The Weekend Update...

Johanna and I spent Thursday evening through Sunday in Georgetown as Disciple Now Leaders at FBC Georgetown. My good friend Brett Levy is the Youth Pastor there. I spent the weekend playing cards until 3:00 AM, getting shot with paintballs, and loving on some teenagers...It was a great weekend and we had a blast, but I am exhausted from the lack of sleep. I love these weekend events, but there are times - like yesterday and today - that I feel way to old to be hanging out with students all weekend long...But when you see the end results of a weekend like that - students lives being changed by the love and grace of Christ - you know it's worth it!

One of the cool things about this Disciple Now is that Brett uses several of my former students as leaders. It is incredible to see these students that we poured so much into when they were teenagers using their lives to serve the kingdom...I believe that far too often our students graduate from our student ministries and also graduate from God...I'm thankful that we have a number of students who've left our youth ministry days and are now using their lives to love God and love people...They understand that church is not a building or a program, but a lifestyle and a people.

So not only did we get to spend the weekend loving students and sharing God's love with them, but it was also a family reunion of sorts...It's always a blast to get together with these former students and sharing life again...I even think that's what the New Testament leaders had in mind as they started this thing called church...

Amazed (My 200th Post)...

I have been milling over this specific post in my head for a couple days now. Not this actual written blog, but the fact that it is my 200th blog post. I'm really not sure if anyone outside my immediate family and a few close friends read this thing, but I still enjoy it so I've kept at it...For the past couple days I have been wanting to make this a great post since it is a milestone being number 200 and all...I've thought about humorous stories, catchy graphics, and deep thoughts. And I could not come up with anything that fit.

But God did. God provided me with something amazing to blog about...Actually, I am sure that what God did had nothing to do with my blog, but I get the joy of sharing it anyway. Yesterday I asked you all to pray for our students tonight as we presented the gospel in a very plain and understandable way. I asked you to pray that God would literally bring light into dark places. And guess what? He did! We had 6 students accept Christ tonight and begin their journey as Christ-followers! God literally changed lives and changed eternity forever for 6 students tonight...And we won't know until we get to heaven how much the kingdom of God will be changed because of what happened tonight. If you are one of those students, know that I am so happy for you, proud of you, and PUMPED about what God has done and is going to do in your life!

But here is the crazy thing to me - it still amazes me. I asked God to change the lives of students - to use tonight to convince students of his love and his grace for them. Our youth workers prayed for the same thing. I asked you to pray that He would bring light into dark places. And then after we ask, we are blown away that he does it. I think I should expect him to by now...

I was talking with one of our youth workers after the service and we were celebrating how great God is and I said, "I don't know why we are surprised. God loves these students far more than we do." And that is the truth. God loves our lost friends and neighbors far more than we ever could. I hope that you will continue to pray for our students. I also hope you'll pray that God would use you - in the lives of your neighbors, family, and friends - to bring light into dark places. Wow. God is good.

Assured...

Tomorrow night we are starting a new series at the Attic called Assured: Having A Confident Faith in a Blurry World. It's a study of the book of 1 John and it's all about the identifying marks of a Christ-follower. In a world that is in constant change, how do we live in such a way that we know, without a doubt, that we are following Christ and living for the kingdom? How do we live ASSURED of the faith we claim to follow?

Pray for our students tomorrow night. We're talking about forgiveness and how Jesus made the sacrifice for our sins. For some of our students, this night could be bigger than life-changing...It could be eternity-changing...We have several students on the verge of beginning their walk as believers and we are praying that tomorrow night God will use his Word to bring life to dead places. Join us in that prayer...

Ouch...

Found this over here. Great cartoon commentary on the church, life, ministry, and what it means to follow Jesus...

Super Bowl Recap...

I've read several game recaps...I won't go anywhere near saying that I saw this coming, but I'm sure not dissappointed that the Giants beat the Pats. I thought it was a pretty good game. Because of the low scoring nature, it wasn't the most exciting thing I've ever watched, but it was competitive and overall, a solid game. Check out my blogroll link Dbrown to see a live blog critique of the first half - good stuff. Below is a post I wrote on a friend's myspace page today that happens to be a Pats fan. He's also Red Sox fan and gives me a hard time when the Sox beat the Yankees, so turnabout is fair play:

Video Crew To Tape Jets Play Signals: $2,000 per game

Hiring Randy Moss to make Tom Brady look invincible: $3 Million

New Camera to Video The Rams Walkthrough in 2002 Super Bowl: $300

Losing Your Undefeated Season in The Super Bowl to A Team Led by ELI Manning: Priceless.

Only A Sorority Would Do Something Like This...

A friend of mine got invited to a Sorority Fundraiser to raise money for cardiovascular disease. The sorority is holding a benefit lunch for students to raise money and promote heart health awareness. Below is the actual description of the event on their invitation:

"Come enjoy an all-you-can eat barbeque lunch for only $5! In honor of Cardiac Care Month, Alpha Phi is holding a lunch benefit to raise money and raise awareness about cardiovascular disease. We can all help support cardiac health together! Invite your friends!!"

Un-be-lievable! Only a bunch of sorority girls would host an "all-u-can eat" greasy BBQ lunch in honor of Cardiac Care Month. Wow...

Examining My Feet...

I love the spring and summer because I believe that my feet were born to be free...One of the best things about spring and summer is that I can wear flip-flops every day. It's the best. But I always hate the first few weeks of flip flop wearing because my feet are ghostly white due to the fact that they've been hidden by those dreaded shoes...It usually takes a couple weeks for my feet to catch up with the tan of the rest of my body...I know you might think this is a bit random, but I have a point.

I've spent a lot of time these past couple weeks examining my feet. I've also spent some time examining the feet of those around me - especially those who would call themselves part of the body of Christ here in our local community...Paul, who wrote a lot of the New Testament, wrote a letter to the church in Rome and he talked about feet. Here is what he said:

For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

As I examine my feet, I want them to be more beautiful. But the kind of beauty I desire cannot be gained through a pedicure or a trip to the spa. This beauty is gained through obedience, love, and passion. When God examines my feet, I want him to be glorified by their beauty. I want my feet to be beautiful because I have been faithful to be someone who tells the Good News. When I look at my cirlce of influence, my neighbors, my family, and my friends, I see numerous people who need to hear. And when I look at my feet and the feet of those I walk with in this thing called following Jesus, I see a lot of feet that could be made a lot more beautiful...

What about your feet? Are they adorned in the beauty of the Good News? I'll be breaking out the sandals and flops pretty soon and I really don't want to be the one with ugly feet...

All We Need To Know...

I've been teaching a series on evangelism at our midweek student service for the past three weeks. Tomorrow we finish up the series and we're talking about how to communicate the good news - that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us - in a way that is effective. We're going to talk about how to share the message of Jesus in a way that people will actually listen to what we have to say...

As we've walked through this series, it seems that a lot of our students become very timid and shy when it comes to sharing the gospel with their friends...And most of the time it's because they feel like they don't know the answers to the questions they'll face.

But there is this incredible story in John 9 where Jesus encounters a blind man. He spits on the ground to make some mud and he heals the blind man by putting the mud in his eyes. The man is so excited he starts running around everywhere, telling people what has happened. When the religious leaders of the day see the raucus that he's causing with his testimony of what's happened, they begin to question him. They throw questions at him, trying to trap Jesus and trying to find out what the man knows and experienced. The man's reply is simple. He can't answer any of their questions. Not one. He just simply says, "I once was blind, but now I see."

