
The dictionary defines love as both a noun and a verb. D.C. Talk (a legend in Christian music for those who don’t know who they are) says “I don’t care what you say, I don’t care what you’ve heard, Keep on talking ‘cause Love is a verb.”

God defines love in this way:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 1 John 3:16

Merriam-Webster ain’t got jack on God (and yes I know that is bad grammar). Love, real, true, authentic, love is not mere devotion or attraction. Love is not a warm fuzzy feeling or a quaint happiness. Love has little to do with “like” and often requires of us things that we may not necessarily take pleasure in. And I am convinced that love cannot be found in pizza, new cars, or our favorite sports or songs. Love is found in God. He is love. He is the author and creator of love. Love does not exist outside of Him. Fondness, yes. Strong feelings and emotions, definitely. Attraction and desire, sure. But not love. Apart from God, love is not found.

As I examine my personal relationships here on earth, I can see the example of God’s love in them. For example, I love my wife and she loves me. As we each grow closer to God and more in love with Him, we grow closer to each other. It is as I learn to love God properly and to understand His great love for me more fully, that I can love my wife in a better way. Outside of a proper understanding of God’s love for me and my invitation to love Him, I cannot properly understand the sacrificial nature of love that is required of me toward my wife. And in that very example I find the true nature of love. God loves me so he made a sacrifice to show that love. He spared no expense in lavishing His love on me and seeking to captivate my heart with the great expanse of his love for me. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another.” Love demands sacrifice. It demands others above ourselves. It demands holding nothing back to capture the heart of the one whom it targets. That is what God did. He took no shortcuts and cut no corners to show us the richness of his love. He made the sacrifice so that we might know God and know Love.

So this Valentine’s Day, think about love. Who do you love? Who loves you? And remember, love is not something you feel, it is something you DO.

In Honor Of Valentine's Day & The Internet...

The Weekend Update...

Spent this weekend with the students and adults of First Baptist Church Georgetown. Johanna and I were both leaders for their annual Disciple Now weekend. Their youth minister, Brett, is a great friend and someone who I admire so much for the excellence and professionalism he brings to student ministry. I can seldom remember a conversation that I have had with Brett where I have not left the conversation having learned something...about students, about ministry, about myself. For that to happen consistently is rare and Brett really is, in my opinion, one of the top, if not the very top, student pastor that I know. Having said that, Brett and I almost parted ways in our friendship this weekend. I was set to lead a group of 12th grade guys in Bible studies and discussions all weeekend. I had prepared for it and was ready to go. Arriving at Georgetown on Thursday evening, Brett informs me of a change in the groups. He had mis-aligned some of his leaders and homes and I was going to be changed to leading 11th grade...girls. There go all the illustrations about football, fights, and farts. And this isn't the first time Brett has pulled a switch on me like that...But after coming to grips with it, all was good. I got to lead a great group of young ladies and we really had a great weekend. Johanna and I both had the privilege of being involved in the lives of some great students and an outstanding youth ministry. Overall, a great weekend.

This week will be super busy for us. Our own church's Disciple Now is this weekend and we are in full-fledged last minute preparations mode. If you are one who prays, pray for us this week and this weekend. Pray for our students, that God would do a great work in their hearts and lives. And pray for our ministry and our church, that God would use this weekend to bring genuine, authentic revival into the lives of His people. Hope your weekend was as rewarding as mine...

I Knew It!

:
You are Superman

Superman 80% Green Lantern 55% Robin 50% The Flash 50% Iron Man 50% Spider-Man 45% Supergirl 40% Hulk 35% Batman 30% Wonder Woman 30% Catwoman 30%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz


Check out this cool little quiz to find out which super hero you might be.

The Weekend Update...

Our weekend was extremely busy this time around and consisted mainly of sports, so I really can't complain. On Saturday, our church had it's annual "Chili Bowl." It is a student versus adult flag football game that we play each year. The game was a lot of fun and so was the fellowship. After the game we all went to the church and ate chili, as the men of the church were having a chili cook-off in conjunction with the game. Sunday was our big Super Bowl party. We went over to some of our students' house and watched the game together. Although I wasn't really pulling for one team or the other, I thought that the Bears had a good shot at winning. Great defense and a solid running game usually mean victory but the Colts did a great job in winning the game.

Yesterday was back to the office. What I was hoping would be the highlight of my Monday turned into a not-so-high-light as the Texas Longhorns failed to upset the Aggies on Big Monday on ESPN. If only the game had been 35 minutes long, we had a chance...

The quote of the weekend this weekend takes a little different twist. I have been super impressed with both Tony Dungee and Lovie Smith, as football coaches and as men of faith. Neither man comes off "preachy" or fake when talking about their belife in Christ. In each one, I feel that I can see a sense of authenticity and compassion as they share their beliefs on the public stage given them as Super Bowl coaches. In fact, I ran across a cool website dedicated to the faith of the men called beyondtheultimate.org. Check it out when you have a chance. But for the quote of the weekend, I will paraphrase what Tony Dungee said in his speech following the Colts victory at Super Bowl XLI. Here are his words, paraphrased:

"A lot has been made of Lovie and I being the first two black coaches to coach in the Super Bowl. We are also two men of faith who believe in Christ, and to me, that is even more important."

Wow. Talk about capturing the moment to use your influence...

My WeeMee...

Found this cool site, weeworld.com, on a blog I frequently read, ysmarko.com. Thought it was pretty cool. You can check out the site and make your own WeeMee...Here are ones I made of Johanna and I.

Fear and Risk...

I have come to the conclusion that it is very possible that the single, most inhibiting, negative characteristic in the church today is fear. And I am not just talking my church, little c, but THE church, the entire organized body of Christian believers. I especially think that this is the case here in America, as we really don't see that same attitude in the church abroad. We live and act and walk like a people afraid. We make rules that say who is in and who is out because we are afraid that we won't be able to control the group otherwise. We come up with bylaws, church guidelines, policies, and laws to protect ourselves from getting sued and to make sure that everyone fits inside a certain box because we fear what might happen if we didn't have these boundaries. Many times we meet together and are urged to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ with fear as our motivator. And most of the time that motivation fails because deep down the church is more afraid of the world and it's opinion of us than we are of failing Christ.

Last night in our midweek student services we talked about the disciple Peter. We looked in Matthew 14 where Peter walked on the water with Jesus, but took his eyes off and almost drown. We looked at the story in John 18 where Peter was in the garden of Gethsemane and cut off the ear of the Roman soldier. We even looked at the following chapters in John where Peter denies even knowing who Jesus is. Each story gives us a picture of a Christ-follower who was passionate, aggressive, brash, and jumped into things with both feet (most of the time without thinking through the consequences). For the most part, this kind of decision-making and living usually had Peter ending up in some kind of dilemna that really wasn't part of what he bargained for. For those of you who are Chris Farley fans like myself, Peter is kind of like the Tommy Boy or Blacksheep of the group of disciples. Try as he might, with all his good intentions, it just never goes his way...

