Just saw this on Yahoo and thought it was pretty good. Why does always seem to be that the best tantrums are in the minor leagues?
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
BIG and small
I read a blog post yesterday from Pete Wilson. He writes the blog Without Wax is a pastor at Cross Point Church in the Nashville area and the author of the book Plan B. What he had posted the other day was something that really stood out to me. He quoted from a blog that Kevin DeYoung had written on Ligonier Ministries Blog about those people that "plod" along in the church. It really stuck with me too and I have been thinking about his words off and on for the last couple of days, processing them and mulling them over a bit.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The Anthem
Ever felt like, been called or just know that you're a dork? Yeah, gotta say that it happens to pretty much all of us at some time in our life.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
5 Reasons Teens Are Avoiding Church
A pastor friend of mine shared this link this morning on Twitter. It's been posted by both Roni and myself. It's got some good stuff in it and I wanted to share it here as well.
5 Reasons Teens Are Avoiding Church
Here are a few of my thoughts on this:
1) The point that no one is ever too busy for church is right on. That is the classic excuse of people in my age group; those with young children. We hear about how they just don't have time with everything else they have going on, often placing the blame on the activities they have placed their children in. As the author says, time doesn't discriminate, we all get the same 24 hour span. It's about how we use and prioritize those hours.
2) It is easy to get caught up in trying to create the next "big event" or "draw". There have been times in my ministry where parents will look at what other churches are doing and then relay that to me with the "subtle" hint that maybe we should be doing that as well. I hope that I have tried more often to give substance over flash.
3) Teens don't make church a priority because their parents don't make it a priority is something that we have seen for years. I'm so glad it was addressed here. When the parents don't make it a habit or a lifestyle to be in worship and active in the church body, the kids aren't either. After all, there isn't going to be any kind of blow back from the parents. Too often parents don't want to offend their kids when it comes to "making them" go to church. The same can't be said for practices, school or even interaction with friends.
4) It's true that kids don't need the church to connect with their peers anymore really. They spend time in school and practices with them almost every day. They are connected to them through Facebook, myspace, Twitter and texting. But my issue with this one is that these methods still allow kids to maintain distance from each other and don't necessarily lead to that kind of deep social interaction that we need. As the church one of our goals should be in striving to create that kind of interaction within community.
5) Until we as leaders are able to really model that change the kids will rarely model true change. We need to give them that example of how following Jesus and living out his example is world changing.
6) Great point about being real as opposed to trying to be "cool". Cool comes and goes, and if we are chasing that then we will never find rest. When we know who we are and what we are called to and allow ourselves to be real around these kids, that is where the difference is made. This is something that can take years to learn. It is that realness that will speak to the youth today (and in the future) more than our attempts to be like them. To take from a friend of mine, if the kids want a cool youth minister, they are the ones that make them cool.
That's it. I thought it was a great article and had some good points in it.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
5 Reasons Teens Are Avoiding Church
Here are a few of my thoughts on this:
1) The point that no one is ever too busy for church is right on. That is the classic excuse of people in my age group; those with young children. We hear about how they just don't have time with everything else they have going on, often placing the blame on the activities they have placed their children in. As the author says, time doesn't discriminate, we all get the same 24 hour span. It's about how we use and prioritize those hours.
2) It is easy to get caught up in trying to create the next "big event" or "draw". There have been times in my ministry where parents will look at what other churches are doing and then relay that to me with the "subtle" hint that maybe we should be doing that as well. I hope that I have tried more often to give substance over flash.
3) Teens don't make church a priority because their parents don't make it a priority is something that we have seen for years. I'm so glad it was addressed here. When the parents don't make it a habit or a lifestyle to be in worship and active in the church body, the kids aren't either. After all, there isn't going to be any kind of blow back from the parents. Too often parents don't want to offend their kids when it comes to "making them" go to church. The same can't be said for practices, school or even interaction with friends.
4) It's true that kids don't need the church to connect with their peers anymore really. They spend time in school and practices with them almost every day. They are connected to them through Facebook, myspace, Twitter and texting. But my issue with this one is that these methods still allow kids to maintain distance from each other and don't necessarily lead to that kind of deep social interaction that we need. As the church one of our goals should be in striving to create that kind of interaction within community.
5) Until we as leaders are able to really model that change the kids will rarely model true change. We need to give them that example of how following Jesus and living out his example is world changing.