For those of us who've been forever changed by the incredible love of Jesus, isn't that all we need to know to share our hope...Now, sure we need to own our faith and know what we believe and why we believe it. We need to speak about our faith from experience and with knowledge and wisdom. But we don't have to know all the answers...There are so many things I don't understand about God. For example, I have friends who are currently going through losses and tragedies, and I don't get it. I don't know all the answers...But I know this - I once was blind, and now I see. I once was helpless, a sinner on a one way track to being separated from God. But Jesus intervened. I once was blind, but now I see. And that is the kind of life-change and hope my neighbors need to know...

What about you? Who has God placed in your life that needs to hear the Good News - that God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them? You don't have to have a degree in theology or have hundreds of Bible verses memorized to share your faith...You just have to go across the street...

Got Change for A Dollar?...

That's usually the question you ask when you want something from the vending machine...something like some chips, a candy bar, a coke, or...MARIJUANA??? Only in California. You can read about the new marijuana vending machines at the article title below:

Marijuana Vending Machines Open In California

Email...

Do you ever get an email that you know you need to keep? Maybe it's a letter of encouragment, an important conversation, or a password you know you'll forget...I am usually pretty good about keeping up with those types of emails but the last several months I have just let EVERYTHING stay in my inbox. And I mean everything - Everything from daily quotes and news sites I am signed up for to jokes and sports stuff people have sent me. So I just spent the LAST 3 HOURS going through my three different email accounts deleting all the junk and stuff I should've deleted the moment I read it...What a waste of time...

The Weekend Update...

Here's the wrap up from our weekend and the thoughts I have floating around my head at the moment.

• Pray for my friend David Brown and his family. His blog, Three Words Back, is linked on this page...D Brown and I were college roomies and he's one of my closest friends. He lost a cousin to a tragic surgery complication on Thursday. She was only 38 and left behind a husband and two kids...Pray for God's comfort and peace for the family in this tradgey.
• Johanna and I traveled A LOT this weekend...We went to see my parents and grandparents in the Stephenville area, as well as heading into Ft. Worth. We spent well over 10 hours in the car this weekend - Maybe that's why I have a bad case of sore driver's butt...
• It was GREAT to see the fam...We just don't get to do that enough these days.
• Got lots on my mind. A TON OF STUFF I'm pondering, thinking, praying about, seeking guidance in - about the future, the present, God's will, and our lives.
• Worked on finishing up my Teaching Calendar for the semester today...I had the semester planned out, but God really has given me a different direction to go with one of our series. I am PUMPED about what God is going to teach our students and adults in our Student Ministry this semester.
• I am also looking forward to being even more creative in our ministry since we have all the series/messages/topics planned out already!
• In one of my few new FAVORITE blogs I read a great post about cut and paste ministry...And I am intrigued by the wheelbarrow full of runts illustration and if you read this Stephen Furtick, I gotta know what it was for! Check it out here .
• Another one of my new favorite blogs is here...It's the blog of church planter Ben Arment and the brain behind The Whiteboard Sessions. I am so pumped about the possibility of heading to this conference and the site for the conference launches tomorrow! Gotta' sign up fast!
• This guy has WAY TO MUCH time on his hands (ht to Marko) :

Old School...

There was an article on Yahoo News today about video game myths that linked an old Atari commercial. That peaked my interest to check out what Atari stuff might be on YouTube. Not quite the graphics of my XBOX 360, but definitely old school...My brother and I actually had one of these in the early 80s, before we moved up in the world and got our Nintendo. Not the Wii, the gamecube, the N64 or the Super Nintendo. Just the old school Nintendo...Anyway, check out these videos to see how far we've come:

Baptism Sunday...

Earlier this week I alluded to an incredible worship service our church experienced this weekend. Sunday morning as our pastor got up to begin speaking, he talked about the baptisms he was supposed to do at the end of the service....The only problem: When he went to fill the baptistry early Sunday morning, their was a plumbing problem in the pipes that fill the baptismal, so it couldn't be filled like normal...His solution? We were baptizing two boys who both were super excited and whose family members had traveled to be there that day...We couldn't just not do it. In his words, "our church had a responsibility to minister to these young guys and their families." So that's what we did. Instead of our pastor preaching a sermon, we all formed assembly lines from every faucet in the church to the baptistry. Every person in the church took part...The stronger guys filled trash cans and buckets. Kids filled cups, ladies formed lines to pass bowls and pitchers throughout the church...It took us about 20 minutes to fill it up, but we got the job done...Then while the two kids were getting ready to be baptized our pastor invited anyone else who needed to take that step in their journey of following Christ to come forward and be baptized...We ended up baptizing another teenager and an adult that were both there that day...Probably one of the most powerful "sermons" I have ever experienced...I think we should baptize like that every time!

$1,500 Anyone?...

If anyone has an extra $1500 they'd like to invest in my ministry and in me as a minister, I'd gladly take it for this:

Granger Community Church in Granger, IN is quite possibly THE MOST CREATIVE church in this country. Some of the stuff they do in ministry is not only out of the box, but it is out of this world...And for the first time ever they are offering 24 church leaders a chance to be immersed in what they do, how they do it, and why it's all done with their leadership team for two whole days...Here is what the website says:

Ever wanted a front row seat to how Granger’s Senior Management Team leads the church? How they plan for the future? How they decide which series to present and what direction to go? A new event is being offered for the first time that will give 24 leaders a chance to spend two full days with the Senior Management Team at Granger Community Church.

Sounds great, right? You bet it does...But the pricetag for the event/conference/training is $1,500...So if you have an extra $1,500 laying around and want to invest it in someone, I know a great way to spend it...

In Honor of The Day...

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It's the day we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, which is actually the same as mine, January 15th. In honor of the day, here are a few video clips and quotes from Dr. King...

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Last Speech - The Night Before He Was Assassinated:


Here is an excerpt from King's "I Have A Dream Speech." Not sure what the German subtitles are about, but you can still hear the speech and see the broadcast from 1963:



And finally, some of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Famous Quotes:

Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative.

I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

The church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

The Weekend Update...

Here is the weekend update - bulletin style:

• Friday, Jo and I met Jaron, Jenna, Daniel, and Melissa in Austin...The original plan was to go to Alamo Drafthouse for a belated birthday celebration, but our movies were sold out...So we got some grub at Chuy's (fantastic!), some coffee at Halcyon, and bowled at the 300 Austin until 2:00 AM...Great time with great friends.
• Saturday we slept in, needless to say...We had planned on a evening of hanging around the casa, when Jmob called and invited us to go with him and his pops to CalvaryAustin to their Saturday night worship service. Phil Wickham was leading worship their that night and so we went and checked it out...It was pretty rockin, except for the time he came on stage in an old school leather bomber jacket...That is a definite fashion mistake for worship leaders who play the guitar...We hit up some Potbelly Sandwich Works before headin' home...Another great time with great friends...
• Today was an incredible church service...I am gonna' expand on it more in the morning (It's 1 AM Sunday night right now...). It was one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of and totally deserves it's own post...But after church, a group of us headed to Austin to lunch at Matt's El Rancho...We got back just in time for me to head back up to the church and set up for some meetings I had...Our Student Ministry team got together tonight to plan out the next few months of ministry...Then I led a seminar for parents of teenagers about teens and the internet...It was pretty cool.
• It's now 1 AM on Sunday night/Monday morning and I just walked in the door from hanging out with some students...It's a school holiday tomorrow, so they can all sleep in...Lucky for them...