But I think God took great pleasure in Peter's attempts. You can hear the story of Peter walking on water told again and again in church. Usually it ends with some statement or conclusion that if Peter had just kept his focus on Jesus and not on the storm and waters around him, he would have been ok. I won't buy that cow. I believe that until Peter's dying day he probably had dreams of the day he stepped out of the boat and walked toward Jesus, even if it was only a few steps. I believe that while the other disciples played it safe and stayed in the boat, Peter's RISK brought honor and pleasure to God. While everyone else was afraid and decided to ere on the side of safety, Peter risked it all to get closer to Jesus. And God smiled. Then Peter heads to the Garden with Jesus on the night the Roman guards come to arrest him. As the guards try to take their Master, their Teacher, their Rabboni, most of the disciples just stand there watching, afraid of what the soldiers are going to do to Jesus and to them...But not Peter. This fisherman who was probably terrible with a sword pulls out his sword anyway and attempts to defend his Master. Even in his attempt, he only pulls a Mike Tyson on the guard and cuts of his ear, which Jesus reprimands him for. But notice that Jesus does not reprimand his desire to defend him or his willingness to risk his life for the sake of Christ, but only his methodology. They were not people of the sword and Jesus reminds Peter of that...But deep down inside, and maybe even outwardly, I think that Christ smiled on Peter's willingness to take a risk while everyone else watched in fear, and I think that it brought honor and pleasure to the Master to see that one of his followers would choose risk over fear. And then Peter really blows it. If you have spent much time in church at all, you've heard Peter's last and most famous blunder. After Jesus is arrested and taken into custody, Peter and John follow the soldiers to see what they will do with Christ. Upon entering the courtyard several people recognize Peter as one of those Christ-followers and confront him about it. Each time Peter commits a grave error by denying Christ, in essence letting his fear overtake him. But one thing that I notice about Peter even in this passage is again his willingness to take a risk. Even though fear eventually wins in Peter in this passage, he took great risk to even put himself in a position to face that fear. In this story, where are all the other disciples? They aren't in it...Becuase they went home. They ran off. Their master was arrested and they went home to hide and worry and be afraid. From the very beginning of the Garden scene, fear had won in them. But not Peter and John...They press on and take the great risk of following Christ as he is taken captive. Luke 22 says that Peter is following close enough to Jesus that after he denies him he sees Jesus' face and they make eye contact. Wow. I can't imagine what dissapointment Peter must have felt in himself at the time. And while I know that it had to hurt the heart of Jesus to know that Peter had denied him, I think God had to take pleasure in the fact that at least Peter took the risk of putting himself close enough to Christ in the situation to be given the opportunity to fail. At the end of the day, and at the end of each of these passages, I think that Peter shows us something great about our own, personal walks with Christ - they must involved risk.

Yes, we may fail. Yes, we may get out of the boat and not realize how rough the water is until we are six feet out in it. Yes, we may pull our sword and start swinging, to only then realize that we are not swordsmen. But at least we took the risk to do something. At least we were willing to take a risk instead of be afraid. I believe that the church in America is in a perilous time. I believe that those who truly are Christ-followers are living in an incredible moment in history. And I believe that the church is filled with people who are afraid. We fear that the world is against us. We fear people who look different that us. I mean, after all, what on earth would we do if "those" people started coming to our church? We live fear that we are going to lose control or some semblance of power that we have dreamed up the church and Christianity is about. And, deep within my being, I believe it breaks the heart of God to watch his children live in such fear...But it doesn't have to be that way. Over and over again in the Bible God teaches us that he is honored when his people take great risks for him. We see time and time again in history how God uses those who are willing to take risks for him.

So here we sit, at the crossroad of fear and risk. What will we do, church? Our answer to this question will determine how God works among us and it will determine what future generations believe about the power, strength, and trustworthiness of our God. And our answer to this question will determine our involvement in reaching a world, a community, a neighborhood, a school, or a neighbor that so desperately needs to know the love and grace of Christ. So join me in fighting your fear. Take the risk. Be like Peter. God takes pleasure in our risks because it means we have more faith in Him, than in ourselves...

The Weekend Update...

Not a whole lot happened this weekend that was out of the ordinary. Johanna and I went to San Marcos on Saturday to do some grocery shopping and get a few things. That night a couple from the church that we are good friends with came over and ate pizza and we all had a great time just talking about life and hanging out. It was a lot of fun. Sunday consisted of church and small groups. Sunday night we ended up over at some friends house with our Children's minister from the church and her husband. We hung out, ate some snacks, and the guys all played Xbox 360 or PS2 with the kids. Overall, it was a good, relaxing weekend spent with friends.

Also, my new tradition of quote of the weekend will continue, thanks to Tim, one of our friends from the church and the father to one of our 7th grade students. Tim was intensely involved in a game of Guitar Hero II (a game where you simulate playing a remote control guitar to famous rock songs) with one of our High School students on Sunday night and his wife kept asking him to come into the dining room because she wanted to ask him a question. Tim explained that he couldn't right then because a song was loading and about to start...Clara, his wife, told him to pause it and Tim's replied, "You can't pause Arena Rock!" One word: Hilarious! And thus the quote of the weekend....As the night went on and Clara tried to lure Tim away form the game later and his reply was simple..."I can't come over there right now...We're in the middle of a set." Great stuff...Hope you had a great weekend!

Reflections...

Last week I promised some reflections on growing older and while I thought I was going to get away without sitting down and typing this out, my friend David Brown reminded me that I still had not done it so here it goes. As some of you know, my birthday was last Monday. 29...and holding. It only goes downhill from here so I think Monday will probably be the last birthday I celebrate. Next year when I hit the big 3-0 (Ugh!) I think I will just refuse to celebrate my birthday and hold at 29. Like a game of blackjack, I'll pass and keep the numbers I'm holding...But anyway, I really am not that super depressed so here are some things that I've realized along the years about life and growing older. Hope you enjoy.

#1. Life really does go by faster the older you get. I used to think people were insane when they would say this, but it is so true. A semester of school took forever when I was in high school and now the entire school year is gone if I blink more than once. As you grow older, you begin to reflect on months and years, instead of days because the days go by so fast there is little reflection to do. While it still makes no sense to me how this one works, it is definitely true.

#2. Growing older really isn't all that bad. I used to dread turning that one year older each January 15th. I guess I have either realized it isn't that bad or just come to the realization that it's a battle I can't win. But with each year of age comes new experiences, new challenges, new life, and new growth. At each stage of life we are met with things that make us stronger than we were before, give us more wisdom than we previously had, and allow us to truly appreciate and TASTE life in a whole new way...In that light, growing older has it's benefits.

