Wednesday Chuckles

I know I'm late on posting this for Wednesday... and yes I know this is a little old, but it's one of my favorite Frank Caliendo bits.

Tuesday Fun

Jim Gaffigan on the holidays. Not suitable for young kids, but very funny.

Monday Laughs

Check out this guy Brian Regan - pretty funny stuff.

Theron M. Bradley, Jr. - With Hope

Here's what I've been working on for the last month or so.

New Car et al

For those of you who remembered, we were looking at buying a new car. Well we did it. We bought the 2007 Toyota Rav4 you see pictured above. It was the last 2007 on the lot so we got a great deal on it (several thousands off sticker price). We are happy with it so far.

These last few weeks have been crazy. As you already know, Kim's stepdad passed away last month. What you don't know is that Kim's grandfather passed away just 4 days prior. Yes, Kim lost her grandfather and stepdad in the same week. We went to her Papaw's funeral on a Saturday in Tampa, got on a plane in Orlando on Sunday, and went to Theron's memorial in Idaho on Monday. To make things more interesting, her grandfather, Phil Williamson, Sr., died the same day Kim started her new job. It has been stressful, but God has been good all along. We appreciate all of you who prayed for us.

Life is slowing coming back to normal (whatever that is). We're all looking forward to brighter days ahead.

Superman Retires

Theron M. Bradley, Jr., 1/27/47 - 10/26/07

On Friday, October 26th, 2007 at 10:45am, our lives changed. Theron Michael Bradley Jr., Kim's stepdad, finished his race and battle with brain cancer. He was diagnosed with the disease in early March 2006 at which time the doctors gave him only a year to live. He fought well and lasted 18 months. He was a very special person to both Kim and I. He was kind, generous, patient, incredibly intelligent and very funny. You always had a good time around Theron. There are so many memories I have of him - too many to list here, but I'll include a couple.

It's because of Theron that I am such an Apple lover now. He sent us our first Apple computer in 1997. A ripping fast (lol) Apple MacIntosh 7200/90. When we tried to get connected to the internet using Boone Online, we encountered some problems. We loaded all the software that Boone Online had supplied us to enable us to go online, but our computer kept freezing up every time we tried to log in. To make matters worse, Boone Online's resident Mac expert was on vacation that week and there was no one else to help us. So I called Theron, our "friendly Apple tech support" as he liked to call himself. He spent probably 4 or 5 evenings (after working nearly 12 hours at "the site") engrossed in discovering the culprit behind our computer gremlins. Turns out that Boone Online's software loaded a version of PPP that our computer didn't like. I would never have discovered this problem on my own, but Theron would not rest until he figured out what the problem was. He took this approach to nearly everything he did.

Theron was a very intelligent man. He knew something about everything. You didn't dare challenge him to a game of Jeopardy - you would lose, big time! He knew alot of geological facts about Yellowstone National Park. We've visited the park with Theron on several occasions. He used to love giving us tours and information about the different areas of the park that we passed through. He held degrees in Math, Physics, Nuclear Engineering and Law. He worked for the Navy and the US Government for 30 years, designing nuclear powerplants for aircraft carriers and submarines and overseeing nuclear facilities in Idaho. He was NASA's Chief Engineer (THE Chief Engineer) from 2002 to 2004. However, through all of this he was humble. He never once made me feel inferior to him on any level. He was a great example to me on how to treat others.

I'm really going to miss Theron. He was a believer in Jesus, His death and resurrection. It was a great source of joy for me to know that Theron was a top scientist in his field and yet still had faith in Jesus. Too often, these two positions are mutually exclusive. I know that one day I'm going to see Theron again. I think he's probably in heaven now learning about all the cool sites and landmarks (such as they are) so that when we get there, he can give us a tour. I look forward to that day.

Consumed

This may strike some of you as funny considering my last post, but it's time for us to purchase a new car. Our Ford Freestar spends too much time at the dealership (our last service visit lasted 1 week) not to mention the poor gas mileage we get with it. I've looked at nearly every vehicle that might possibly suit our family (I even looked at a used Mercedes Benz wagon, LOL). We only have 2 kids but occasionally Kim needs to haul around another little screamer (or 3) after gym, homeschool co-op, church, etc, so third row seating becomes a necessity. What we want is a larger mid-sized wagon with optional 3rd row seats that gets decent gas mileage. These vehicles are called crossovers - a blend of wagon, car, SUV, minivan, etc. Unfortunately, crossovers happen to be the rage right now so trying to find an affordable model is proving to be elusive. I have it narrowed down to 2 main vehicles that we are considering:

2007 Kia Rondo
2007 Toyota Rav4

The Kia is the least expensive of the two vehicles but also feels riskier, both tactilely (is that a word?) and emotionally. It's not a bad vehicle; in fact, Kim and I were both pleasantly surprised after driving it. It feels cavernous on the inside thanks to the high roofline. It's spunky 4 cylinder engine is adequate(162 HP) only.  It's performance is better than a bus, to be sure, but I certainly wouldn't want to run time trials up Pike's Peak with it. Handling is tuned more for the cushy interstate ride rather than for carving up mountain roads - which only makes sense for a vehicle in this class. The interior is neither inspiring nor insipid. There's plenty of soft touch plastic throughout the cabin to remind you that you are not in the penalty box for buying Korean. The Rondo can be optioned with a fold in to the floor, 50/50 split, 3rd row bench seat. With the seats up, cargo space is akin to what you'd find in the trunk of a hard top convertible - not much if any! But with the seats stowed into the floor you have the same amount of space as what you'd find in a mid-sized SUV. Add in the optional roof racks, and you're ready to vacate with the Griswalds. To sum it up, the Rondo is boring but so practical that you are willing to withstand it's hum-drum personality (and exterior quirkiness). And the price is right. The sticker price is just under $19.4K and there is currently a $1.5K cash back offer. Factor in our trade, and it's the value winner for sure.

Too bad for the Kia, but I had to go out and drive the Toyota Rav4. The Toyo's VVT-i 4 cylinder engine has better performance, both of the seat-of-the-pants variety (166 hp, feels like more) and of mpg figures (21/27). It seemed to have more useable power when you needed it - I think that has more to do with Toyota's VVT-i technology rather than pure hp/torque numbers. The steering was a bit too assisted and numb, but I was comparing it to my Mazda Protege5, which is superb in that department. The turning radius on the Rav4 is phenomenal.  You should have no problem navigating through the shopping cart obstacle course known as the Walmart parking lot - autocrossing for mommies (would that be mommy-crossing?). The Rav4 is also offered with an optional fold into the floor 50/50 split bench 3rd row seat. Again, add the roof racks and you're not really giving up the space from the minivan for those long trips. What really stands out is that the Toyota has a solid feel to the sum of it's parts, something I don't remember getting from the Kia. The Toyota felt more like a unit rather than thousands of parts working together in unity. Price is more than the Kia, but at $24.4K list price, you feel as if you are getting what you are paying for.

The question is: can we really afford what we would rather have? Early financial indications say no (thanks in part to Toyota not offering ANY incentives on the Rav4). So maybe we'll end up with a Kia after all. After WEEKS of internet research (I'm sure you guys have noticed my absence here in Paradise) I'm ready to get past this consuming decision.

Stop and Think!

There's a statement that I'm sure all of us who are parents have said to our kids on numerous occasions. Let's take the same admonishment for just a moment and think about something.

Why do we work?

Well our most basic of needs is because we have to eat. If you don't work, you don't eat. It's a biblical principal spelled out for us in Proverbs and it makes pretty good common sense to us as well. Now this is in no way a slam on welfare and soup kitchens and the like. If we decide, as a people, to help those who need it, then by all means we should (also a biblical mandate). But those who refuse to work have no right to demand they be given anything by anyone.

But most of us don't work solely so that we can eat. We have cars, mortgages, kids, clothing, kids, health situations, KIDS... the list goes on and on. Today I stopped to think about what we work for in America. The simplest way I can put it is because we want things. Also, we want nice things. For some, we want the best things. Most of us do not have a driving passion within us to go to work because we want to. Now we try and fool ourselves a bit by trying to find a job that we like so that it feels less like work. But we work so that we can acquire nice things. Gotta have HDTV, surround sound, the newest iMac (ouch), clothes that are in style, a nice house with more room than we really need, a new car that gets 50 miles per gallon and has 45 airbags (for safety).

I made a conscious decision when our kids were born to not let work replace the responsibility we have of raising our kids. Kim and I have jobs that allow us to be home with our kids far more than other parents we know. We feel it's important for the kids to have us around in the formative years. Because of this belief, we don't have as much nice stuff as we could have. If Kim and I both had full time jobs, then we would make twice as much money as we make now. We'd have that new Honda Odyssey, the 50" plasma TV, the 6 bedroom house with swimming pool. But where would our kids be? Beyond our kids, why should we continue to fuel this never ending desire to fill our lives with things that a) don't last, b) ultimately don't satisfy and c) drive us into debts that aren't worth paying?

Right now there are alot of things I'd like to have. I'd like to have a bigger house. I have ideas for my business that need space that we currently don't have. I'd love to have a swimming pool. Being in Florida without a pool almost seems cruel (not really). Our van is in the shop for the third consecutive day (in a seemingly endless spiral of defects). We'll probably be replacing it soon enough. I'm an audio professional. But I don't have the latest surround sound set up here at home. I have a hand me down Pro Logic equipped receiver. Pro Logic! I work in the field of television, but I don't own a big screen HDTV. Somehow my 27" CRT standard definition TV is enough. I'd love to have a 1080p HDTV with a Blu-ray DVD player, don't misunderstand me.