All in all, a great weekend...We have some great friends and it's always fun to get to hang out with them when we get the chance...And if you've never heard Phil Wickham before check him out on Myspace or Itunes or check out this video:

Joy Killers In Ministry...

Check out this link to a great blog by Perry Noble, pastor of NewSpring Church...He's one of the new blogs that my friend Zak White, over at http://www.zakwhite.com/, turned me on to...It's a great piece for anyone in ministry to read about things that kill our joy in ministry...Check it out:

http://www.perrynoble.com/2008/01/18/seven-joy-killers-in-ministry/

"Change or Die"...

I've been sitting around on this slow Saturday morning, surfing the web with the TV on in the background...I just realized that "Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares" is on...Basically this incredible chef and restraunteer goes into dying restaurants in England and teaches them how to change in order to save their restaurant...He overhauls everything - the food, the menu, the decor, the staff...And in an advertisement for the show he says, "Change or Die! It's that simple."

As the church we have the greatest message and the greatest hope the world will ever know. Yet, in so many places we refuse to change...and we are dying. In America, we live on the only continent in the world where the church is not growing...We must change or die. The world has changed around the church and it is time for the church to change in order to reach the lost...Our message is the same hope of Christ that we've always shared, but our methods must change to reach those who, by their absence and apathy, have voted today's church irrelevant for their lives.

We have loved our preferences, our traditions, and our comfort more than we have loved the lost. It is time for the church to begin to be the people of God that we are called to be. And it is time for us to focus on our one mission - reaching the lost...And to do that, we must adopt a "change or die" mentality...Whatever it takes to see Christ change lives!

Shouting It Out...

Tonight at The Attic we started a new series called "How To Shout Without Screaming." It's all about communicating God's love through our lifestyles...Basically, living in such a way that we shout the love of God to people with our lives. I was pumped to start this series tonight and I am excited about what God can do in the lives of our students and in our ministry if we had just a few students take seriously the call to love God and love the people that don't know Him...It would literally transform our community! How awesome is that!

So FLBC Students, get to shouting! Good news is best shared by good friends so be sure you are living out your faith in your friendships and let's watch and be amazed at what God does!

As for the rest of us, think about the people God has placed in our lives. Who has God put in our workplace, our family, and next door? These people aren't in our lives by accident or chance. God placed them in our lives so that we might influence them with His love. People respond best to God's love when it's lived out and shared by a friend. Build those friendships and realize that God's desire for us is to shout his love for the lost with our lives...

Tonight...

I forgot to mention it earlier, but Season 7 of this kicks off tonight:


I cannot wait! I love the first few episodes of this show, where they play the absolute worst singers and craziest people that they can possibly find...Then I usually get bored with it before the season ends...But the first few episodes during the tryouts are AWESOME!

I'm Feeling Older Today...

For some reason I'm feeling older today...Almost like I've entered into a new decade. Oh wait. I have. And while I promised some reflections and goals earlier in the week, I promise they are still coming...

I have an incredbily busy week this week. We're kicking off a new series at the Attic Wednesday night called "How To Scream Without Shouting." It's all about sharing the message and love of Jesus in ways that are real, practical, and relevant to others. Then on Sunday night I have a meeting with my Student Ministry Leadership Team. Right after that meeting I am presenting a Seminar for parents in our church and community called "Your Teen...Online." It's basically a seminar about teenagers and the internet and I still have tons of things to tie together on that...There is an ENORMOUS amount of information that I want to communicate in this training session for parents...Anyway, all that to say this: I've got a busy week, but the reflections and goals are sure to come...Thanks to all who've already given me birthday wishes today...Jo and I are headed to Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight so that makes a pretty great birthday to me...

There's No Crying In Football...

You gotta' be kidding me! I just had to post this for Jaron and Andy...

In The News...

I grew up just outside of Stephenville, TX...The town made the national news today, even being one of the featured headlines on Yahoo's main homepage. Here is the title of the article and the link below...There are just some things you really wish didn't make the news...

"Dozens in Texas town report seeing UFO"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080114/ap_on_fe_st/odd_ufo_sightings

Surprised...

I am never surprised...Never. I am sneaky and I am nosey and I am snoopy. So very seldom does anyone pull of any kind of surprise for me...But this weekend, my incredbile wife, along with the help of some other family members, pulled off a great surprise party for me.

Johanna had told me that my parents and my brother and sister-in-law were coming into town to go out for my birthday dinner. Well, that wasn't entirely the truth. To make a long story short, she had been planning a surprise party for me for weeks. She invited friends new and old to come to my "29 Vol. 2" Surprise Birthday Party which was held at the Lodge Hall at the Lockhart State Park...It was a great night to hang out and visit with friends...And I was honestly surprised...I knew something was probably up, but had no clue to what extent my wife had gone to pull of such a great night...

My actual birthday is coming up this Tuesday and I'll be 30. It is difficult to type and even harder to say out loud. But I've been thinking about what reflections I have on my first three decades on this earth and it's sure to make a blog post...And I've also got my goals and plans for 2008 on the way as well...

In the meantime, I need to go and sharpen up my sneakiness and snoopiness...

Best of 2007 - Family Moments...

This is more than likely my last "Best of 2007" entry...I have worked on a top ten for music and movies, but its so hard to narrow down, I don't know if they'll get done...Plus, I really think that once you get a full two weeks into 2008 you ought to be done with the "best of's" from the last year and we are almost there! Anyway, I wrote this post a few nights ago and am just getting around to posting it...This list holds a lot of special memories for me. Here is my "Top Ten Family Moments of 2007". Enjoy.

10. Curry graduating at Pride High School. - You'll notice very quickly that when I talk about family I mean it in a very extended way. I have an incredible family, an amazing wife, great parents, the best brother a guy could have, but I also have so many people I consider family that aren't blood. Curry is one of those guys...I've known him since he was in elementary school and a couple years ago he and his family moved from Goldthwaite to Southeast Texas and Curry dropped out of school...He moved in with us in March and attended a "pace yourself" high school program here in town and graduated in May. It was really good for Johanna and I to be able to help him make that happen.

9. Chicago Trip With Mark & Mike - Back on Memorial Day, I got to go on an incredible trip with some great friends, who have become a big part of our lives. Mark is a student in my youth group and Mike is his dad. For Mark's 16th birthday, we all flew to Chicago to spend a couple days and watch the Cubs play...Incredible trip and I absolutely fell in love with Wrigley Field.

8. Weekend With Norwood, D Brown, and Chance - Earlier in the year, I got to spend a weekend in Austin hanging out with some fraternity brothers and great friends from college. What was really cool is that Norwood lives in Cali now and D Brown is in Ohio so being able to spend some time hanging with those guys doesn't happen very often...Great weekend and great friends.

7. August Days with Justin and Christie - Jo and I spent a few days this summer with my brother and his wife...We were actually traveling to speak at a church in Bridge City and left a few days early to spend some time with them...It was cool just to hang out and chill with them for a couple days.

6. Day with my Dad at The State Basketball Tourney - Every year our family has at least two tickets to the Boys State Basketball Tournament. We used to all go, but since it is the weekend before Spring Break it seems I am always getting last minute things together for a mission trip...But this year my mom and dad came down and stayed with us while they were at the tourney and I got to go on Thursday and watch all the games with my dad. That was really cool.