#3. My final thought is probably my most significant one and it is this: LIFE IS SHORT. DO SOMETHING. Life flies by. It seems that one minute we're in the theater of life watching the previews for the upcoming shows and then we glance down to our watches and realize we're 118 minutes into the movie and the screen credits are coming up soon and it's all over. And yet, in knowing this, so many of us WASTE our lives on trivial, meaningless crap. We spend all our time and treasure and talent on things that fade and have no real meaning. We work and live to store up things that rust and are destroyed. Life is short. Live it. Do something that lasts, that is real, that won't fade away as you do...Make a difference. You know, the longer I live the more I appreciate the time I get to spend with my family. I love the weekends where I actually have enough free time to just get away with my wife and breathe and just be us, whether that is a trip to the movies or a walk through the park. I cherish the time I get to spend with my grandparents, who are getting up there in age, and the time I share with my parents and my brother. I cherish that time because I realize those are the things that really matter. I cherish the time I get to spend outside of the walls of my office, really ministering to a student. I love the times I get to spend a week on a mission trip serving others and serving the kingdom of God...And I have come to realize that the reason I cherish these moments is because that is when I am truly ALIVE. It is in those moments, the ones that really matter, that I LIVE. So I don't know what your weekend consists of. I don't know what career choices you have made or what lies ahead in your life for the next month, year, decade...But I do know this: Life is short so do something with it. Go home and spend the evening just listening to your wife tell a funny story about her childhood you have never heard before. Email your parents and let them know how much you appreciate them. Call your grandparents and let them know that their grandchild idolizes them and loves them greatly. Go home from work and play a game of catch with your son or read a story to your little girl. Give your brother or sister a shout just to say hello. Spend some time reading the Word of God at the park allowing God to speak his love into your heart. Find something in your community or at your church or in your neighborhood worth doing...I mean really worth doing, something that will LAST...and get in on it. Life goes by too fast to spend time on meaningless, futile stuff. If we're not careful we get caught going through life without LIVING or BEING ALIVE. Life is short. Don't waste it. Do something. Live.

Last Week's Ice Storm

As some of you may know we spent the first part of last week iced in here in central Texas. While it may not be a blizzard you would see up north, the ice we got here and the snow that some places a little farther northwest of us received really slowed things down for Texans not used to this type of weather. These are few of the pictures I took while the weather permitted...

An icicle hanging off the Baker Theater in dowtown Lockhart. The picture doesn't do it justice because it was almost three feet long!


Our cars the second day of the ice...


The ice chipped off the side of my Blazer on Wednesday...


A Fire Hydrant (sideways view) at the City Park...


A tree at the city park as the ice begin to thaw...

A Slow Day at The Office...

The past couple days we have been iced in and their has not been a lot of people able to get to work or do anything once they got there...That has resulted in a lot of surfing the net time for me and I thought I would share some humor I've found with you...Hope ya' enjoy!





And here are some that ring a little to close to being true...

Keep Reading Mom...

What A Weekend....

This had to be one of the best weekends in the very recent history of things around here. On Friday, one of my old fraternity brothers and good friends, flew into the ATX from Cali. He was here to do a photo shoot (He is amazing...check him out at mnorwoodphotography.com) and spent the weekend in town. We met Friday afternoon and he did a mini-shoot with Johanna and I. Johanna loves taking pictures together and it really was a lot of fun. We took them at the Botanical Gardens at Zilker Park....really cool place, even when everything is not in bloom. Then later that night, another fraternity brother and good friend drove in from Dallas and met us in the ATX. We all went to eat together and spent the evening telling old stories and chatting about the "good ol' days." On Saturday, my brother and his wife drove in from Houston. We were all planning to go catch dinner with my two friends again that night when another old college friend called me up. Turns out he and his wife only live about 30 minutes away, so they joined us and we all went and got some Lockhart barbecue and hung out at our house for the night. It really was a great weekend. Sunday consisted of church in the morning and more friends that afternoon. My buddy from Dallas didn't have to be back at work until tomorrow so he crashed at the house last night. David and I used to play Trivial Pursuit all the time in college so we are always up for a good matchup. About a year ago we played and he beat both me and my wife, so I was out for revenge. He took the first matchup again this time, but we played one more, which turned out to be one of the most competitive games I've ever played of Trivial Pursuit, and in the end, I was the victor. However, that final game provided me with the quote of the weekend (which there were dozens, if not hundreds to pick from...) and here it is:

David, referring to the trivia card in his hand: "This is a GREAT card. This may be the best card from top to bottom I have ever seen. We should frame this card, its that good."

What a weekend! I had a blast and since today is my birthday (I will jot down some birthday reflections tomorrow...) I consider it all an early present. God has blessed me extremely with some of the best friends in the world. I cherish the time that my brother and I got to spend at HPU with Michael, David, Chance and the other ZX crew. These guys are lifelong friends and I truly thank God today for the chance to renew and continue these great friendships this weekend. I love you guys.

Glimpses of The Ones Who Get It....

Last night was our mid-week youth worship service/fellowship/rec time/Bible study...Yeah, we pile a lot into one night, but it's all good. Anyway, things went pretty good I guess. It was kind of your typical night with the students, but afterward I begin to think about these small glimpses I am starting to see of kids who "get it." A lot of the time, ministry in general, and especially youth ministry, can be draining. It takes a lot out of you. But it seems that every now and then there are these little signs that it is all worth it. As I laid on the couch last night catching up on some much needed Sportscenter, I caught a couple glimpses of it as I reviewed the night....I see it in Mark, who comes early to set up the sound system and stays after everyone else to tear down the sound system. I never have to worry about it and it is always done with detail and excellence. Why? Because he "gets it." He sees that he is serving God and others by what he does and that means he is beginning to "get it," to understand what life following after Jesus is all about. I also see it in Grant. Regardless of whether others join him in singing and worshipping or not, he is faithful, every week to be prepared to lead others in worship. He shares from his heart and he worships, whether others follow or not....He is "getting it." He understands that it is not about him, but rather about HIM. Then there are those 7 or 8 students who stay to help plan Disciple Now. They could go home like the rest of the youth, but they chose to stay late and they chose to serve on this ministry team. Why? Because they are starting to "get it." They see that their life can make an impact for the kingdom, glory, and fame of God by choosing to serve Him and serve others. These students are beginning to see that it is not all about them. They are beginning to understand that God has called them into something in following Christ that is far bigger than their personal satisfaction or comfort. They are learning that true followers don't just say they love Him, but they show it in how they serve...There are little signs all around...They're there...You sometimes just have to pause and really look to see them.

Random Hilarious Movie Lines...

My brother sent me an email with the following quote this morning just for laughs:

"Dear Lord Baby Jesus in your golden fleece diaper, just watching your little Einstein videos learnin' 'bout colors and shapes, thank you for my two boys.... Walker and Texas Ranger." - Ricky Bobby from Taladega Nights

That got me to thinking about my favorite movie lines that just crack me up every time I hear them. Two of my favorites would have to be these:

"I was just checking the specs on the endline for the rotary gurder....I'm retarded" - Chris Farley in Tommy Boy

"Rectum?!?! Dang near killed the man!" - Chris Farley in Black Sheep

Also who can forget, "I got dibs on top bunk!" also in Black Sheep. In fact, most of my hilarious movie quotes are found in Chris Farley movies....Anyway, what are some of your favorite movie quotes that make you laugh every time you hear 'em? Post away....