But in all these things, I'm happy. I honestly and truly am happy. I'm content. I'm so thankful for all the things we have. That doesn't mean we have the perfect life, with no troubles at all. But I don't have to look at what my neighbor drives, or what my friends have to judge whether or not I'm successful (and happy). It's a freedom that too many people have traded in for the illusion of the American Dream. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing America. I've literally traveled all over the world, and I can tell you that the U.S. is where I most want to be. What I am saying is this: let's not get caught up in the trappings and greed of our culture which promises happiness but instead only gives us shackles. Shackled to a job so that we can have the latest, greatest_____. Evaluate your life; are you working just for stuff? Are you trading in all your time to fill your lives with things? All you parents out there, do you want to get to the day when your kids are 18 and you realize you missed them grow up so that you (or they) could have an iPhone (that'll be obsolete by then anyway)? Or a Mercedes Benz when a Mazda would do the job?

Stop and think.

For Kevin

Fortnightly Update

Sorry to have jumped off the blogging bandwagon for a while but things have been a little crazy lately.

• I just finished mixing a DVD series that took well over 20 hours to complete. It should have taken only about 12 hours. It needed ALOT of work.  Plus I "composed" all the music for it.  Got to love Garage Band.  Next up will (more than likely) be creating the audio podcasts of the series.
• Kasey took a leap into our recliner on Tuesday. Her knee went between the seat cushion and the back cushion only to be met by a metal hinge on the back. She sliced it open nicely, so off we went for a 4 hour visit to the ER to get it stitched up. The hardest part for Kasey is that the doctor said no gymnastics for at least 2 weeks. Kasey's first meet is tomorrow - she's been training and working hard all summer to be able to attend this meet. She's still going but will not be competing. There is another meet in Daytona at the end of the month that she'll be able to compete in.

• I got a new computer (the iMac you see above) this week! The last day or so has been spent getting all the files transferred over. There is always something that has to be a little tricky. This time it was getting all my iTunes files (2000+ songs) transferred. But all seems to be working smoothly now.
• Like all the other ASU alums, I was so excited to hear of App's win over Michigan.  I was keeping my eye on the ticker on ESPN.  When I turned on the TV it said Mich. 32, App St. 31 with about 2 mins to go - no other details, so I figured that it was a close game but Michigan would prevail.  I was almost jumping up and down when they updated the ticker to say FINAL - App St.  34, Mich. 32.  All the media coverage for ASU has been phenomenal.  Not many other App State fans in Sarasota though - except for the Ohio State fans who live here.
• We had a black vinyl covered chain link fence installed in the backyard so that Sammy would have a place to run around in.  Good night, how expensive can a dog be?!?  

I'm almost past the "drooling over my new computer" stage (the 24" iMac is much more impressive in person than in pics) so I'll need to get back to my regular routine of washing the dishes, entering receipts in Quicken, blah, blah, blah...  

What's Your Sign...

...that you're getting old?

Yesterday I went out for lunch with a friend/work colleague and the entire time we were there I felt like I had a booger hanging out of my nose. I had this constant itch that I just couldn't get any relief from. I felt like just digging in there to get it out, but I knew that wouldn't be appropriate in a public restaurant. So I endured the annoyance until I could get home and properly deal with the situation. I went straight to the bathroom to visually inspect the culprit and lo and behold, it was not dried mucus at all. No, it was MUCH worse. It was a...

LONG...

GRAY...

NOSE HAIR!

This isn't the first time I've had a rogue nose hair that needed some attention. But this sucker looked like a piece of spaghetti or something sticking out for the whole world to see. And I, like a village idiot, was rubbing and scratching my nose the whole time in the restaurant. Not gaining relief, but rather drawing attention to the new appendage protruding from my nose. I thought I would need the tree loppers to cut the dang thing out.

So, I guess I've entered a new phase in life. One where I have to visually inspect my nose, ears and any other orifices that I normally would not have concerned myself with to make sure I don't slowly transform into Chewbacca with realizing it.

Parental Advice

I'm wondering what the rest of you parents (young and old) have to say about this. My oldest daughter is very much like me, likes to please people and make friends. She also happens to be overweight. Her BMI calculations put her in the overweight category. She is aware of it and is trying to change some of her eating habits to try to keep things under control, but it's hard for her. She also wears glasses, which she is now convinced is akin to having hairy warts covering her face. Funny though, because she always gets tons of comments on how cool her glasses are. But those comments mostly come from adults and not from the "popular" kids. Well there is one girl at church that is the skinny, good-looking, popular girl that Alison has tried to make friends with. She claims this girl acknowledges her, but will often go on to ignore her. Now, I don't know if Alison is just being hyper-sensitive to the situation or not, but I certainly can understand her feelings of wanting to fit in. This has caused her much grief over the last year or so.