6) Great point about being real as opposed to trying to be "cool". Cool comes and goes, and if we are chasing that then we will never find rest. When we know who we are and what we are called to and allow ourselves to be real around these kids, that is where the difference is made. This is something that can take years to learn. It is that realness that will speak to the youth today (and in the future) more than our attempts to be like them. To take from a friend of mine, if the kids want a cool youth minister, they are the ones that make them cool.
That's it. I thought it was a great article and had some good points in it.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Sleep Walking
The Boy is sleeping right now, which is good since it is after midnight and he is two. But that wasn't the case about 10 minutes ago. As I sat here looking at some things and texting a friend, I heard the sounds of The Boy starting to cry out. I knew that he was about to be awake and therefore hard to get back to sleep. So I started down the dark hallway that I could hear him coming down. Part way down I flipped on the light, picked him up and headed back to his bed to lay beside him as he went back to sleep. It is a feeling that I enjoy a great deal, having my children fall asleep pressed against me.
So that was the case, I heard a cry in the dark, I headed toward it, turned on the light and I took my son in my arms and them laid with him until he was out once again, And that is when I realized what I wanted to write about. Because the parallels seem lovely really.
The Boy woke up, found himself to be in the dark and it scared him a bit. So he did what he knows to do: He cried out and headed for Daddy. The girls were the same way (still are at times). Often times The Boy makes it into my bed, thus throwing a kink into my plans of sleeping for many hours at a time. However there are times when I am able to catch him first and go and lay with him and let him feel safe and secure.
I feel like the same is true with God. How many times do we find ourselves in a dark place that scares us (more than) just a little bit? And when we do, we tend to cry out and head toward Daddy for protection. And then we find ourselves being swept into His arms and hugged to His chest and protected and safe. Unlike myself, who tends to sleep through things like the crying out. God hears us every time. And when we cry out to Him and start toward Him, he is faithful to scoop us up into his arms and hold us close where we can be both warm and safe.
May you cry out to God in your times of trouble and may he be that protective Father for you when you do.
Grace, Peace, and Love y'all.
So that was the case, I heard a cry in the dark, I headed toward it, turned on the light and I took my son in my arms and them laid with him until he was out once again, And that is when I realized what I wanted to write about. Because the parallels seem lovely really.
The Boy woke up, found himself to be in the dark and it scared him a bit. So he did what he knows to do: He cried out and headed for Daddy. The girls were the same way (still are at times). Often times The Boy makes it into my bed, thus throwing a kink into my plans of sleeping for many hours at a time. However there are times when I am able to catch him first and go and lay with him and let him feel safe and secure.
I feel like the same is true with God. How many times do we find ourselves in a dark place that scares us (more than) just a little bit? And when we do, we tend to cry out and head toward Daddy for protection. And then we find ourselves being swept into His arms and hugged to His chest and protected and safe. Unlike myself, who tends to sleep through things like the crying out. God hears us every time. And when we cry out to Him and start toward Him, he is faithful to scoop us up into his arms and hold us close where we can be both warm and safe.
May you cry out to God in your times of trouble and may he be that protective Father for you when you do.
Grace, Peace, and Love y'all.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Time to Bail
It's always been my desire to catch a foul ball or better yet a home run ball at a baseball game. In all the games I've been to in the last few years, it has never happened. Most times I'm sitting too high up for a ball to even get there, but still I can hope right?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Used by God
So I was looking at Jesus Needs New PR today and this is what got my attention:
This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy. In this day and age, to have people who are still of this mindset like the guy in the video blows my mind. As far as I have ever been able to tell it all comes from the one bit of scripture where Paul tells Timothy that he doesn't allow women to speak and teach. The problem is that rather than looking at the cultural context of this we try and make this an overall decree for all women in all leadership positions. That is such a crock.
To claim that we serve this God who is bigger than anything we can even imagine, and then to try and limit who it is that He can call and use in ministry is ignorant. To claim that we believe that God can use anyone and anything, and then to say though that someone can't be used simply due to gender makes no sense. I go back to where Paul says that there is "no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female; but Christ is all and in all; we are ONE in Christ" (Colossians 3:11 & Galatians 3:28 combined and paraphrased). When God calls someone to His service it no longer matters about gender or even orientation. All that matters is the call that God has placed on that person's life. It is not for the culture to determine what that call is, but rather it is between the Caller and the called.