I Love Sinners...

That may not come as a shock to many of you (or to the two of you that actually read this...) but I really do love sinners. I love to be around people who do not know the gospel of Christ and have yet to be changed by his loving grace and forgiveness. Some of my closest friends are people who are either foreign to or hostile toward the gospel of Jesus. And that's okay. Because I believe that loving sinners in a way that places me right in the midst of their lives actually brings a smile to the face of Jesus. And I believe it places me right where he wants me to be.

Yesterday in our Sunday morning college Bible Study we talked about the story in John 4 where Jesus encounters the woman at the well. Here is this woman, living in sin and ashamed of where her life has taken her. She even goes out of her way to make her daily water runs at a time when she won't have to encounter anyone who might cause her more shame or bring more judgement into her life. And yet as she goes through her daily routine, she encounters the One who loves sinners so much that he came and lived in our world. Jesus begins to talk to the lady on her turf and in her language. He shows her, through his conversation, that he genuinely cares about her. And then he drops a couple bombs on this poor woman. First of all, He calls out her sin to her face. Imagine what that must have felt like. I know I wouldn't want to be in her place. And then, after that, he tells her that He is the Messiah. Can you imagine the thoughts that must have been crashing through this lady's head. She has just come face to face with God in the flesh and He knows it all. He knows her darkness, her shame, her sin. He knows her loose lifestyle and every poor choice that she has made. Yet here He sits, sharing conversation and water with her. He knows it all, yet here he sits telling her that she is welcome and invited to worship the Father in spirit and truth. Here is the One who knows everything about her, yet he loves her anyway. I hope you can imagine what thoughts rang in her mind, because the One whom she encountered at the well is the One who encounters each of us, inviting and welcoming us to come and follow Him and worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

Mark Driscoll says that our mission as believers is to be close to Jesus. He says that the gospel of Jesus and our freedom in Him is intended to allow us to dance as close to sinners as possible by crossing the lines that unnecessarily separate the people God has found from those he is still seeking. Driscoll says this actually protects us from sin, because the way to avoid sin is not to avoid sinners, but to stick close to Jesus.

I thank God that he has allowed me to live life in places where people do not know His love and grace. I love that my path in life sometimes takes me to places where I have to really struggle and strive to find where in the world God could possibly be working in a situation. I love sinners. And I love that the God who loves me loves sinners. It means that he loves me, because I'm one too. And it means that when I find myself close to those who do not yet know his love and whom He is still seeking, I find myself close to Him.

What I'm Reading These Days...

Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll

I just started this book and so far it has been very good. The author is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seatlle and founder of the Acts 29 Church planting network. A lot of my heart right now is in the church plant/emerging church movement. The subtitle of the book is "Reaching Out Without Selling Out." As I gather so far, it is about radically refomring the way we see our mission and understanding that we are called to take the gospel of Christ not just to the nations, but also across the street.

My Prison Without Bars by Pete Rose

I just finished reading this autobiography by Pete Rose. I really enjoyed it and it was nice to read something "light" and not filled with the spiritual or church related concepts that are in much of what I read. While I hate that Pete Rose tainted the game with his gambling addiction, I think his punishment has been a little harsh by baseball and that he should be in the Hall. This book hits a lot of baseball history even as far back as when Rose was growing up as a kid so its a good read for you baseball and sports fans.

Contemplative Youth Ministry by Mark Yaconelli

I have also just started reading this one a few weeks ago. While its good, I

think it will probably take a backseat to the Driscoll book. This one is all about how we need to form student ministries that practice the presence of Jesus. I am one of those youth ministers who believe that the "circus" that we have so often created to draw kids in has had a very negative impact on the gospel of Christ working in students' lives so I am interested to see Mark Yaconelli's take on this subject.

Christmas and The New Year

Well, it has been a while since I have posted. A big reason is because I have not had internet at our house since we moved and then we were at my parents during the week of Christmas, and while they do have the 'net, I just wasn't up to logging onto anything through dial-up. I guess that patience thing still isn't working...Anyway, my Christmas holdiay was absolutely incredible and I hope your's was as well. Here are some highlights of the last couple weeks.

I hit the Christmas gift jackpot this year. Really, it was incredible. Johanna got me a gift card for a new rifle. It was cool because I opened up my gift and there was a toy cap shot-gun in the box and I really didn't know what was going on. Then she told me to turn it over and the gift card was on the back. I am super excited about going to get it and going shooting with the guys. She also got me a sweet Homer Simpson clock (I am a huge Simpson's fan) and a scope for my gun. Then on Christmas day, Johanna teamed up with my parents and they all got me an XBOX 360. I am totally thrilled about that gift as well. My brother has one and we are looking forward to playing on XBOX live and talking a little trash like old times. Last weekend he and his wife were at our house and we got a head start on some of our rivalries, which ended in me crushing him in Madden 07 and then him turning around and returning the favor in NBA Live. He and Christie also gave me some great gifts. I got a Sony Vega flat screen TV from them and the Madden 07 game for the 360. As I said earlier, I hit the jackpot...

However, as incredible and cool as all those gifts are and as much fun as I will definitely have with them, that was not the greatest thing about my holiday. The greatest thing about the Christmas holiday was who I got to spend it with. From time to time you will hear me say that, while life is amazingly grand in and of itself, it's joys and experiences are just multiplied when you get to share them within the context of a wonderful marriage. I love the holidays now that I get to spend them with Johanna. It just makes them so much better. It makes the joy multiplied and the happiness increased. And we got to spend some time with our families, which is always great. I love being at home and I love just being at a place where I can be me...People from home know me as Nic, not Nic the youth minister, or Nic the guy who works at a church, or Nic, the guy who preaches and teaches the Bible...To them, I am just another kid who they've watched grow up. I'm just like everybody else and there are no preconceived notions and concepts that I have to live up to. And sometimes it is refreshing to know that the people you're around have seen you at your best and at your worst and they love you at both ends of the spectrum. The holiday season for me was great this year, as last, because of whom I shared it with. I hope that you can feel the same about yours...

On a totally new subject - Just a note about our New Year's - We spend New Year's Eve with our students and some youth workers from our church at Main Event in Austin. Main Event is a family fun center that has bowling, laser tag, putt-putt golf, rock climbing, arcade games, and a lot more. It was a great time to just have fun and fellowship together. New Year's day consisted of watching bowl games, which was great. I will try and post a couple Christmas pics later today or tomorrow, but until then, have a good one...

Good Times, Great Friends...