This weekend, Alison had another meltdown moment of rejection by this same girl. As Alison talked (and cried) to me about it, I remembered a post that Sarah had at her blogsite about making friends. I thought it was good advice and so I used some of it, trying to convince Alison that sometimes people just aren't going to like you and to learn to let it go. To not let one person ruin your life. To try to look out for the kid who needs a friend, instead of trying to befriend someone has more friends than they can handle. All this makes perfect sense to an adult but is of little comfort to the child who just wants to be "normal" - which is often defined by the group dynamics. Trying to convince a child to band together with the other "misfits" seems to be somewhat counterproductive (at least in my mind).

I'm sure most of this has to do with her self-worth. How do you convince a child to derive their self-worth from God rather than man? Many adults struggle with this issue, so how much more difficult is it for a kid? In the mean time, we try desperately to love her, to accept her, to motivate her, to discipline her all in a way that hopefully builds her up. I honestly don't know how to deal with the overweight issue, because I've never been overweight. I'm not bragging about it - how could I brag over something I have no control over? But it's a mystery to me trying to deal with these issues. I'm scared of saying something insensitive to her regarding her weight. I don't want to add anymore scars to her heart by being a jerk (yes, that is my m.o. from time to time).

I want to tell her to just "buck up" and get over people not liking you or saying mean things about you. Maybe that works with boys, I don't know, but it just doesn't seem to be appropriate with girls. However, I do want to instill this idea of toughening up a bit emotionally. How do I that? Can I do that without hardening her heart?

Once again, I have more questions than answers - my theme in life.

Any thoughts?

Camaro Berlinetta Commercial

LOL. "I'm FREE!!!"

Since I haven't been posting to the blog much lately, I thought I would at least put up a car commercial from the 80's. Enjoy.

Live The Life

Talk about a writer's block. I've really struggled with finding something to talk about lately. Plus things have been abnormal here at the Morris household with all the visitors we've had recently.

Ben has a good post at his blog regarding living our lives in reflection of who Christ is and how we've defined Him in our own lives. This is certainly something all of us struggle with, though we may not be aware of it. I originally was going to post this as a comment on Ben's site but decided it might be better presented as a post here.

Those of us who grew up in church have defined God by what we were taught as kids - rightly or wrongly. I know I have my own kryptonite baggage that wants to say God is disappointed in me, because I still struggle with sin. Growing up in a church that sort of indirectly taught that salvation was conditional upon your continued walk left me very frightened as a young man. I used to lay in bed as a boy feeling terrified (and I'm not sure that's strong enough) that I might not end up in heaven if I were to die. I've since come to grips with grace and faith. Unfortunately though, I tend to swing more apathetic towards my relationship with Christ. A little greasy grace to go on those faith fries.

I'm a people pleaser so I want to do the things that make people like me. It worked well for me as a young man - I was voted "Best Personality" in high school by being a friendly chameleon. I adapt well to situations and will often change my behavior to match the group dynamics to gain acceptance. However, I also have a tendency to resort to giving up if I feel like I've failed people too much. Now transpose this mind-set to a life a faith and you begin to see the quandry that many of us, I'm sure, find ourselves in. We try to make God like us by the things we do - which is impossible. He does not love us any more or any less based on our actions. Pleasing Him one day, disappointing Him the next - it's an emotional roller coaster that we needlessly ride. Our actions will one day be judged, no doubt. What exactly that will entail remains to be seen. But I'm coming to question whether I can please God by what I do - and that's difficult for me. A people pleaser who can't please?!? This blows my whole life plan out of the water.

Bible study and prayer have always been areas of my life that have been undisciplined. Continuing failures in these areas have worn down my resolve to want to keep trying some days. Why continue if I know the ending?

I DON'T know the ending and that's the whole point. These failures don't define me and they don't cause God to be disappointed in me. So everyday I should resolve to live better than the day before. To learn more about a God who is passionately in love with me and will continue to pursue me when I lose my way. To love my wife tirelessly and teach my kids the way they should go. I can't worry with pleasing Him by my actions.

One day I hope to get this thing called faith right. I hope I have it figured out before it's too late.