God can use who he wants how he wants.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy. In this day and age, to have people who are still of this mindset like the guy in the video blows my mind. As far as I have ever been able to tell it all comes from the one bit of scripture where Paul tells Timothy that he doesn't allow women to speak and teach. The problem is that rather than looking at the cultural context of this we try and make this an overall decree for all women in all leadership positions. That is such a crock.
To claim that we serve this God who is bigger than anything we can even imagine, and then to try and limit who it is that He can call and use in ministry is ignorant. To claim that we believe that God can use anyone and anything, and then to say though that someone can't be used simply due to gender makes no sense. I go back to where Paul says that there is "no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female; but Christ is all and in all; we are ONE in Christ" (Colossians 3:11 & Galatians 3:28 combined and paraphrased). When God calls someone to His service it no longer matters about gender or even orientation. All that matters is the call that God has placed on that person's life. It is not for the culture to determine what that call is, but rather it is between the Caller and the called.
God can use who he wants how he wants.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Oops He Did it Again...
I do wonder if that is the song Vikings fans will be singing this week (or at least today) with the news breaking that Brett Favre is once again going to retire. It does seem like a very appropriate song for the last three years as far as Favre is concerned.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Break It Down
Saw this on today's (Thursday) edition of Today's Big Thing and thought I should share it with all of you.
Yeah so I have always found it to be pretty fascinating when you slow down things being destroyed and watch them break apart in slow motion. Hope you enjoyed all the destruction.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Yeah so I have always found it to be pretty fascinating when you slow down things being destroyed and watch them break apart in slow motion. Hope you enjoyed all the destruction.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Howl at the Cross (Yeah, that's the best I've got)
This has got to be one of the scariest, creepiest videos that I have encountered in a while. This was on Jesus Needs New PR last night and I'm really glad I didn't watch it before bed, because I'm pretty sure I would have had nightmares about it. Also pretty glad that my children didn't watch it either, as I am afraid they would have ended up in my bed with nightmares about the singing dog face.
Dude looks like a WWE personality gone bad with the make-up. The chorus is the best of course. The "Howl-ee-lu-ya" is classic. Maybe I should start doing that when there is a hallelujah in our hymns...well probably not, because that would be silly.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Dude looks like a WWE personality gone bad with the make-up. The chorus is the best of course. The "Howl-ee-lu-ya" is classic. Maybe I should start doing that when there is a hallelujah in our hymns...well probably not, because that would be silly.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Messin' Around
So I was watching the Rangers tonight and saw this commercial.
As a guy, I must admit I thought this was pretty hilarious when I saw it. I think pretty much all the Messin' with Sasquatch spots are pretty funny actually, but this one caught me off guard I guess.
Also the Rangers won to go 8 up on the Angels and 8.5 up on the A's. Nelson Cruz smashed a walk-off, 2 run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning for the win.
So in summary, a good ball game, a great win by the Rangers and a pretty funny commercial to boot.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
As a guy, I must admit I thought this was pretty hilarious when I saw it. I think pretty much all the Messin' with Sasquatch spots are pretty funny actually, but this one caught me off guard I guess.
Also the Rangers won to go 8 up on the Angels and 8.5 up on the A's. Nelson Cruz smashed a walk-off, 2 run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning for the win.
So in summary, a good ball game, a great win by the Rangers and a pretty funny commercial to boot.
Grace, Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, July 26, 2010
And the Silver Medal Goes To...
I've been doing youth ministry now for 14 years. It is something that I love doing and feel like I'm good at it (at least somewhat). In all those years I have heard the question(s) about when am I going to do "real" ministry or when am I going to head to seminary or when am I going to get my own church many times. Thankfully, as the years have gone by these questions have gotten to be fewer and farther between.
I have a whole list of people that I am thankful for who have influenced me in my path and have invested in me over the years. I won't start naming them here for fear of 1) leaving out many along the way and 2) sounding like it's the Friday "testimony/share" time at camp or on a mission trip. But know this, I am thankful beyond anything I could ever express to those who have played a part in who I am as a Christ follower as well as a youth minister.
That is why I wanted to post this link to today's post on Stuff Christians Like.
http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/treating-youth-ministers-like-silver-medal-ministers/
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
I have a whole list of people that I am thankful for who have influenced me in my path and have invested in me over the years. I won't start naming them here for fear of 1) leaving out many along the way and 2) sounding like it's the Friday "testimony/share" time at camp or on a mission trip. But know this, I am thankful beyond anything I could ever express to those who have played a part in who I am as a Christ follower as well as a youth minister.