The last couple days have been great. Andy, Jaron, and Curry (all former students of mine) came to stay a couple days with us and just hang out starting on Tuesday. Kenny and Daniel (also former students of mine) also came down yesterday. We have had a blast. The past couple days (and late nights...till 4 AM) have consisted of lots of eating, playing poker, and an extremely unhealthy amount of NCAA 07 on the XBOX. It has been so awesome to have these guys here with us. They are some of my former youth group students, but they are also some of my closest friends in this world. I am heading back to the house at lunch (to wake them up) and then we are gonna' go grab one last plate of BBQ and they are headed home...The only bad thing about times like these is that they fly by and never last long enough...But it makes me thankful for the relationships and friendships that I have with these guys. I miss them. And this was fun. Way more than words could ever describe. It just does my heart and soul good to be around these guys...On another note, our Christmas travels begin tommorrow. Just in case I don't get a chance to post again before then, MERRY CHRISTMAS. I hope you and yours have a blessed holiday season and that you get the chance to spend it with family and friends that are as great as mine.

The Weekend Update...

Another busy weekend in our lives has come and gone. It was another weekend wedding that occupied our time these past few days. My wife's sister got married in Temple, TX this weekend. The rehearsal was Friday afternoon and the wedding was Saturday afternoon/evening. It was a nice wedding and Clay and Jackie really had a beautiful day. Seeing Johanna walk down the aisle as the matron of honor made me remember seeing her walk down the aisle as my bride and how beautiful and incredible she looked on our wedding day. Pictures and videos don't do the memories justice so many times and although they say that your wedding day is so emotional/hectic/crazy that most people don't even remember the ceremony or the day, I don't think I will ever forget seeing her walk through those back church doors and down that aisle. I am so blessed to be able to share my life with such an amazing woman....
While we were in Temple, I awoke to a "bad news" phone call on Saturday morning. One of my former students called me and said that his older brother (also a former student) was involved in a terrible car accident on Saturday morning and was being care flighted to Scott & White in Temple. I just "happened" to be there (there are no accidents with God, right?) so I went and waited with their parents while they awaited the care flight because the parents drove down from Dallas where they were on a business trip and beat the care flight to the hospital. I had to leave to go to the wedding, but Johanna and I got to see Cade after the wedding. He is still in ICU and is paralyzed from the waste down. Please pray for him and his family. His spirit is incredibly good and his attitude positive, but there is much that lies ahead for this young man. If you are a praying person, please keep him in your prayers. I was griping about being in Temple on Friday because I have so many "not so good" memories of that town because of the hospital and it seems like God just taught me this weekend that he has it all in control, even to the point where weddings happen in the exact town that he wants them to. How else does a girl from Kingsland and a guy from Milano who both live in Corpus Christi end up getting married at Taylor's Valley Church outside of Temple, TX so that I would just "happen" to be in that place in order to minister to a family and give them love and support? God is crazy like that.
Church was Sunday and we had a few college students over at the house last night until about 1:00...It was great fun and I'm looking forward to the time we get to spend with them over the Christmas break. Hope that in the hustle and bustle of your weekend, you had a chance to see God's love for you. Until next time...

Being Jesus....Like Granny Elaine

I can remember my first year in youth ministry very vividly. I started off as a summer intern for a church, and after a really rough first couple of weeks, I began to love this thing called Youth Ministry. I had only been at the church a little over a month and my commitment as the summer intern was already half-way over. That's when one of the staff members approached me about staying on year-round as a staff member at the church while I finished up at Howard Payne University. I thought it sounded like a great idea and jumped at the chance. What followed were some incredible years of student ministry that I'll never forget...But times weren't always easy, especially starting out. I didn't make squat at my job...Literally, I think the church paid me $80 a month, after taxes and I was driving 60 miles to the church to or three times a week...But it was good because of people like Granny Elaine, or Mrs. Laughlin to those who didn't know her well. Of course, that wasn't anybody that I knew because everyone knew her as Granny Elaine. She was the mother of our music minister at the church. The music minister had a son that was about six months younger than me and then a son a couple years younger than me and we were instantly great friends. Since I was the age of her grandsons, Granny Elaine took right up with me. There was never a weekend that I wasn't invited to her table to eat, both on Saturday night and on Sunday after church. I can honestly say that I have never seen the amount of food, nor the quality and taste of food that she could put on the table for one meal. As a POOR college students who lived on cafeteria food, pb & j, and macaroni, the weekends were a big welcome. I was hungry and I got real food to eat...every weekend, without fail. I can also remember those first couple of summers where Granny Elaine just insisted on doing my laundry for me when we would get back from camp or a mission trip...She would always say that I was too busy with all those kids to mess with that and that she could handle it. Her reasoning was always this: "I just feel like I never do anything for you." It would make me laugh everytime she would say it because she did more for me than the vast majority of people I knew. I know her grocery bill went up because of me but she never complained that I was at the table, even when I dropped in unexpectedly. She became friends with my grandparents and when my brother or parents were in town she insisted that we share a meal at her house after church. There was never a stranger that walked in her door and there was never a lack of another chair to pull up to the table for somebody knew or an unexpected guest, family member, or friend that just happened to "stop by" during meal time. She was famous for her cooking and her fried pies and that meant a lot of accidental "I just happened to be passing through at this time" would occur. She would make fried pies every time I had a youth bake sale or food auction and we would make a couple hundred dollars off of just a dozen of her delicious treats they were so good and so popular. For a young college student, spending a lot of time away from home, and living on a tight budget she was a welcome friend. She was one of my biggest fans. It didn't matter what I did, Granny backed me and supported me. I could do no wrong in her sight and it's really encouraging to have those kind of people in your life. Granny Elaine showed me what it meant to live like Jesus. She fed the hungry (and the full), shared a story, and never met someone who wasn't welcomed into her home. She washed the clothes of a busy youth minister as her way of contributing, serving, and helping out. She raised a fine family who absolutely loved and adored her. I got to see Granny Elaine in good times and in hard times and all the time, she was full of the love of Jesus. She gave whatever she could to whoever she could and I think that is what Jesus taught us all.
Granny Elaine passed away yesterday afternoon. She went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus, and her many loved ones in Christ that have gone on before her. I can see the smile on Joel's face (her grandson who passed away from cancer at 21) as Granny walks through heaven's gate and I know that smile is because he is expecting some fried pies pretty soon. I will miss the visits. I'll miss the fried pies. I'll defnitely miss the encouragement of one of my "biggest fans." But most of all I will miss the love and support of a genuine Christ follower who knew what it meant to be Jesus to others...And the world she lived in and touched will miss that too.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Christmas time is upon us...If you do not believe me try finding a parking spot at your local mall or finding a line in your hometown Wal-Mart that isn't at least 15 minutes long. As I have said in previous posts, I really have turned into a "Christmas lover" for lack of a better description. I don't know if it is from getting older or what, but I think it has a lot to do with being married because as Johanna and I have got to celebrate Christmas together the past couple years, that is when the transition has occurred. (Note: Not that I ever disliked getting presents, but some of the rest of the hoopla got old in a hurry.)
With Christmas in full swing I wanted to share a couple comical stories about our holiday experience so far. First of all, this year and last year I have become obsessed with decoratiing. However, we were waiting to move into a new house on Dec. 1st so I got a late start on the whole decorations thing this year. But finally in the middle of last week I finished getting my Christmas lights put up on the outside of the house. I had been working on them for several days and had tried everything to hang them. Certain staples from staple guns weren't strong enough to go through the wood and others were to thick for my gun. I couldn't find nails that wouldn't leave huge holes in the house, but after a few days I go it figured out. I had even went to Wal Mart and purchased these light hangers that were supposed to "stick" to the overhang of the house. I used them on the last strand and finished it up on Thursday. Last night when Johanna and I turned the lights on and were leaving the house to go eat with some friends I noticed that all my "sticky" light hangers had lost their stick in the humidity and drizzle and so that strand was hanging down. It just happens to be the strand on the tallest peak of the house so that will all have to be re-hung this week. Gotta' laugh about it because getting mad doesn't get the lights back up. Then on Saturday, Johanna and I spent all day looking for a certain Christmas present for my sister-in-law (my brother's wife). We went into 6 or 8 different stores all over the Austin area looking for this item and literally spent the entire day looking for that one gift. Yesterday my mom called me, laughing, and had some "great" news for me. She knew we had been shopping for the gift all over Austin, all day long and she had just got off the phone with my sister-in-law's mom, who informed my mom that they had already gotten Christie the same gift! I called my brother and after a threat to drive to Houston and strangle them I was ok. The also got the smae gift for my brother that we were getting, but I guess it's back to the gift drawing board - and back to the packed malls!
In the midst of this holiday season, I hope that you take time to stop. Just stop and relax and rest in the joy that Christmas brings. Stop and be still in the thought that this season is a celebration of the Savior. The one who stepped out of heaven and put on flesh and blood so that we would have a God who is like us in every way. He knows our hurts, pains, struggles, stresses, triumphs, and joys because he has lived where we lived and walked in our human shoes. And that is what it is all about. God loved us enough not to leave us alone, but to send us a Savior. And find some way this holiday season to share that love and message in a very practical way, be it big or small, with someone who doesn't know the One Who Is Love. Until next time...