5. Youth Specialties @ St. Louis - Let me just say that St. Louis has nothing to do with why this was a top ten moment...St. Louis actually sucks...But Johanna and I spent five days with some of our closest friends in ministry at the annual Youth Specialties convention...I'm not sure that I've ever heard so many National Lampoon Family Vacation quotes in such a short time...And I'm not sure St. Louis will ever be the same...But we all had a blast and I love getting to spend time with James and Jason because they are two of my closest friends in ministry and in life.

4. Andy & Jaron Interning This Summer - Again, although these guys aren't blood relatives, they are as much family to me as anyone...They are former students who came and lived with us this summer and interned for me within the student ministry at the church...To say that we had a blast doesn't even get close to how incredible this summer was! We made memories that will last forever! Thanks guys!

3. Johanna's Birthday Trip in July - We spent a weekend in San Antonio for Jo's birthday this year. I suprised her with reservations at Tower of the America's and we had a blast going on the Mission Trail looking at all the old missions in the area and taking pictures. What a great weekend, even if the Marriot's fire alarm went off at 6:00 in the morning!

2. Family Christmas - This year our family Christmas was just awesome. We started out with Jo's family in Houston and got to see our nephew get baptized (outside in 32 degree weather!). We spent a few days there before heading to North Central Texas to spend a few days with my family. Justin and Christie were in for Christmas and since my Papa had been in rehab from a surgery for Thanksgiving, it was great to have us all together at Christmas. I really have come to cherish the time I get to spend with my family since it is rare...Definitely one of the highlights of my year.

1. Our Anniversary Trip to the Coast - In April, Jo and I spent four days in the Rockport-Fulton and Port Aransas area...We had an absolute blast! We did everything from swim in the frigid gulf waters on a deserted island to taking a tour boat to watch the dolphins...Throw in great seafood, a rented UT golf buggy, and a fantastic hotel and you have yourself a fantastic celebration of the 2nd anniversary. This was definitely the highlight of my year and we had an absolute blast...The only bad thing was having to leave to coast and come home!

Wow! I Want One...

Panasonic has gotten all this buzz at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show with this: It is the first 150 inch Plasma TV! The viewing screen is 11 ft x 6 1/4 ft with 8.84 million pixel resolution. Yahoo Tech had this to say about it:

It's the elephant in the living room: Panasonic's 150-inch plasma has all but stolen the show here at CES 2008. When people ask you "What's the coolest thing you've seen at the show so far?" they invariably follow that up with "Except for the 150-inch TV."

I really want one. In fact, I am tech-lusting right now. But I think I'd have to get a bigger house first...

This Kid Really Didn't Want To Go Back To School...

Mexican boy glues self to bed to avoid school

MONTERREY, Mexico (AFP) - A 10-year-old Mexican boy glued his hand to his bed to avoid going back to school after the Christmas break, authorities said Monday.

"I thought if I was glued to the bed, they couldn't make me go to school," the boy, Diego, told AFP. "I didn't want to go, the holidays were so much fun."
"I remembered my mom had bought a very strong glue," he said of the industrial strength shoe glue he used to stick his hand to the bed's metal headboard, where he stayed stuck for two hours.
His mother Sandra Palacios was unable to free him and called paramedics and police to help. Diego watched cartoons while they worked to unglue him, eventually using a spray to dissolve the chemical adhesive.
"I don't know why this happened. He is a very good boy," said his mother.
Diego eventually made it school a few hours late.

A Good Laugh...

I saw one of these "Demotivation" Posters over at Ysmarko.com...The company Despair, Inc. (www.despair.com) makes posters and t-shirts that mock those motivational posters we see in office buildings and meeting places all over...There are tons of them on the website and you can even customize your own posters. Here are a few that made me laugh:

And We're Off...

The start of another presidential race is officially upon us. Huckabee and Obama take the win in the Iowa Caucus...This might just get interesting before it's all over...

Wahoo...

Tonight Johanna, Jmob, Andy, and I all went and ate at Wahoo's Fish Tacos in Austin...A couple weeks ago Jmob and I were hanging out and somehow my love for fish tacos got brought into the conversation...I consider myself a connoisseur of the fish taco. There is just a certain way to do it right and I definitely have found more misses in the fish taco department than hits...But Jmob guaranteed that Wahoo's in Austin would be a sure hit...And he was right. Great atmosphere and fantastic food...Combine that with incredible company among friends and you've got yourself a great night out on the town...

Best of 2007 - Tech & Gadgets

Continuing the Best of 2007 lists, here is my Top Ten New Gadgets of 2007:

10. Amazon Kindle - Now you can read a book without the book. What will they come up with next? You can check it out at amazon.com.

9. Zune 2 - Apple finally has a little competition. Please observe the word "little" in that sentence. While its no Ipod Touch, the new version of the Zune really does give the Ipod some competition, especially at a price of less than $135 for a 30 gig unit at several pre-Christmas retailers' sales.

8. Ipod Touch - It's not the Iphone and has a pretty steep price, but it's still pretty sweet. Ipod came out swingin' this year.

7. ASUS Eee PC - This mini-laptop has become all the rage at the end of 2007. Weighing less than 2 pounds and with a price range that begins at $299 and tops out at $499, this little fella' packs a punch.

6. The XO $100 Laptop and One Laptop Per Child - In an effort to get computers into the hands of children in developing countries, the organization One Lap Top Per Child offers a $100 laptop that covers all the basics. They even did a campaign to end 2007 called "Give One, Get One" where you could spend $200, getting a laptop for yourself (or really for your young child) and donating one to their charity to send to a child in a developing country. Very cool. You can check it out at www.laptopgiving.org.


5. Halo 3, New Editions of Guitar Hero, & Rock Band - Really, I could include Video Games in general at this point on the list. With all the new technology in gaming systems, the industry has created some very entertaining, and somewhat addictive games.

4. Olevia TVs - Olevia has combined what the majority of Americans have been waiting for in LCD TVs: Cheap and Good. Seriously, these TVs are great and have some of the highest ratings of any TV, while costing half of what some of the more expensive brands run.

3. GPS - While GPS was not new in 2007, it blew up this year. The capability and selections of GPS that are available now are mindboggling. You can get 3D maps, LCD touch screens, and even select if you want to listen to the voice of a man or a woman.

2. Iphone - This is a debatable number one on the list, but with the glitches and the quick price changes, I had to go with it at #2. Plus, while no phone is the mighty Iphone, cell phones in general have all improved this year.

1. Nintendo Wii - Since you can't find one in any store in America, its got to be #1. If you have a new Wii right now you can make some serious cash. Plus, Nintendo has found a way to bring our craze and deep desire for experience into the video game industry in an even better way...You can now play your video games and it can be considered excercise...Honestly, what will they think of next???

I Am Legend...

We just got through watching the movie I Am Legend with a few of our students...The movie is GREAT. Loved it and highly recommend it. Some great quotes/scenes/lines for teaching too - specifically for teaching the gospel.

Here are a couple of the lines I really liked (of course if you haven't seen the movie these scenes and quotes won't make sense, but for those of you who have, here it is):

"The cure is in the blood."

"This is his legend and we are his legacy."

I'll be posting a few more Best of 2007 lists as the week continues so keep checking back to see what pops up...

Best of 2007 - Ministry Moments...

Here's my "Top Ministry Moments of 2007." It represents the highlights of another year spent doing my best to try to love God and love others.



10. Disciple Now - Back in February we had the first D-Now here that the church had held in several years. Only one student in our entire ministry had ever been to a Disciple Now weekend before, so it was really tough to get students to buy in to it. But God did some awesome things that weekend. We had a great team of leaders, Lindsey Kane leading worship, and Zak White sharing the Word and it was a great weekend for our students.