That is why I wanted to post this link to today's post on Stuff Christians Like.
http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/07/treating-youth-ministers-like-silver-medal-ministers/
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hellooo Ladies....
This one is kind of for the ladies out there. This is how we guys often times feel when it comes to you, the fairer sex.
Who better to deliver that message to you than our friend The Old Spice Guy. I think he speaks for most men in the world when he says that YOU know exactly the next step for us to take, because you're women, so please let us know.
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
Who better to deliver that message to you than our friend The Old Spice Guy. I think he speaks for most men in the world when he says that YOU know exactly the next step for us to take, because you're women, so please let us know.
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Here Comes the King...But Who Really Cares?
So who really watched "The Decision" tonight on ESPN? Who really cared that much about where LeBron was going to end up signing? To be honest, I lost interest in all of it a long time ago. To me it was just wasn't that big of a thing. So the LeBron is leaving Cleveland via free agency and heading to the Miami Heat. Bully for him, but did we really need an hour long "special" to make that announcement? What did they do for the other 58 minutes that weren't him saying he was going to the Heat? Was there a montage of his life and career up to this point?
This was simply another way for LeBron to draw attention to himself. This was not ESPN's idea from what I understood. It was LeBron's. I really think it is the kind of thing that can backfire on him, if for no other reason than it will become to butt of jokes. Maybe LeBron will be one of the first to make the jokes but I don't know that I see that.
I think the next thing we are going to see like this will be Brett Favre convincing ESPN to give him an hour long special to announce his decision about whether he's going to retire or not. At least that special could have some real intrigue to it. Even Favre wouldn't know how it was going to turn out. And then the next week he could get a second special to reverse his decision from the first special.
In the end this was a self-absorbed and narcissistic display. As many others have written better than me, it was something that simply was not needed. Congratulations Miami, you know have a the "King". Good luck with that.
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
This was simply another way for LeBron to draw attention to himself. This was not ESPN's idea from what I understood. It was LeBron's. I really think it is the kind of thing that can backfire on him, if for no other reason than it will become to butt of jokes. Maybe LeBron will be one of the first to make the jokes but I don't know that I see that.
I think the next thing we are going to see like this will be Brett Favre convincing ESPN to give him an hour long special to announce his decision about whether he's going to retire or not. At least that special could have some real intrigue to it. Even Favre wouldn't know how it was going to turn out. And then the next week he could get a second special to reverse his decision from the first special.
In the end this was a self-absorbed and narcissistic display. As many others have written better than me, it was something that simply was not needed. Congratulations Miami, you know have a the "King". Good luck with that.
Peace, Grace and Love y'all.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Reborn
What does it mean to be "born again"? Does that mean that that you have to actually be born a second time? How is that even possible? Where does that term even come from?
This past week at the Sr. District Camp I was at there was a...discussion...about what this means and what the importance of it really may be. One of the people involved in the discussion was of the mind set that the term "born again" isn't really all that important. After all it is used only one time in the Bible in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus . Jesus tells Nicodemus that in order to see the kingdom of Heaven one has to be born again. Here is the thing on this as far as I am concerned (and one of the other counselors at camp make this point as well) Jesus is the person who said it, who coined the phrase if you will, so that is really all we need. If Jesus said it, and we are trying to live a life that exemplifies Him and his teachings, then if he says we need to be born again, then we need to be born again.
Here is my take on what happened at camp though. It has more to do with the terminology than the actual concept of being born again. I really think that the first person in all of this simply has a problem with the terminology "born again" rather than the truth behind it. Here is what I mean by that: There are certain terms in our language that simply aren't the best for conveying what is actually meant. This in some ways is one of those terms. People hear "born again Christian" and the Hollywood idea of what that means comes to mind. That image is one of a person that is a goober, a Ned Flanders type if you will. Someone who is judgmental, "holier-than-thou" and doesn't believe in "fun". In that case I can see where the problem lies with the use of that term.
When we look at the truth behind the term, we begin to see that it means so much more than what we usually have in mind. The truth of this means to be changed. It means that we are no longer the old person that we were before Jesus and the Spirit found us and changed us. This same truth is found, worded differently, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 where Paul is talking about what a changed life looks like. The old us goes away and in it's place there is someone new.