John Mayer, Live

Yes, I saw John Mayer in concert last night at the Ford Amphitheater in Tampa. John is one of my favorite artists - his music and lyrics seem to hit me where I live. If you've never listened to him, he is arguably one of the best guitarists out there today. We had lawn seats but it started raining, so we...cough, cough... "gained entrance" into the covered, reserved seating area. There were lots of empty seats so it didn't really matter that much. We did get soaked before we got in there though so we spent the rest of the evening wet. John played an awesome concert as always. I was less pleased with the sound reinforcement (PA) where we were seated, but then again, I AM picky. It wasn't that it was a bad mix, but the speaker array didn't quite give complete coverage for the venue. However, the performance was phenomenal. Can't wait to see him again some day.

Rip Van Winkle returns

Fresh from my blogging slumber, that is. I've been mysteriously quiet here for the last week or so. Well not so much around the house, but online I've not had much to say. Here's an update on what's been happening in the Morris family (for the four of you who read this).

• Sammy got neutered yesterday. Yep we castrated the poor guy. He looks sad today, like he lost his best friends. Guys know what I'm talking about.
• Kasey had her first gym "meet". Even though it was just with her gym and not a real competition, she still got nervous. Understandly so, considering she was still having trouble on the bars. She did well on her floor exercise and vault. Still needs some work on the beam and bars though. If dad would quit lounging and build that practice beam that he agreed to many moons ago...
• I celebrated my 34th birthday on Friday. I'm solidly in that "thirty-something" mode now. I still don't feel like an adult but I definitely know I'm not young anymore. What a strange place to be in.
• Kim's sister, Lynda, has been with us for the last week and a half. It's been fun having her here with us. My girls love having their aunt here to play with. She is as tall as I am now, which just isn't right. Kim's mom and stepdad arrive in Florida tomorrow and will stay for a week or so, then they all head back to Idaho together.
  
• Kim's stepdad, Theron, is no longer getting treatment for his brain cancer. No, that's not a good thing. It appears that the treatments are failing and so there is no need to subject him to the side effects of the chemo. It's difficult even to write these words. I certainly don't mean to be fatalistic, but unfortunately that seems to be the reality of the situation. We prayed and hoped for a miracle. Though the healing hasn't come, he has been with us longer than the doctor's originally projected, which has given us the opportunity to fly out to Idaho a couple of times to be with them. We are definitely thankful for that.
  
• I got called out for work spur of the moment last week. I was sitting at home looking forward to a nice relaxing day, when I got the call. "How fast can you be at the warehouse?" It was 10 a.m. when I got called. I needed to take the satellite truck, pick up the engineer on the way and be in Jacksonville, FL by 2:30p.m. Though we drove as fast as we safely could, we still didn't get there until 3:15p.m. Our "hit" time was 4:00p.m. so there was little time to spare. We did the hit, packed up and rolled out of the parking lot at 4:30p.m. Yep, we drove about 10 hours round trip to spend an hour and fifteen minutes on site. Welcome to the life of a freelancer.
  
• The girls started home school last week. You might be wondering why we started so early this year - so did the girls! Basically we wanted to build allowances into the schedule this fall so that we can take some time off to go to Disney with my brother and his wife. Also, we were tentatively planning another Idaho trip this fall. A lot remains to be seen.
  

Well there it is. A glimpse into our household lately - and I didn't even mention church, karate, regular gym practices, birthday parties, overflowing toilets, leaking water coolers, flat tires, etc... Maybe another post!

What Do I Do? Part 3

This may be the last video I post as I'm having a hard time finding different videos that I've worked on. If I find some more I'll post them (if anybody is interested).

This is the first of six episodes (webisodes) for Samaritan's Purse called "Follow the Box". The videos show the progress and path of a shoebox from beginning to end. I worked on Episodes 1,2,5 and 6 - the latter two on location in Ecuador. I'll post some pics from that trip later.

What Do I Do? Part 2

You'll have to follow the link for this next video - I had to dig through the archives to find it. This interview was the first interview that Tony Dungy did after his son James died. This was recorded during the NFL owner's meetings last year in Orlando. Tony is, by all accounts, a person worthy to be looked up to. He was kind and gracious with us during the interview. The Tony you see on TV is the Tony you see behind the scenes.

Again, I was the audio mixer (in the field) for this job. I had to get the mics on Rich and Tony and mix/monitor for the cameras.

Tony Dungy Interview

What Do I Do For A Living?

I get asked this question alot, so I'll tell you AND show you. This first video is from FoxSports. It's a segment called "Photo Finish". You can't see me but I'm off to the side operating the mixer. My job is to get the mics on the drivers and Chris and then mix/monitor for the cameras. I've worked on this segment for the past 4 years for Fox. Previously, the segments were called "10 Laps with Chris Myers".

I'll try to post a video a day of things that I've worked on for the next several days, assuming I can find the videos floating around the internet somewhere.