9. The Best Sex Ever & The MySpace Series - We tackled two HUGE subjects within the lives of our students this year at our midweek gatherings: Sex & Dating Relationships and Living In An Online World. It was awesome to see students' eyes open up to the relevance of the Word of God to their everyday lives.

8. Seeing Growth in Students - Johanna and I have been here almost two years now. It was good to be able to see how our students are growing and maturing in following Christ and reaching others over the last almost two years.

7. The Attic - The Attic is an old, upstairs building just off of the downtown square that we use for our midweek gathering place for our student ministry. We moved in in April and it's opened a ton of doors for us to reach students who would never come near a traditional church building or setting.

6. Junior High Camp @ Hi-Line Lake Resort - Combine some incredible junior high students with an absolutely amazing, God-created, get-away on beautiful Lake Buchanan and you have one heck of a week! Our high school camp at South Padre was rocking too and we loved Hi-Line Lake Resort so much that we headed back for two fall retreats there! Good times...

5. Preaching/Teaching The Transformers Series & at Commonground Community Church - In August, our pastor gave me the entire month to teach a series on Sunday mornings. I taught a series that I wrote based off of the Transformers movies, entitled "Transformers: Transforming Our Lives To Transform Our World." I loved the chance to do that. Then at the end of August and again in December a friend whose on staff at a church plant, Commonground, in Bridge City asked me to come and speak at their church. I loved being in that setting, seeing unchurched people beginning to get excited about what Christ can do in their lives...Great stuff!

4. Mission Arlington - I absolutely love this place. And I mean that with every ounce of the word love. I took students to MA to serve on Spring Break and during the summer. I've been to Mission Arlington on Mission trips almost 20 times now. The great thing about this year is that I have another group of students addicted to serving their - and to the model of taking church to the people that MA uses. We started our own Mission LTX (for Lockhart, TX) and it has been a great method for us to minister to people these past two years.

3. Pojo Rehab Missions Camp - During June I spent a week in Springtown, TX speaking at a Missions Camp where students worked on rehabbing local homes during the day and attended worship services in the evenings. It was a great week and we got to see God do some incredible things. Definitely one of the highlights of the year in my ministry.

2. Baptizing Students - This year our ministry had the opportunity to see several students take the step of committing their lives to following Christ. That is AWESOME in every sense of the word! We baptized several students and are now getting to walk them through the first baby steps of being a Christ follower. That's what its all about.

1. Serving alongside Johanna - I did ministry for a long time as a single Student Minister. There were some great times in that part of my life and God did some absolutely amazing things during that time of my ministry. But I LOVE sharing ministry with my wife. I love that she feels called to serve alongside me and has the same passion to see real life-change in people as I do. It is simply incredible to serve alongside her and I love every minute of the craziness we live!

Best of 2007 - TV Shows...

This list was TOUGH. I don't watch an extremely large amount of television, but I like a lot of different shows. Johanna & I are not at home a lot in the evenings, so we don't get to see everything we like, but at the same time we have lots of shows we try to keep up with...Online viewing has helped that and I desperately want to get a DVR...It's just not in the budget right now. But after much deliberation, here are my "Top Ten (and a few more) TV Shows":

10. TIE - Law & Order, and True Life and Made - Like I said, this list was tough...I like all the Law and Orders (SVU is my favorite) and it seems that even in their 17th season this year, they just keep getting better. I was not a fan before Jo and I got married and now she's made me an addict. My other two tied for this spot are True Life and Made. I watch a lot of MTV to stay up on Youth Culuture and I really like both these shows. They can teach a lot about culture, students, young adults, and their issues in life.

9. VH1's The White Rapper Show - Absolutely one of the best new shows on TV. Unfortunately, rumor has it that they are changing the show for this next season to make it something with only female rappers. This is one show that I watched every single episode of. MC Serch is "da bomb,yo!" And thank God that Shamrock beat out that poser John Brown in the finals!

8. The Unit - Luckily I've been able to stay up with this show by downloading the episodes. Great TV. Plain and simple.

7. My Name is Earl - I am really more of a reality TV guy, but this is by far my favorite comedy. One word: HILARIOUS! I laugh out loud numerous times in every episode...


6. Project Runway and Top Chef - I put them together because they are both Bravo shows. I guess I got hooked on Project Runway when Jo started watching it and I've been a Top Chef fan from the beginning. I guess it's the reality TV addict in me.

5. Flip This House - In my next life, I will be a house flipper. Ok, maybe that's not what I really believe, but every time I watch this show I want to go into the business of flipping houses, even with a terrible real estate market. A couple other shows just like this one that could easily go here are Flip That House (creative name change, huh?) and The Real Estate Pros.

4. Man vs. Wild - Bear Grylls is a beast. If I ever get lost in the desert, I now know that I can drink my own urine or pee on my t-shirt and wrap it around my head to survive...Awesome!


3. Rob & Big - My favorite MTV show. I love watching these guys and the show cracks me up. Plus, probably the greatest theme song of any current show...Sing it with me, "People let me tell ya' bout my best friend..."


2. Cops - Cops has been one of my favorite TV shows since I was in Junior High or early High School. It started it's 20th season in September of 2007 and is still going strong.

1. The Simpsons and King of The Hill - Animated TV at its best. I own eight seasons of the Simpsons and a couple of King of the Hill, so I could be a little biased by placing them #1 for the year of 2007...But these two, along with Family Guy, had some hilarious, very entertaiing stuff this past year...And I am always up for a show that can make me have a good laugh...Life's too short not to laugh more often!

Shows I Am Looking Forward To But Haven't Got Around To This Year:

The Office - I got seasons one and two for Christmas and can't wait to sit down and watch them...I think I'll love this style of comedy.

KidNation - I only saw one episode and there is some kind of freakish draw to a show like this...I think the parents have got to be insane and I can't imagine how a network came up with this idea, but for some strange reason, I want to see more...

Best of 2007 - Quotes...

Here's another "Best of 2007" List...My opinion on the Top Ten quotes of the year, some funny, some sad, some tought provoking, including a few honorable mentions:

10. I need to get a greater vocabulary than what I have and when I get mad and my brain searches for a word. I have to find different words and to do that you need to have more of an education.
- Duane Dog Chapman, on Hannity & Colmes, publicly apologizing for making a racial slur

9. This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period.
— San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds, after breaking Hank Aaron's Major League Baseball all-time home-run record with his 756th career homer amid rumors that he has used steroids. Yeah, Barry, we believe you. Oh, and we've got one word for you: Indictment.

8. I really am not the kind of guy that sits here and says, 'Oh gosh, I'm worried about my legacy.
— President GEORGE W. BUSH, when asked about his falling approval numbers and criticism of how he has handled the war in Iraq.

7. There is just a feeling out there that isn't that positive and it makes me very sad because the American people are very generous, open people and very caring when they are presented with a real issue and they understand what needs to be done.
- Angelina Jolie

6. This is it. This is where it all ends. End of the road. What a life it was. Some life.
— Virginia Tech gunman CHO SEUNG-HUI, in a video he sent to NBC News before killing 32 people and committing suicide in the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

5. As always, I rely on the jury system.
- O.J. Simpson, after a judge refused to drop his latest charges of kidnapping and robbery.