Hilarious!

What's Goin' On?

Wow....It has been a busy past several days. We moved into a new house all the week after Thanksgiving. With Johanna and I both working during the day, most of the move was done at night and when I could slip away from the office during the day, making for a long, strenous week. Luckily we have some great friends and some great students who helped out and made the load lighter, literally. Also, I have been dealing with some conflict at work that has been really stressful and wearing on me. One of our leadership students has been having some big attitude problems and some repeated problems with language and we've had to deal with taking this student off of our worship team. It has really upset the parents and they can't get past the one thing about the language to see the bigger picture. They feel we are punishing her for struggling with cursing when it is a bigger issue than that with the attitude problems and repeated language/behavior and all. They also see me as a "dictator" and the only one making the decision when several people have been consulted and we all agree on the decision...I guess you just sometimes can't get people to see your side so they will misunderstand the process. My prayer in all this is that this student realizes that we do really love her and want God's best for her. I pray that she realizes that we are motivated out of the love, truth, and grace of Jesus to lead in this way and that she grows from this. But sometimes that is hard to see when you disagree with what is being done....
On another note, I had a great evening on Sunday. We went with two other couples from our church and one of the couples friend's from Austin to go to Burnet to Main Street Bethlehem. Main Street Bethlehem is an incredible "production" of First Baptist Church Burnett during the Christmas holiday season. Basically the church has an entire city block that they have built to replicate the town of Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth. There is a stone wall around the town and it stays up year round. But on the first two weekend in December the church makes it come to life. The people of FBC all dress up as peasants, soldiers, rope makers, tax collectors, shepherds, jailers, basket weavers, and many other characters from the time of Jesus. You can go (after standing in line for a good while) take your own journey through the town, seeing people arrested for failing to pay their taxes, getting a look inside the tavern, smelling the hot bread being cooked (and the camels, donkeys, and sheep). You hear the sounds of that day in street vendors selling their goods, chickens clucking in the background, and the ruccus of the guards and prisoners in the town jail. It really is a production that involves all of the senses and it makes the story and atmosphere that existed at the time of the birth of Jesus come to life. It is a great Christmas present from the church for all who get to come through and experience it and it puts the birth of Jesus in a whole new light. You end your journey touring the inn that was full and going out back to see in the stable (cave), Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. I have been to this a couple times now and each time it really brings to life that fact that we serve a God who spared nothing to show his love for us. Our God is one who stepped out of the realm of heaven and took on the form of a human body, just like us, so he can identify with us. When we deal with stress, hurt, pain, loneliness, temptations, joy, sorrow, happiness, and life's struggles we can rest assured that we have a God who can say "I understand your hurt. I share your pain. I rejoice with you." Whatever the case may be, we have a God who knows....because He's been there. And in my opinion, that's what Christmas is all about.

My Silence in Blogdom...

After I made the decision to post the Thanksgiving posts all week, I realized that my parents only have dial-up internet, so that challenge died a quick death. This past week my silence has been effected by my recent move. Johanna and I moved into a new house this past week and we have spent every waking moment packing boxes and moving furniture...We also moved into a sub-division of town where DSL internet service is not available from the provider we have so we are trying to get a new internet set-up at the house. All of that combined to say that I have been relatively silent in the blog world as of late and for that I apologize (if anybody even reads this...). However, I have a meeting at the church in a little while and am hoping to have time to post an update when that is over or sometime tommorrow morning.

Thankful for Traffic

Okay, so I am a day behind posting the things that I'm thankful for during this week. But I have a good reason. We didn't get to my parents house until late last night and this is the first chance that I've had to be online (dial-up so I use the term online loosely). It usually takes about 3 to 3 1/2 hours to get from our house to my parents. We left Lockhart at 4:15 or so yesterday afternoon and had a stop to make in Austin. We got to my parents house at 10:30. Needless to say the traffic was thick, especially through Austin.

And that has me thinking about the "strange" and "weird" things that I am thankful for. I am trying to look at things a little different this week and see the little, overlooked, even sometimes irritating things that I am thankful for.

So I am thankful for traffic. Yep, you read right. I said I am thankful for traffic. I am thankful that to travel for a holiday weekend requires me to sit motionless on what should be a fast moving roadway. I am thankful for traffic...because it means that I have a family to go home to. Having to sit in traffic and go through the "stress" of holiday travel means I am going somewhere to spend time with a family that loves me. So I guess this post really is more about being thankful for an incredible family than anything. I have the best family in the world. I have an absolutely amazing wife, who is unbelievable in so many ways. I have parents who love and support me and have always been there for me, urging me to be my best and loving me when I wasn't. I have the great opportunity to still have two grandparents living that I get to learn life lessons from and I cherish every extra day I get with them. I have a brother who is not only blood, but my best friend in the world. And that doesn't even include my extended family and friends. Those friends in life who are as close as family, who share life and all it's ups and downs with you. I truly am blessed with a great number of people in my life and around this time of year, and really all year long, I am reminded to be thankful.