We have an example of this truth in nature itself. It is what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The caterpillar begins as one thing and then through a series of events becomes something new and different. This is a great illustration of what the idea of being "born again" is really about.
In the end really the term means very little. Regardless of what we call it, the truth is the same: unless we have accepted the life transforming, rebirthing power of Grace through Jesus and the Spirit we are still stuck as the old caterpillar.
Peace, Grace & Love.
This past week at the Sr. District Camp I was at there was a...discussion...about what this means and what the importance of it really may be. One of the people involved in the discussion was of the mind set that the term "born again" isn't really all that important. After all it is used only one time in the Bible in a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus . Jesus tells Nicodemus that in order to see the kingdom of Heaven one has to be born again. Here is the thing on this as far as I am concerned (and one of the other counselors at camp make this point as well) Jesus is the person who said it, who coined the phrase if you will, so that is really all we need. If Jesus said it, and we are trying to live a life that exemplifies Him and his teachings, then if he says we need to be born again, then we need to be born again.
Here is my take on what happened at camp though. It has more to do with the terminology than the actual concept of being born again. I really think that the first person in all of this simply has a problem with the terminology "born again" rather than the truth behind it. Here is what I mean by that: There are certain terms in our language that simply aren't the best for conveying what is actually meant. This in some ways is one of those terms. People hear "born again Christian" and the Hollywood idea of what that means comes to mind. That image is one of a person that is a goober, a Ned Flanders type if you will. Someone who is judgmental, "holier-than-thou" and doesn't believe in "fun". In that case I can see where the problem lies with the use of that term.
When we look at the truth behind the term, we begin to see that it means so much more than what we usually have in mind. The truth of this means to be changed. It means that we are no longer the old person that we were before Jesus and the Spirit found us and changed us. This same truth is found, worded differently, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 where Paul is talking about what a changed life looks like. The old us goes away and in it's place there is someone new.
We have an example of this truth in nature itself. It is what happens when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. The caterpillar begins as one thing and then through a series of events becomes something new and different. This is a great illustration of what the idea of being "born again" is really about.
In the end really the term means very little. Regardless of what we call it, the truth is the same: unless we have accepted the life transforming, rebirthing power of Grace through Jesus and the Spirit we are still stuck as the old caterpillar.
Peace, Grace & Love.
Friday, May 28, 2010
I'm Sorry
Saw this today on Wes Molebash's blog, Max vs. Max and thought it should be shared here.
I'm wishing it was always that easy to be an "apologist." Hope you have a great, safe Memorial Day weekend. Peace and Love y'all.
I'm wishing it was always that easy to be an "apologist." Hope you have a great, safe Memorial Day weekend. Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Two Sides to Everything
Well it came to pass once again this year that the Cleveland Cavaliers were knocked out of the NBA playoffs short of their stated goal, which was of course to win the NBA Finals. This is the second straight season that they have had the best regular season record for the entire league and have been the overall number one team, and have been knocked out early. It would be different if they had lost in the Finals, but the last two seasons have seen them go out in the Eastern Conference Finals last year and the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals this season. To be honest, for some teams and fans the second round isn't that bad. My Spurs went out in the second round this year. I'm not too depressed about it though because they were a #7 seed in the West. Those seeds aren't expected to win it all and make deep runs in the playoffs. But the Cavs, oh those Cavs, they are supposed to make a run to the Finals the last couple of seasons as the #1 team, it just didn't happen for them.
There has been a lot talk too about what it was that caused the collapse of the Cavs. ESPN guys talking about it, TNT guys talking about it. I'm sure many folks from Cleveland are talking about it as well. The biggest thing that I hear is that LeBron didn't play up to his potential. He played at only about 3/4 of what he is truly capable of. He wasn't the leader that all the greats who have won championships were. Basically, what they are saying is that LeBron is supposed to be something super.
This got me thinking a little bit about the contradiction that we find in the world of sports. We want a superstar on our team. These are the guys that are the biggest names and the biggest talents. They are the ones who show up in the clutch and in crunch time. These are the guys that the fortunes of our teams rise and fall with. And yet we don't seem to want them to get to be a regular athlete.