Our Captive Chains

A month or so ago, our family visited an Audubon Society Raptors Center. What a cool place if you're into seeing birds of prey up close. Big majestic bald eagles, red-tail hawks, falcons, owls... they really are incredible birds. There were nice displays and habitats to give the birds a home suitable to their nature. It was a small place, not like visiting a large zoo, but still enough to make the fee worthwhile. I would imagine that alot of school groups go there for educational field trips.

The last stop of our tour of the center was back in the main house where there were several smaller raptors on display with no cage or glass to keep them contained. Instead, each one was chained to a post to keep them in their place. One of the workers came out to introduce us to the house and the birds and whatnot. One of the things she said was "We're not being inhumane to the birds by having them chained down. They've had these chains since birth, so it's the only life they've known." They weren't chained up all day. In fact, they were only in the chains about eight hours a day - during visiting hours. But this got me thinking.

Those of you who know me know that I relate alot of our Christian experiences to parables, similies, stories and the like. As soon as she said those words "It's the only life they've known", I began to think about our own chains. Similarly, we are born into a world of sin, and so in a way, we also have these chains fitted to us from a young age. The chains clasped around the raptor's legs kept them grounded, kept them from being what they were created to be. They would probably love to fly off and do the things that a raptor does instinctively. But having been chained most of their life, do they begin to feel as though these chains were a natural part of their existence? As if, somehow, the chains were just another part of them. Not something external to be shed, but something so familiar that they allow it to define what they are and how they act. I think you can see what I'm getting at here. What are the chains in our lives? What have we allowed to hold us back, to keep us grounded from being what it is that God created us to be? Have our chains become so familiar to us that we don't try to shed them anymore? Do we even recognize them as chains at all?

As Christians, we have been set free. Free from the bondage of sin. Free from being clasped to the post of an unfulfilled life. But sometimes the familiarity of the chains is all we've known and instead of walking away free, we try desperately to refit the clasps around our legs. We're surprised to discover that they won't lock anymore - Jesus has destroyed the tumblers, if you will. So instead we hang around the place of our captivity, slowly venturing out further and further with each passing season, until one day we realize we really ARE free. And we began to fly and soar on wings like eagles.

Let today be that day. We really are free!

Farting Preacher 5

An oldie but a goodie.

Our Brains

Click on the pics for a larger view.



Click on the pics for a larger view.

Pivotal Points

Most of our days are filled with decisions to make that are trivial to semi-serious, but certainly nothing that we would consider life-changing. Thinking back on my own life (as short as it is) I have noticed several what I call "pivotal points" where a choice was made that directly influenced the outcome of the life that followed. Sometimes we go through a pivotal point without even realizing it - sometimes it's very obvious. We certainly see examples of this in Scripture - some good, some bad. Think of Saul on the road to Damascus or maybe Moses and the burning bush. What about David with Bathsheba or Samson and Delilah? Choices were made in a moment that changed the direction of that person's life from that time forward.

Certainly we could all name that time when we first met Jesus and He changed our lives as our pivotal point. This is a given. What about other times? As some of you know, Kim and I were married before we were finished with college. During my last year in the music industry program, Kim got pregnant with Alison. We had a choice to make. I needed an internship to finish my degree. My professor/adviser wanted me to consider Yamaha in Los Angeles or somewhere in Nashville (this was where I wanted to end up). However I did not want to move us away from our friends and family when Kim (and I) would need them the most - in the middle of our first pregnancy! So we made the decision to stay in Boone and do my internship at church. My professor was disappointed in my choice, to say the least but he agreed to it. After finishing my internship, I worked as a maintenance worker for a local company. It certainly was NOT what I had planned on doing with my life. But God had made a provision for that time, and we walked in it. Not long afterwards, I got a call from Samaritan's Purse to come work in their Broadcast department, and thus my career in TV audio was born. I ended up travelling all over the world, meeting people I never dreamed of meeting. I even got to work on several Billy Graham crusades. In fact, my picture was in an issue of Decision Today magazine as I was mixing (for TV) a Billy Graham crusade in Nashville. God had opened a door that I was not even looking for. Had I chosen a career over family and moved us elsewhere, who knows what would have happened. But I'm pretty sure we would have gone down a path that would not have been good for us.