Traffic...that maddening, irritating, schedule ruining, anurism causing, enigma...I am thankful for traffic...because it means I'm on the way home.

Lebanese Assasination

Pierre Gemayel, an anti-Syrian political leader in Lebanon, was assasinated today. He was part of a prominent Christian family involved in the political affairs of Lebanon. It seems from most of the news reports that I have heard and read that the assasination was more politically motivated, than specifically religiously motivated. However, in much of the Middle East right now the line between politcal affiliation and religious affiliation is almost non-existent. Either way, the news of this tragic event has me thinking of a couple of things.

First of all, it reminds me of how easy and cush we have it as Christ followers in America. We have no fear of being persecuted, imprisoned, or otherwise harmed for our beliefs in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We don't have to secretly worship or be involved in any type of underground church movement. Most believers wear symbols of their faith openly in jewelry, car stickers, t-shirts, and more. In fact, Christianity has it's own little sub-culture hear in the USA, which has turned into a big money business. I think maybe that's why we miss the point of what Jesus has called us to so much these days. As I look at the New Testament I don't see a world that was friendly, welcoming, open, and even a good consumer of Jesus and what He called people to. I find a world that was against so much of what Jesus stood for and consistently misunderstood the love and grace that he taught and lived. In light of that, I think that the ease and popularity of Christianity and church in general in America has caused a lot of people who claim to be Christians to look a lot more like this "church sub-culure" that we have developed instead of the Jesus who calls us to leave everything behind and follow Him in reckless, radical, risky, rebellious faith. In fact, I think that when a person does try to follow Jesus in this way, many times the "Christian culture" that we have created works against him or her and is a big hindrance to what Jesus has called that person to be. In light of all this thought, it also reminds me of my own responsibility to pray for other Christ followers around the world who live in an environment so hostile to the ways and truth of Jesus that I cannot possibly begin to get my mind around it.

Secondly, this news makes me think of how muddy the waters have become between politics and religious beliefs these days. It seems that the idealogy of much of the religous Crusades where one's religious belief system was identical to one's country/kingdom/region has crept back into the mindset of many people when it comes to politics, power, and religion. This causes me concern for a number of reasons, the biggest one being this: Any time a political party/idealogy/country/policy is linked to or seen as identical to the beliefs of a certain religion, specifically Christianity, we do a disservice to our religious identity. The calling to follow Christ trancends any obligations toward a certain politcal viewpoint and even any loyalty to a country or political leader. As Christ followers we are called to be devoted and loyal to one entity and that is the person of Jesus. Any time we mix politcal ideas in with this calling we muddy the waters for ourselves and for anyone who we would try to reach with the gospel that cannot make a logical connection between what our politics say and what our faith says.

With all that rambling said, let me encourage you to pray if you are a person of faith for those followers of Jesus that live in places where loyalty to following Christ may cause them pain, punishment, imprisonment, and even death. And pray for yourself too, that you might know the kind of passion and devotion to Christ that those who live in these places exhibit.

Wedding Weekend Pics, Part Two

Justin & Christie's Last Dance at the Reception - The Song: "At Last" - kinda fitting :)

The Couples at the reception
Cool pic of my mom and Justin before wedding

Wedding Weekend Pics

Me, Justin, Mom, & Dad before the ceremony

Johanna & I outside hotel after rehearsal dinner The traditional ZX pic (Taken at all the fraternity bros. weddings)
Myself, Johanna, Christie, & Justin at Rehearsal Dinner Johanna & I before the wedding

The Wedding and Thankfulness

My brother's wedding went great. He was nervous all weekend while his fiance seemed to just be loving every minute of it with no nerves at all...I really thought it would be the other way around with the nervousness. But the ceremony and the weekend was great all around. It was a great symbol of how much Justin and Christie love each other and how great they are together. Johanna and I are so happy for them and we love that we're family. Overall a great weekend and I hope to post several pics soon....

At the reception I got to give a speech and a toast, and while I tried to be funny and keep it really light, I did talk about how I won the "brother lottery." I really think I did. Not only are Justin and I brothers, but we are best friends and it truly is an honor to be in his life and have him in mine. Part of my speech/toast went as follows. I got the idea from a song by Kendall Payne. Anyway here is a little of what I said:

May God be with you and bless you.
May your heart break enough that you find the arms of comfort in one another.
May you experience enough trials together that your character is molded and shaped into what God wants it to be.
May enough struggles come your way that you truly appreciate the peace and security that you have in one another.
May enough of your plans together for the future fail that you learn to walk daily fully trusting God.
And when happiness seems beyond your grasp, may you find true joy in being together.

On another note, I am going to try to post something each day that I'm thankful for this week....Talk to ya' soon.

H-Town Baby!

I am typing this from my hotel room in Tomball, just outside of Houston. We are here for the weekend for my brother's wedding. It is so great to be able to get away for a few days and spend some time with family and friends. My parents and grandparents are already here and college friends and old buddies from high school will be here throughout the weekend. We are looking forward to a great weekend and I am super excited for my brother and his fiance. They are great together and I am so happy to share in their joy. I get double joy out of this 'cause I get to be the best man and I get to perform part of the ceremony. It's gonna be a great weekend and its always good to get to spend time with family and renew relationships with old friends. Hopefully I'll have lots of pics to post early next week...

Jesus With Skin On

The Message Bible talks about the ministry of Paul in this way:

With things back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and encouraged them to keep up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia. Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.

There are times in life when it just gets tough and it seems that we only hear the negative voices and the complaints of others. In the midst of those storms, it is so good, so refreshing to be encouraged. I have been reminded of that throughout the entire morning this morning. Paul was accused by the writer of the book of Acts of being one who gave constant encouragement and charged people with fresh hope. I have been the recipient of those who align accused with Paul today. There have been a small handful of people who have made it their duty and call today to be my encouragers in this time and in so doing have charged me with fresh hope, even if they have not realized it. The storms are still there and I'm sure that the negative voices are still lingering but they seem more bearable now. Nothing has changed in the storm. No major break through has come that has calmed things in the storm. But the encouragement of people who look a lot like Jesus have calmed things in me.
It always does my heart good when people who claim to follow Jesus look like Him. It does good for us as believers to be on the receiving end of people who love and talk and act and live like Jesus from time to time. It really does charge us with a fresh hope! If you've been that encourager, if you've been the one who spoke the positive when it seemed like there was only negative or that lifted someone up who was being torn down, let me say Thank You. Maybe you encouraged someone and they never told you, but you gave them fresh hope. I know that is what people have done for me today. And in my eyes and in the eyes of those you encourage, those of you who stand accused like Paul of being a constant encourager and a charger of fresh hope, from where I see things, you look a lot like Jesus with skin on. Thank you.

Gotta' Love The Net

There is some crazy stuff out there on the good ol' world wide web....Check out this site I found yesterday afternoon...It's already been good for several email laughs...You've heard of snail mail, voicemail, and email, but have you heard of Hairy Mail? Check it out at http://www.hairy-mail.com.