We want two things from them:
1) To shoulder the blame when our team does badly and loses- This is what so many talked about LeBron needing to do. To put it on himself as the leader and superstar of the team. No matter how he performed in the game we want him to (and the other "superstars") to be the scapegoat, to take the brunt of the blame. Did a guy off the bench miss the game winning three as time expired? Blame it on the superstar, he should have been the one taking the shot. Did the other teams center score a career high in points that was the difference in the game? Let the superstar take the blame even though he is a point guard and has no business guarding that guy. No what it is, we want and expect our teams superstar to shoulder the blame.
2) We want to guy to the most humble person on the face of the planet when out teams wins- Now should our team pull off the win, then we want to superstar to be as humble as possible. Now rather than take credit for the win, like he took the blame for the loss, he is expected to deflect all the the praise to his teammates. The guy off the bench hit the 3-pointer as time expired to win by 1? Well he made a great shot in the face of the pressure to do so. Forget that the superstar gave the ball up to him. In a win, if the superstar takes the final shot, we would think of him as arrogant or just wanting to hog the glory and/or pad his stats. In the interview room, our superstar, when asked about that last shot that so-and-so made, is supposed to deflect all the praise to that guy by saying things about what a great shooter the guy is (true or not) and how he had complete confidence in him to hit the shot.
We want a leader that is humble in both situations. Humble enough to take the blame but also humble enough to defer praise to others. It is what a leader honestly should be willing to do. The problem though for me is that I would prefer that it be a true humility, something that is a real part of their personality. Because forced humility really isn't humility at all.
Peace and Love y'all.
There has been a lot talk too about what it was that caused the collapse of the Cavs. ESPN guys talking about it, TNT guys talking about it. I'm sure many folks from Cleveland are talking about it as well. The biggest thing that I hear is that LeBron didn't play up to his potential. He played at only about 3/4 of what he is truly capable of. He wasn't the leader that all the greats who have won championships were. Basically, what they are saying is that LeBron is supposed to be something super.
This got me thinking a little bit about the contradiction that we find in the world of sports. We want a superstar on our team. These are the guys that are the biggest names and the biggest talents. They are the ones who show up in the clutch and in crunch time. These are the guys that the fortunes of our teams rise and fall with. And yet we don't seem to want them to get to be a regular athlete.
We want two things from them:
1) To shoulder the blame when our team does badly and loses- This is what so many talked about LeBron needing to do. To put it on himself as the leader and superstar of the team. No matter how he performed in the game we want him to (and the other "superstars") to be the scapegoat, to take the brunt of the blame. Did a guy off the bench miss the game winning three as time expired? Blame it on the superstar, he should have been the one taking the shot. Did the other teams center score a career high in points that was the difference in the game? Let the superstar take the blame even though he is a point guard and has no business guarding that guy. No what it is, we want and expect our teams superstar to shoulder the blame.
2) We want to guy to the most humble person on the face of the planet when out teams wins- Now should our team pull off the win, then we want to superstar to be as humble as possible. Now rather than take credit for the win, like he took the blame for the loss, he is expected to deflect all the the praise to his teammates. The guy off the bench hit the 3-pointer as time expired to win by 1? Well he made a great shot in the face of the pressure to do so. Forget that the superstar gave the ball up to him. In a win, if the superstar takes the final shot, we would think of him as arrogant or just wanting to hog the glory and/or pad his stats. In the interview room, our superstar, when asked about that last shot that so-and-so made, is supposed to deflect all the praise to that guy by saying things about what a great shooter the guy is (true or not) and how he had complete confidence in him to hit the shot.
We want a leader that is humble in both situations. Humble enough to take the blame but also humble enough to defer praise to others. It is what a leader honestly should be willing to do. The problem though for me is that I would prefer that it be a true humility, something that is a real part of their personality. Because forced humility really isn't humility at all.
Peace and Love y'all.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Longest Journey
Living in Texas, and growing up in West Texas in particular, I'm no stranger to long trips. We routinely played football games in high school where we were driving 2+ hours to get there. On vacations with the family, we drove everywhere. It was too expensive to fly and Dad refused to do so anyway. So every time we went somewhere it was always by car: the Grand Canyon, Branson, Ohio. It didn't matter, we were driving there. And as you know in Texas it feels like at least half of the trip is actually spent in Texas. So long trips are nothing new for me.
There is a journey however that I have made or, more accurately, am making that has taken me pretty much all of my life, and to be honest there is no known end in sight. It is a journey that for so long I didn't even think about being on. It is that trip from Legalism, Literalism, Fundamentalism and Judgmentalism, to Grace and Love (Grace and Love sounds like it should be an actual town somewhere like Truth or Consequences, NM is). This is the longest, hardest journey that I have ever taken in my life, but I know that in the end it is well worth the time and expense of it all.