Another pivotal point was also in college. I had a friend at ASU that I had gotten to know fairly well our freshman year, but our friendship had kind of fallen by the wayside. He had gotten into a relationship with a girl that was not healthy and was causing alot of strain in his life. He and I had simply drifted apart - it happens to people all the time. One day as I was walking back to my dorm I saw him walking up ahead of me and I had a strong desire or urging to reach out to him. So I ran up to him and we started talking. We stood in the stadium parking lot for nearly an hour (in freezing temperatures) as he began to pour out to me all that he gone through over the past many months. The pain was evidenced in his voice and his eyes. But you could tell as we talked that God was moving in his heart and that things were changing right then and there. I think we may have prayed together before he left, I really don't remember. But I do remember that from that day forward he was a changed person. It was a pivotal point in his life. He began coming to church and Bible study and seriously started walking with God after that - he even became a missionary at one point. It was awesome to see. And as I think back on it, it may have been one of the most impactful moments I have ever had on a person. We, as young Christians, were always looking for those moments where we could reach out to people and see their lives changed. We generally called them "divine appointments" and often we treated them as super spiritual events that we needed great amounts prayer for and fasting over. They were times that we planned to go out and look for and took great care to do "right". I was humbled, because all God asked me to do in this instance was to call out to this friend as I was walking home and begin talking to him. Quite honestly, I wasn't even looking for it. I didn't have to give a sermon on turning from sin and towards God, nor did I have to impress anyone with my knowledge of Scripture. But I heard God speak and acted on it. Isn't that how God works? He blows our ideas on how to do something (when left to our own devices), with something simpler and much more effective.

What are your stories of "pivotal points" that you've seen in your own life, or in the lives of those you've touched?

Our New Boy

After much searching on the internet, we finally have our Golden. Sammy is a 3 year old Golden Retriever whom we found on Craig's List. His owner was moving to New York City and couldn't take her dogs with her. We just got him this evening. So far he has been a wonderful dog. He has a very sweet personality and is great with the kids. He seems to be happy with us. We are definitely happy with him.

Sleepless In Seattle

I just returned from a trip to Seattle, WA. It was a quick trip (left on Sunday, back on Thursday). I was working for the BGEA doing some interviews and testimonies for upcoming broadcasts and festivals. I'll post more about the trip after I have had more sleep. I flew back on the red-eye last night (Seattle to Philadelphia, Philly to Tampa) and am feeling the jetlag/sleep-deprived effects.

Don't Close Your Eyes

I've noticed for the last couple of years when I go to check in on my kids before bed, I notice how big they're getting and how quickly they're growing up. There's something about seeing your kids sleeping that makes you hyper-aware of how much they're changing. Alison will be 10 years old this year and Kasey will be 8. I've really enjoyed this stage of life, even with it's challenges. But when I look at them, it's as if I can hear the clock ticking down (no, not the puberty time bomb) on the years I have left with them. I look at them peacefully sleeping, and even though we've tried to make the most of every day, I can't help but feeling that my little girls are slipping away. I want something that I can't keep. I'm white-knuckled trying to hold onto something that can't be contained. It's kind of like the end of the movie "The Family Man" where Nicholas Cage sits in his bedroom chair trying not to fall asleep, knowing that when he awakens his family and all that's real to him will be gone, as if a dream.

Time marches on I guess, but sometimes I just want to go AWOL. It's heartbreaking when I think of it. Maybe it's just a bit of a mid-life crisis. I don't know.

Something To Listen To

If you're looking for something different to listen to on the radio, check out Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. I've listened to it a few times over the last couple of years after being introduced to it. Our PBS station here just recently aired a TV broadcast of APHC from Tanglewood. It contains witty comedy sketches with good music to boot, kind of a throw back to the great radio days of old. It's recorded in front of a live audience, sometimes out on the road. The music is generally folksy in nature. There was a movie made about the program that came out last year. I haven't seen the movie, so I can't comment on it. But the radio program, which airs weekly, is excellent. Check out your local NPR for broadcast schedules.

"What I Did This Summer" by Alison Morris

Kasey and I were in the house, when I began to wonder what Alison was doing outside (she had gone out earlier and was awfully quiet). I looked out the back window to see my eldest daughter playing very happily in a large mudpuddle. Actually, it looked like a lot of fun. I was very tempted to put on some old clothes and join her. Instead I grabbed the camera.


Sorry Mom about the outfit you sent her. She IS having a lot of fun in it!

Brain Dead

Yes I'm still around, I've just not had anything worth writing about lately. That's not to say I've been a vegetable (brain dead) for the last week, but I just haven't had much inspiration.

Something I may touch on in an upcoming post would be my thoughts regarding the emerging church. Honestly, I don't know yet how I feel about this movement. I've certainly heard plenty of critics out there who I generally tend to agree with. I guess at the heart of the matter is "How can a church/movement be postmodern and Christian?" If we set these up as ideologies, then as I far as I understand them, they are fairly well incompatible. Yes, there can certainly be similarities in their practices, but I don't know yet how they could doctrinally co-exist. Food for thought, and as I chew on it (and hopefully understand it) more, maybe I'll be able to post something that is fairly coherent regarding this movement.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Part 2

Sorry for the delay in getting this post out there. Today let's examine the things that husbands should never ask/tell their wives.