A Baptism Rant (Or Ramble)

Yesterday at church I got the opportunity to baptize one of our Junior High students. It was the second student we've baptized in the last couple weeks and I have got to perform both the baptisms. It's been pretty cool. But anytime I see a baptism in church it gets me thinking about what that represents...The pastor at the church I grew up in used to have a certain saying when he would take someone under the water. He would say "Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in a new kind of life." I always here pastors, preachers, and professors talk about how we believe that baptism is a symbolic act. That there is no special power in the act itself or the elements involved, but it is simply an outward symbol of an inward change, being our choice to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Here's my deal, I guess. I know that baptism is biblical and that Jesus' modeled it. But aren't there some "bigger" ways to outwardly show our relationship with Christ. Any time a student is hesitant about getting baptized soon after their profession of faith in Jesus, many adults, pastors, parents, etc, begin to put undo pressure on them to "be obedient in the first thing that Jesus calls us to do." Now, I agree that it is a good thing, a thing Jesus modeled, and something we should do. But what if we, as the church, leaders in the church, and pastors, were as adamant about people outwardly showing their faith by the way they live as we are about whether or not they outwardly show their faith through baptism. What if people in the church were encouraged and challenged to let baptism be the smallest act of obedience in their walk with Christ? What if we put more emphasis on living a new kind of life and looking like Jesus in our daily life instead of just emphasizing one act of obedience? I wonder if church membership and numbers on the roll weren't influenced by baptisms if it would be that big of a deal?
So I guess my rambling is this: I want to challenge myself and others not simply to live out and call others to live out simple acts of ritual as obedience. I want to live a lifestyle that reflects Christ in all I do and challenge others to do the same. When all is said and done, I don't want people to be "suprised" that myself or those I lead have been baptised because that is the only symbolic act of obedience we have ever done. Following Jesus and His way is not about walking down an aisle, going to church, or getting dunked in water. It's about being raised to walk a new kind of life...One that looks like the Master.

A Tragedy In The Making...

First off, this short post is dedicated to my brother, a true lover of the McRib. I don't know whether you know it or not, but McDonald's is planning on final farewell tour for the McRib and then it's done...What an outrage! But the people have the power. You can go check out mcrib.com and sign the petition that you are a McRib lover and cannot live without it...And you can also get some crazy "McRib Wear." What random odditties of life we find on the world wide web...

Did You Know?

Did you know that over 300 Million people in the world live on less than $1 per day? Did you know that for $20 Billion dollars we could provide clean drinking water and basic medical treatment for THE ENTIRE WORLD? It sounds like a lot, but did you know that Americans spent $20 Billion dollars on Ice Cream alone last year? What consumers we have become, especially those of us in the church that are far more likely to spend $50 on a Third Day concert or $20 on a new Christian t-shirt than to sponsor a child through great ministry organizations like Compassion. Find a way to show someone God's love today in a real, practical, sensible way.

The Weekend Update...

Hope you had a great weekend. Our's was pretty good. On Friday Johanna had to take a test at one of the testing centers for her college classes so we headed to Austin for that. After she got done with the test, we had a date night. We had been talking about buying a digital camera and so we went shopping together to look for one of those. We found one we liked at Best Buy, but decided to look at Sears in the mall as well. Both places had the camera for about $400, so we decided to think about it and we headed off to supper at Abuelo's. It was my first Abuelo's experience (in Austin) and the food was amazing. I highly recommend it. After that Johanna suggested that we go to the Sears Grand in north Austin and just goof around so we did. While we were there we found the exact same camera that we had look at earlier on sale for $100 off. So we definitely had to get it. We got the camera and then headed back home....Be looking for lots of pictures on here now that we have a nice, quality camera to use. Saturday involved sleeping in and football for me. After sleeping late, Johanna headed back to Austin with some friends from church to pick up dresses for upcoming weddings and to watch Marie Antionette. Since I neither care about dresses or girly movies I headed to Austin to go to the Longhorns vs. OSU game. I have a season pass that one of my former studnets who attends UT picked up for me. It was good football, good company, and an overall great time just hanging out and relaxing. Sunday consisted of church most of the day. We got to hang out with some great friends Sunday afternoon who are engaged and so we all watched our wedding video....This may not sound very "manly" but it was cool to watch and reflect back on those times and the blessing that it is to be married to the most wonderful woman in the world....All in all, a good weekend spent with friends. You really can't ask for more than to spend time with the people that mean a lot to you.

Pain, Hope, & Real Friends...

I've come to the conclusion that far too often it is harder to watch those you love deal with pain and hurt than it is to deal with it yourself. I think that watching those who are closest to your heart being hurt and belittled may be actually more painful to you than actually being hurt yourself. And I have come to another conclusion along this same path: Some of the most hurtful, rude, mean, abrasive, condescending, pain-causing people claim the name of the Savior I serve. Why is it that so many people who are in the church are so mean-spirited and hurtful? Is it because they are trying to hide a pain of their own? Is it because they have issues allowing God to control them instead of controling others? Is it because they so much love the rules and checklists of their "church religion" that they fail to see the love of God that motivates those types of obedience? I'm not sure. But I do know one thing: I am sick of it. I am sick of people who claim to belong to Jesus yet behave nothing like Him. I am tired of those who use their mouths to sing praise to my King on Sunday and then with the same mouth sow seeds of slander and deceipt on Monday. I am weary of dealing with people who act one way to your face and another to your back. I'm sick of talking to non-believers about my faith and the joy and grace of being a Christ-follower only to learn that they have been deeply hurt by people who claim to believe and follow after my Jesus. And I know this: Jesus came for hope, not hurt. And anyone who is an agent of hurt is not doing the business of Jesus, but rather of his enemy. So I take hope in the fact that those who love Him look like Him. Those who are my brothers and sisters act like Him. Those who hope in the Lord become agents of His hope. And in the midst of pain, hurt, struggle, and in watching those we love deal with those things as well, our hope is found not in the high expectations we should be able to have on people who claim to follow Him or even in those who teach and lead us in His ways. Our hope is found in Him. It reminds me of a song that Third Day sings that I absolutely love. It's called Cry Out To Jesus:

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

When all those around us disappoint us. When people who should act like Jesus don't. When those who should love us unconditionally and regardless of our merit cause us hurt and pain, there is hope. And we cry out to Jesus.

And while I am thinking about Third Day Songs, I am reminded of another song these past few days because of some great friends that we have. Those of you who have been there to support us and to hear us vent and to be our shoulder and to show us the love of Jesus in real and practical ways: a drive from work to a funeral, a phone call, an offer to come do stuff at the house, a myspace message that simply says "hang in there": Thank You. These lyrics (again by Third Day...crazy) remind me of you:

When the rain comes it seems that everyone has
gone away
When the night falls you wonder if you shouldn't
find someplace
To run and hide / Escape the pain
But hiding's such a lonely thing to do

I can't stop the rain / From falling down on you again
I can't stop the rain / But I will hold you 'til it goes away

Great Stuff!