Each of the places along the road are difficult to be in, but oh they are so often even harder to leave. I get used to being in those places. It's as if I am a vagabond or nomad who needs to be on the move toward that final destination, but I have found work and stability in these other locales along the way.
I can look back now and see that I wasn't really meant to do more in each place other than set up camp for a bit and then move on, one step closer to my final destination. I am not meant to settle down in any of these places other than my final destination of Grace and Love. Yet sometimes I feel like I have been in some of the places long enough to have taken a census there and be counted as a part of the town's population. Part of the problem as well seems to be my willingness to do good enough in each place that I choose to build a nice summer home or perfect get-away. You know just in case I decide to move back to one of these places after I have retired.
Legalism is that place that tells me I have to be sure to keep all the rules that are ever put on me. It's really not enough though for me to try and do that alone. No, when it comes to legalism, I'm either the mayor, on his staff or at the least employed by the city. Therefore, it is my job to make sure that everyone else is following the rules as well. And when they aren't? Well I guess they are looking forward to getting that home with the really big fireplace (that's my hell reference by the way). When I've been here, it doesn't matter if I'm actually keeping the rules, but rather if everyone else is keeping them. It is such an easy place to get bogged down, because it sure seems to be in all black and white. And it doesn't take long for me to find my way back once I finally get a chance to leave...I don't even have to stop and ask for directions.
Literalism is the suburb where I live at times too. Of all of the four, this is the one that has actually been the easiest to get away from. I still like to go there, maybe to shoot a round of golf, maybe even more at times, but for the most part I understand that it is a place that is set up so people can understand better what God did, to help us wrap our minds around it. It's OK for me to keep this as more of a little bungalow than a full on home. I drop by at times but for the most part I am able to only go there when I need to.
Fundamentalism is that place that lures me in and that I at times have the hardest time shaking off. I guess I should think of it in this way: it's like your home town and how you just get so ready to get out of it, to get away from it because you've seen what it has to offer and you've done just about all of it. You want to get out, yet t here is something that seems to just keep you there. This is where I grew up-I was right and so many others were just wrong-but finally decided that it was time to move away and try something new.
Judgmentalism is the last place where I have spent time. Never am I able o be just passing through. I always have to stop and partake of the festivities in all these places. Judgmetalism is like the college town that lets me feel better about myself while also letting me look down on others for the things they have done that I consider to be really bad.
Finally there is Grace and Love. There are so many times that it still feels so very far away, like the road will never end. Thankfully there are always Grace and Love pit stops along the way where I can stop and be refreshed and reminded where I'm actually headed.With out those who knows how long it really take to get there. It's so far that at times it almost makes you want to stop and turn around and go back to where you came from, Legalism, Literalism,Fundamentalism and Judgmentalism. But there is hope, that just over the next hill you will catch a glimpse of Grace and Love and you will be able to get there and at that point end the journey, finally in that place that I want to be most of all. That place where I can relax and not worry about people doing "bad" things and people having to keep so many rules. In Grace and Love we are no longer tied to Literalism and we can do things in a way that works best for us, and not about what others are up to.
It is a long journey. In the end though, it will be well worth the time and effort and the uprooting and moving to be in that place that allows me to be who I am with out worrying. One of these days, I'm going to buy me a house there and retire. I can't wait for that day to get here.
Peace and Love y'all.
There is a journey however that I have made or, more accurately, am making that has taken me pretty much all of my life, and to be honest there is no known end in sight. It is a journey that for so long I didn't even think about being on. It is that trip from Legalism, Literalism, Fundamentalism and Judgmentalism, to Grace and Love (Grace and Love sounds like it should be an actual town somewhere like Truth or Consequences, NM is). This is the longest, hardest journey that I have ever taken in my life, but I know that in the end it is well worth the time and expense of it all.
Each of the places along the road are difficult to be in, but oh they are so often even harder to leave. I get used to being in those places. It's as if I am a vagabond or nomad who needs to be on the move toward that final destination, but I have found work and stability in these other locales along the way.