4. In Iran, we don't have homosexuals, like in your country.
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at Columbia University

3. That's some nappy-headed hos there.
- Eadio host Don Imus, who lost his job for this remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

2. I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some, uh, people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and, I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, or, uh, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future, for our children.
- Miss Teen USA contestant Lauren Upton of South Carolina gave this tortured, confused answer to the question "Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a map. Why do you think this is?" This one was so bad and so hilarious that you have to watch it to appreciate it. Check it out here:



1. Don't tase me bro!
University of Florida student Andrew Meyer's plea went unanswered. Meyer put into words what hundreds have thought after realizing that the police have just pulled out their taser and are aiming it at them...Maybe next time he should use some manners, like "Please don't tase me Mr. Officer." Maybe that would help...and maybe not.

HONORABLE MENTION QUOTES:

I make Jessica Simpson look like a rocket scientist. – Tara Reid

(I have) a wide stance. --Sen. Larry Craig, explaining to his arresting officer why he was playing footsie in a Minneapolis airport mens' room.

My idea of getting lucky in the men's room is when the motion sensor works on the faucet. - David Letterman

How many 83-year-old men get up every morning knowing that they're going to have a standing ovation sometime during the day? —Bob Barker on what he'll miss about The Price Is Right

He is the one who has saved us. He is the one who forgave us. He is the one who has come and is coming again. He’s the remedy - David Crowder in the song Remedy

Best of 2007 - Sports Moments...

Being inspired by ysmarko.com, I've decided to do a little "2007 Year In Review" series on my blog...As I look back on 2007 a lot has happened...A lot of life has come and gone...Over the next few posts, I'm gonna give my picks for some of the top moments in various categories of 2007...Since I've spent all day watching bowl games, the natural place to start is Best of 2007 Sports Moments...Here are my Top Ten Sports Moments of '07:

10. TIE - Tim Tebow becomes first Sophomore to win Heisman trophy & Adrian Peterson breaks NFL single game rushing record. - Both of these accomplishments were huge within their perspective leagues. Tebow combined for a total of 51 TD's to become the first underclassmen to win the Heisman in the history of the award. AP has run ragged over opponents as an NFL rookie, suprising even his biggest fans.

9. Barry Bond's Home Run Record - Love him or hate him, Bonds now owns the Major League Baseball record for most home runs in a carreer. The only question is whether or not their will forever be an asterik by this in the record books.

8. Colorado Rockies' Run - Quickly on to a brighter note in baseball...The Rockies finished the regular season on a 14-1 run to make the playoffs as a Wild Card and went into the World Series on an incredbile 21-1 run. Their late regular season run of 14-1 in the last 15 games tied them with the '83 Phillies and the '65 Dodgers as the only teams to accomplish this feat in National League history. They became the first team in 50 years to have a 20-1 streak and the first team in the National League to do so since the 1936 NY Giants.

7. Notre Dame's Downfall - Even the biggest fans of the Irish (including me), never saw this coming. A down year - definitely. Below .500 - maybe. But 3-9? No way. But that is exactly how the Irish finished, including losses to both Navy and Air Force. They ended the season with 2 wins, over Duke and Stanford, to reach 3-9.

6. College Football - All I can say is WOW! This season of college football has been anything but normal and predictable. Every week anyone could win - literally. Just ask Michigan. In fact, as I sit here and type this, the same unranked Michigan team that lost to a division AA team (more on that later) is beating #12 Florida in the 4th quarter of the Capital One Bowl. The National Championship game lineup itself has caused more debate about college football than it's seen over entire seasons in a long time. Either the gap is closing between the great teams and everyone else, or all of college football is becoming mediocre. While their may not be that one top tier team that stands out above the rest this year, I'll still go with the former.

5. The Mike Vick Dogfighting Scandal - How stupid can a person be? You have all the money in the world, all the fame you could ever want, and are, in every aspect of the word, a Superstar...And you are running a gambling ring for dog fighting, putting it all on the line? Stupidity like that deserves as much time in the slammer as it gets...

4. Division I-AA Appalachian State defeats #5 Michigan - This goes back to the whole crazy season of college football. AA Appalachian State shocked the Wolverines and the College Football World knocking out the #5 ranked Michigan team 34-32 with a late blocked field goal early in the season. It was the first time in NCAA history that a Division I-AA team beat a Division I team that was ranked in the AP poll.

3. Florida owning Ohio State - Can you say "Who's your daddy, Buckeyes?" Florida absolutely owned Ohio State in both the NCAA Football and Basketball championship games. A huge underdog in the BCS Championship game in the first sports action of 2007, Florida gave the Buckeyes an old school beat down, completely destroying them in the National Championship game. Then, just three months later, the Gators basketball team gave the OSU basketball team some more of the same medicine in the Final Four NCAA Championship to win back to back NCAA Basketball titles.

2. The Patriot's Record Breaking Season - Speaking of "being owned," the Patriots have done just that to the entire NFL. They become only the second team in NFL history to go 16-0 and have an undefeated regular season in the NFL. In fact, with only two exceptions, the undefeated season was never even in question. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and the rest of the Patriots have put up numbers like the NFL has never seen and are quickly on their way to a 19-0 Super Bowl Champion Season.

1. The Mitchell Report - As I watched the Mitchell Report being announced live on ESPN just a few weeks ago, my first thoughts (as a Yankee fan) were "Say it ain't so Roger! Say it ain't so Andy! Say it ain't so!" Well, Andy Pettite is one of several players who have said it is so, and Roger is still holding on to the claim that it isn't so...There has been speculation by the media that the report is flawed and skewed because of George Mitchell's connection to the Red Sox. (I will say that I find it a little suspicous that no Red Sox player was named unless they were now with another team, but hey, I'll also admit that I HATE the Red Sox, so my opinion is a bit biased.) The Mitchell report named big names, but also really didn't give a lot of new info. But this is did do, in my eyes and in the eyes of many sports fans: It showed that this era of baseball is full of cheaters. Don't tell me you didn't know it was the juice. Don't give me the excuse that you had to heal quicker or keep up with everyone else who was using. And don't anyone tell me that it's only about the players. The Mitchell report confirms what all of us knew but didn't want to admit or acknowledge. The owners and gm's knew players were using steroids and HGH, but they didn't care. Why? Becuase it was bringing in the big bucks. The players knew it was wrong and did it any way. Why? Because the better they performed, the longer they played, and the faster they healed, the more money they made. And we, the fans, deep in our hearts knew it was going on...And we paid the outrageous ticket prices and bought $30 caps and $120 jerseys anyway. And an entire era of young kids have to deal with looking up to baseball heroes that are nothing more than cheaters...Shame on all of us. Hopefully, the Mitchell report will move us into a new age of baseball, where kids who play tee ball all summer can have heroes who play the game with their 100% all and nothing more.

So there you have it. My Top Sports Moments of 2007. Feel free to add you own contributions or thoughts as comments and let me know what you think. I know that Justin and Dbrown will chime in for sure...

The Weekend Update...

It's been a crazy weekend so far...Saturday morning Jo and I got up early and made the 3 1/2 hour trek from my parents house to Lockhart. We left earlier because some friends invited us to go with them to the Alamo Bowl Saturday night and we had to be back in the LOC in time to leave by lunch. We had a great time last night at the game. Even though I am a Longhorn fan, I enjoyed it and had a blast with the friends we went with...Today, church came a little earlier than usual it seemed like...Maybe it was just because we didn't get back from the bowl game until 1 AM, but I don't know. Our pastor talked about what it means to understand forgiveness and let go of guilt...Good stuff. This evening we have been hanging out with some of our college students and friends. It's been a night full of eating (thank you for 50 pack chicken nuggets!) and hanging out...And the guys have been tearing it up on my 360. We've done everything from Call of Duty 4 to NCAA Football 08...I'm taking a break in the middle of our NCAA tournament, but I gotta go 'cause I'm up next...Here are a few pics from the bowl game...