I can look back now and see that I wasn't really meant to do more in each place other than set up camp for a bit and then move on, one step closer to my final destination. I am not meant to settle down in any of these places other than my final destination of Grace and Love. Yet sometimes I feel like I have been in some of the places long enough to have taken a census there and be counted as a part of the town's population. Part of the problem as well seems to be my willingness to do good enough in each place that I choose to build a nice summer home or perfect get-away. You know just in case I decide to move back to one of these places after I have retired.
Legalism is that place that tells me I have to be sure to keep all the rules that are ever put on me. It's really not enough though for me to try and do that alone. No, when it comes to legalism, I'm either the mayor, on his staff or at the least employed by the city. Therefore, it is my job to make sure that everyone else is following the rules as well. And when they aren't? Well I guess they are looking forward to getting that home with the really big fireplace (that's my hell reference by the way). When I've been here, it doesn't matter if I'm actually keeping the rules, but rather if everyone else is keeping them. It is such an easy place to get bogged down, because it sure seems to be in all black and white. And it doesn't take long for me to find my way back once I finally get a chance to leave...I don't even have to stop and ask for directions.
Literalism is the suburb where I live at times too. Of all of the four, this is the one that has actually been the easiest to get away from. I still like to go there, maybe to shoot a round of golf, maybe even more at times, but for the most part I understand that it is a place that is set up so people can understand better what God did, to help us wrap our minds around it. It's OK for me to keep this as more of a little bungalow than a full on home. I drop by at times but for the most part I am able to only go there when I need to.
Fundamentalism is that place that lures me in and that I at times have the hardest time shaking off. I guess I should think of it in this way: it's like your home town and how you just get so ready to get out of it, to get away from it because you've seen what it has to offer and you've done just about all of it. You want to get out, yet t here is something that seems to just keep you there. This is where I grew up-I was right and so many others were just wrong-but finally decided that it was time to move away and try something new.
Judgmentalism is the last place where I have spent time. Never am I able o be just passing through. I always have to stop and partake of the festivities in all these places. Judgmetalism is like the college town that lets me feel better about myself while also letting me look down on others for the things they have done that I consider to be really bad.
Finally there is Grace and Love. There are so many times that it still feels so very far away, like the road will never end. Thankfully there are always Grace and Love pit stops along the way where I can stop and be refreshed and reminded where I'm actually headed.With out those who knows how long it really take to get there. It's so far that at times it almost makes you want to stop and turn around and go back to where you came from, Legalism, Literalism,Fundamentalism and Judgmentalism. But there is hope, that just over the next hill you will catch a glimpse of Grace and Love and you will be able to get there and at that point end the journey, finally in that place that I want to be most of all. That place where I can relax and not worry about people doing "bad" things and people having to keep so many rules. In Grace and Love we are no longer tied to Literalism and we can do things in a way that works best for us, and not about what others are up to.
It is a long journey. In the end though, it will be well worth the time and effort and the uprooting and moving to be in that place that allows me to be who I am with out worrying. One of these days, I'm going to buy me a house there and retire. I can't wait for that day to get here.
Peace and Love y'all.
Talent
I'm sure most of you have seen this already seeing as how it has gone viral and had 36,000+ hits already. I wanted to go ahead and share it though.
He is supposed to be appearing on Ellen tomorrow. He seems to be pretty seriously talented. Go check out his two original songs at greyson97. If nothing else I hope that this at least brought a smile to your face. Peace and Love y'all.
He is supposed to be appearing on Ellen tomorrow. He seems to be pretty seriously talented. Go check out his two original songs at greyson97. If nothing else I hope that this at least brought a smile to your face. Peace and Love y'all.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Growtivation
Saw this today on Stuff Christians Like and thought it was fantastic. This is a video from North Point Media team. I hope you enjoy this:
"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Man that is some funny stuff, and so very true too. I especially like the part about the offering and how we should "feel free to give if you feel led. That's between you and God...but we are tracking it." I also dig the whole making up new words and using them to catch on as the new Christian "buzz" words. I like the fact that this group is able to poke fun at the overall "megachurch" concept/model, especially since it looks like they are one. It's refreshing to see that happening. Peace and Love y'all.
"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Man that is some funny stuff, and so very true too. I especially like the part about the offering and how we should "feel free to give if you feel led. That's between you and God...but we are tracking it." I also dig the whole making up new words and using them to catch on as the new Christian "buzz" words. I like the fact that this group is able to poke fun at the overall "megachurch" concept/model, especially since it looks like they are one. It's refreshing to see that happening. Peace and Love y'all.
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