Outside Before the Game


My Ticket


The View from our seats - In black & white


Me & Johanna during the game


Texas A&M about to score

Christmas Come and Gone...

The past few days have been full of Christmas memories and family time...We drove from Houston on Sunday after church and got to Stephenville late that evening...Jo and I then spent Christmas eve and Christmas with my family - my mom and dad, grandparents, and my brother and sister-in-law. We had Christmas lunch with my mom's family on Christmas eve...She has a really big family so we all just met at Cotton Patch and ate together. Then we spent Christmas eve with my dad's parents...It's been a restful, peaceful, good several days...Today Johanna, myself, and my mom headed to DFW to spend some of our Christmas gift cards...Bought some new books (of course!)...I bought a book by Erwin McManus called Soul Cravings that I am excited about getting into...

Since this past weekend I have had a song stuck in my head (and in my heart)...I really don't think I've ever been fond of the song until lately...I am not a "hymn" guy so this has really been weird to have these lyrics stuck in my head...But I think that the lyrics sum up for me what the Christmas season is all about...Especially the first few lines...I've hummed and sung them over and over the past several days...My prayer is that I will live them out and model them for others over and over for the days to come...Here are the lyrics...The song was written in the 1700s by a guy named Charles Wesley and is titled "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus." I hope it challenges you in the same way it's challenging me...

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Christmas Reading...

I packed a few books away in my laptop bag for some Christmas reading as we travel and spend time with our families the next several days...The books vary from some that have been sitting on my shelf haunting me because I bought them a year or so ago and still haven't read them to a book a friend gave me just this past week...I got some good reading time in today and started with a very small book called "Jesus with Dirty Feet" by Don Everts...So far it has been a great book...It's an easy read, only 120+ small pages written in a form called "sense lines." It's form is much like the style of something you might read in Psalms...So it's a short book...But it packs a powerful punch. So far it's been filled with solid insight and some very challenging words for what it means to be a Christ-follower...It would also be a great book to give to someone who is curious or skeptical about Christianity...Here are a couple of my favorite quotes so far...

Most folks think Christianity is an outdated religion. But it turns out it is neither outdated nor a religion.

What we would call "Christianity" was nothing more and nothing less than some simple people responding to Jesus' call by attaching themselves to him. They believed, followed, listened to, questioned, obeyed, talked with, learned from, and ultimately gave thir lvies to this character Jesus.

Most folks think of Jesus as the man who started that Christianity religion. But it turns out he wasn't just a man, and he wasn't interested in religion.

He (Jesus) never asked anyone to become a Christian, never built a steepled building, never drew up a theological treatise, never took an offering, never wore religious garments, never incorporated for tax purposes...He simply called people to follow him. That's it. That, despite it's simplicity, is it.

Now it's off to try and finish this short read before the night's done...Tomorrow we are going to church with Jo's family to watch our nephew, Luke, be baptized and then it's off to Stephenville for more Christmas and family time...Hopefully, I will have a chance to post between now and then, but if not, Merry Christmas! May God grant you the peace and hope this week that He gave to the world so many years ago...And may we all be able to comprehend a little more fully what it means that God came down in the flesh and made His dwelling among us...May we see the love that brought him from heaven into our neighborhood...Merry Christmas!

Go Jesus, It's Your Birthday...

Found this over at ysmarko.com...It's a virgin mobile commercial and all I can say is "Wow..."

Big Things Ahead...

I got to have lunch with a couple great guys today. It was good to share fellowship with some like minded people and to pick their brains about what the church could and should be...Fantastic time...Johanna and I have felt for a while that God is up to big things with us...I'm excited about the future and what that holds...All that today held was a refreshment of that excitement...And I am stoked about some of the possibilities that lie ahead...My biggest goal in life is to live 100% spent for the kingdom...When all is said and done in this life for me, I want my life to have counted. I want heaven to look different because I lived on earth...I want it to be more crowded because of what God used me to do in this place...And as I continue to follow Him and as Jo and I continue to live our lives to the best of His glory, I sense big things on the horizon...And today, God BLEW ME AWAY again with how big He is and how incredible His plan can be...Yep, God's pretty much amazing...And then again, that word doesn't even begin to touch who He is...

Christmas Quotes...

As I spent some time this morning searching for Christmas quotes, I came across a huge variety of perspective and insight...Here are some I thought I'd share...Some funny, some insightful, some painfully honest, but all worth reading and pondering...


Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space.
- Dave Barry

Christmas is the day that holds all time together. - Alexander Smith

Christmas is the one time of year when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ. - Bart Simpson

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.
Hamilton Wright Mabie

From a commercial point of view, if Christmas did not exist it would be necessary to invent it.
Katharine Whitehorn

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree." - Roy L. Smith

The Christmas season has come to mean the period when the public plays Santa Claus to the merchants. -John Andrew Holmes

Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny (expletive) Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white butt down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of buttholes this side of the nuthouse. - Clark Griswold, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

The Church does not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts. Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected. -Samuel Johnson

"The great majority of people will go on observing forms that cannot be explained; they will keep Christmas Day with Christmas gifts and Christmas benedictions; they will continue to do it; and some day suddenly wake up and discover why." - G.K Chesterton

Devastated...

Today may become known as the darkest day in Major League Baseball history. Don't get me wrong...There have been dark days before. There have been days when things could be a lot better...There have been days marred with scandal such as the days of Shoeless Joe Jackson and the White Sox. There have been days marked with greed, such as the strikes. But today quite possibly is the darkest of them all. The Mitchell report came out today and confirmed what almost all of us who are baseball fans already knew, but deep down never wanted to know...Major League Baseball is filled with cheaters. Today we realized, or maybe just couldn't hide from any longer, the fact that the last 10+ years in professional baseball are marked forever in history with an asterick. It's not just Bonds...It's far bigger than Canseco, McGwire, and Palmeiro. It's big and it encompasses all of baseball. Sure they only named around 80 players specifically, but now we all know that this is a widespread problem. They named 80 players, with a tie to EVERY SINGLE MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM. They named General Managers and Trainers and Owners who swept things under the rug simply to keep the cash flow coming...The biggest devastation for me as a Yankee fan is the involvement of Clemens and Pettite, two of my all-time favorites. I cannot believe these guys were implicated...I guess deep down I knew they were recovering from injuries faster than one could realistically do without some help. But I didn't want to believe it...And two of my favorites, two of the truly good guys in the game were caught cheating...And it is so much bigger than those two guys...Today we, the baseball fans in America, lost what little innocence we had left. Steroids has not affected a few players in the game. It has not even began to infiltrate the game. Steroids and the use of illegal performance enhancers have not tainted the game. They have ruined it. Today we found out that steriods are the bedmate of baseball - Not just players, but management and owners and trainers. All so that the money keeps rolling in...And little kids all over America got a message that you do whatever it takes to get the big contract...even cheating. There have been some hard days for professional baseball, but this cloud may very well be the darkest one yet...

Breaking The Code...And Jumping Ship...

I just started reading "Breaking The Missional Code: Your Church Can Become A Missionary in Your Community" by Ed Stetzer and David Putman. I have seen some other stuff that Stetzer has done in reference to church planting and reaching the unchurched and thought this would be a good read. The book is basically about how we as Christ-followers and churches in America need to see ourselves as missionaries and use those principles to reach our communities. We can no longer sit idly by and just open the doors and expect people to come in...Here is a quote or two that stuck out from the first chapter:

"For many, evangelicals have become a voting block rather than a spiritual force."

"Many are convinced if you just "preach the gospel" and perhaps "love people" then your church will reach people. They are wrong and their ideas hurt the mission of the church. Communities across North America are filled with churches led by loving gospel preachers - most of whom, if statistics are true, are not reaching people...Loving people means understanding and communicating with them. Preaching the gospel means to proclaim a gospel about the Word becoming flesh - and proclaiming that the body of Christ needs to become incarnate in every cultural expression."

This first chapter has hit a vein with me and my great disdain for the way that the vast majority of churches just expect people to come to them. We expect to open our doors on Sunday morning and for the unchurched to just magically appear. So many church people and leaders live by a mindset of "well, they know where we're at so they can come to us" whether they would admit it or not. That's why most evangelical churches spend more money on fellowships and flowers than they do on outreach and local missions...Shame on us. Even on those of us who don't agree with that mindset but continue to allow it to be the dominant way of thinking in the church and continue, by our presence and involvement in said churhes, to go along with this incredibly un-biblical way of thinking and living...As for me, I am ready to jump ship! I am tired of seeing churches that are dying and are on life support because they continue to fail to reach people...It's time to take the gospel to the people. After all, that's what Jesus did. He never said "come to me" but rather always went to them...And that is even the message of this time of year. That God stepped out of heaven and put on flesh and lived among us to show us love and truth. The Message Bible says that "The Word became flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood." It's time for those of us who claim to follow Christ to take action and to model the love and life of our Master...It's time to shut the doors of the church and hang a sign on them that says, "If you're looking for us, we're out sharing the love of Christ in our community in real practical ways. We'll be back when that's done, so it might be a while. I wouldn't wait around. I'd just join us there." Until next time...

The Weekend Update...

I'm watching football highlights from today's games and thought I'd share a short weekend update...Saturday I headed to the Alamodome in San Antonio with some good friends to spend the day watching Texas High School football playoffs...I got to hang out and watch some good football while Johanna stayed back at the house and studied for her finals coming up this week...Today was a full day...We had church this morning, lunch with a couple families and some friends from the church, and then a birthday party this afternoon for the little girl that Jo baby sits...Tonight we went to church and watched our church choir perform their Christmas musical...It was really, really good stuff...After that we headed to Austin to eat with Jaron, Jenna, and Foster and hit up some Starbucks...Overall, a relaxing weekend spent with a variety of great friends...Can't ask for more than that...

Sights and Sounds...

Unless you live somewhere besides planet earth, or specifically, the United States of America, you probably already know it's Christmas time. There are some things about Christmas that I cannot stand: the gross materialism, the greed, the mass consumerism that leads to so much debt, the pain, hurt, and loneliness that so many people feel during the holidays...But there is a lot about Christmas that I LOVE: the fact that it commemorates that Jesus was Immanuel - God With Us - that we serve a God who stepped into our world to show us life and love, the fact that it opens the door for weeks for those of us who are Christ followers to share the story and love of Jesus, the opportunity to give to others, and the time spent with family and friends...

The past couple days have held some Christmas fun...Last night Johanna and I went to Sights and Sounds in San Marcos...It is basically a mini-carnival type Christmas celebration...The banks of the San Marcos River are decorated with lights and Christmas decor, with a small replica of the town of Bethlehem, carnival rides, craft booths, and food vendors galore! We walked the river banks, toured Bethlehem (and Joseph just happened to be a worship leader I met a few weeks ago!), looked for some Christmas gifts among the craft booths, and tasted some good eats...We had sausage on a stick, snow cones, deep fried cookie dough, curly fries, chalupas, and got some kettle korn and cotton candy to take home...Maybe that's why I didn't sleep so well last night...But that's another subject...We had a blast! I love getting to spend time at those kinds of things with my incredible wife...Then this morning, I finished putting up all our Christmas lights...We've got icicle lights around the house, with our flower bed lined with lighted candy canes, and a sprial lighted tree in the middle of our yard...I planned to poast some pics with this, but I still need another extension cord to get it all lit up, so the pics will have to wait...

I hope that in the midst of all the craziness, and the sights and sounds of Christmas, that you have a chance to reflect on Immanuel...My prayer for you is that you might really understand what it means that God stepped out of heaven and moved into our neighborhood...And that those of us who know that love and that truth might take the opportunity of this holiday season to share that love and message of hope with others...

Politics...

Most of the time, I am pretty interested in politics...I am by no means a politcal expert or fanatic, but I keep up with what's going on for the most part...This presidential race has been intriguing to me because I think that without a clear front-runner and with so many candidates who are not your "typical presidential candidate" that maybe some real issues will get addressed...If I were to vote today, my support would probably swing to Guiliani's campaign...But there is a lot of "politicizing" left to do...With that being said, I got this video in an email today and I really like it...Anytime a candidate really stands for what they believe in, I think you have to respect them, regardless of whether you agree or not...In a day and time of wishy-washy, spineless politics it is refreshing to see someone be open and honest about their beliefs in a political race...Plus, I like what Huckabee has to say...It's funny that the moderator in the debate doesn't really like his response (and wasn't prepared for it, I don't think...), but the crowd seems to approve...Check it out:

The Missing Man...

The following is a clip from an article titled "Missing Man" by Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports. The article is about how the Redskins took the field yesterday against the Buffalo Bills after losing one of their teammates in a tragic murder.

So here were Taylor's old teammates trying their best to honor him. They quietly decided the defense would line up on the first play against the Buffalo Bills with just 10 defenders. Doughty would stay on the sidelines; if Taylor couldn't take the field, then no one would.

"It wasn't one less man, it was playing with 10 and Sean," Doughty said. "We had all 11 out there. That is what we designed. I was sitting out the first play because Sean was going to be in there."

They were willing to concede what inevitably happened, the Bills' Fred Jackson running 22 yards against a defensive alignment with a hole in it. Then Doughty jogged onto the field to make the defense complete. The Bills threw to Josh Reed and Doughty flew to him, wrapping him up after just a two-yard gain, playing safety in a manner of which Sean Taylor would have approved.

It was perfect, the perfect football tribute at the end of a horrible week. The ideal on-field compliment to the moment of silence and the video tribute and the No. 21 towels waving in the stands.

As I read that article this morning, and as I deal with loss myself today, I wonder what the implications of this type of mentality are for the church...Our church lost an MVP last night. My friend, Roger Taylor, left this earth and went home. Please pray for his family in this time of hurt and loss. He will be sorely, sorely missed. I use the term friend because that is exactly what Roger was to me. As a minister, you can only develop most relationships to a certain level...Either people put you on a pedastal or they are looking for fault in you to bring you down...Not Roger. Roger just loved me for me, untucked shirt, goatie, and all...When I found out that Roger only had weeks left on this earth I journaled a tribute about how much his friendship affected me that I will post later this week. But today, I just want to say that I lost a friend. One of my biggest encouragers, supporters, and teammates is gone...And as a church, we will definitely be "fielding a team" one man short...You cannot replace a Roger Taylor. A man who, on his death bed, brings in his employees to share his faith with them one last time. A man who made it a priority every Monday night to go share his faith and share about our church with people in the community. A man who would grow a goatie just so that you're not the only one and make you feel more comfortable about it. We will be taking the field one man down, but heaven just added an All-Pro to their squad. Roger, I will miss you my brother...I will miss my friend...