1. "Why haven't you done the laundry yet?" In the midst of the thousands of other things that moms/wives have to do, sometimes the clothes may not get washed on your timetable. Besides that, if the guys would pick up their dirty underwear off of the floor, they might get them washed in a timely manner. Just turn the dirty ones inside out, and move on.

2. "Boy the house sure is a mess!" Sometimes this statement is met with agreement, but generally not after Kim has worked two nights in a row and I spent my time on the computer reading blogs and playing "Gem Shop" (the demo version) online.

3. "That's a large zit you have on your chin." Sometimes we husbands think we are alerting our wives to something they haven't noticed yet. This is not one of those instances.

4. "I just finished a tiring round of golf, can you put the kids to bed tonight?" Your wife will demonstate just how good she really is at swinging that 3 wood. Funny, I never noticed that Titleist logo on the back of my head before.

5. When your wife is pregnant don't say things like "you walk like a duck, you know it?" She might look like a duck out of water, but she could still kick your butt.

6. Even I'm not stupid enough to say "those jeans sure are getting tight!"

7. "Let's get rid of the minivan." After she picks herself up off the floor from laughing so hard, she'll just look you in the eye and say "NO."

8. "We're not getting any more _______." Trust me, if she wants more ________, you're gonna get some more_______!

9. "You're just upset because it's that time of the month!" Men can clearly see the rationale and truth behind this statement, but women rarely agree. It must be the hormones.

10. And finally, during that first year of marriage, NEVER, EVER, ABSOLUTELY DO NOT (unless you're tired of living) say "I don't know, it just doesn't taste like the way my mom makes it." Neither do frozen dinners, but that's what you'll be eating after you say this (once you get your foot out of your mouth).

Well there you have it. This certainly isn't an exhaustive list, but it sure hits the high points. I'm sure I'll have more to add in the coming months and years.

It's Coming, I Promise

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Part 2 is coming. Yesterday I was called out of town for work. Today I'm quagmired in receipts to be entered in Quicken and bank statements that need reconciling. Several hours worth at least. And I'm only about 2 months behind. We purchase EVERYTHING with a credit card and pay it off at the end of the month. So we generate lots of paperwork and receipts, which somehow escapes me until it becomes a large monster that has to be dealt with.

Be patient.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Part 1

Evidently, Ben and I share some of the same thoughts as he recently created a post on his blog about marital advice. I've been thinking about this recently as well and have come up with a list of things that a wife should never ask/say to her husband and vice versa.

Things a wife shouldn't ask / say to her husband.

1. Every man will repeat this one after me in a loud chorus, "Does this make me look fat?" This has been asked since the beginning of time when Eve tried on a smaller fig leaf. So much has been written about this one that I don't feel the need to add any more. Ladies, don't ask.

2. If you are on a diet and have lost maybe a pound or two, DO NOT ask your husband "Does it look like I've lost any weight?" Unless you lost 30 pounds of boobs, he'll never notice.

3. Even if you are only kidding, never, ever ask your husband "Do you think I should get a boob job?" There is an absolute and correct answer for a man, but it has to be conditioned into him. The problem is that I've never met a man who said "my wife's boobs are just way too big." So if you ask him this question, his mind will immediately begin to process the request and though his final answer will be "No, I love you just the way you are" the 2-3 sec processing time his mind requires will be considered a hesitation, as if he were dissatisfied with his wife's body. He's not, trust me. But that's like asking him if he wants a bigger riding lawn mower. He might be completely satisfied with his mower, but the thought requires some consideration.

4. Don't ask your husband "Do you want to come work out with me?" A man's idea of working out generally consists of mowing the grass (on a riding mower - he probably needs a bigger one, no wait -no he doesn't) and/or playing a round of golf (with a golf cart). Who needs a stepmaster when there are escalators, or a treadmill when there's a moving sidewalk?

5. Don't ask your husband "Do you like my new haircut?" Unless you come back with pink and green hair, he probably won't notice.

6. Sometimes the question is valid but the timing is wrong. When you are lying in bed and your husband is just a few seconds away from falling asleep, don't turn over and ask "How's your relationship with the Lord" or "How would you rate our marriage?" After the primal grunt, you'll probably hear something like "good" or some other one-word utterance. It won't be the answer you're looking for.

7. As a follow up to #6, don't wake your husband up at 3:45 in the morning to ask "Did you hear that?" NO, I didn't hear that - I was ASLEEP! His snoring resonates so loudly in his head that any extraneous noises are drowned out. Say something like, "I'm scared. I think I just heard something in the kitchen."

8. Don't ask your husband "will you build me a ______ in the backyard?" Husbands don't like direct confrontation that needs an immediate answer. If you casually mention that you wish you had a ______ in the backyard, he'll probably spend days designing an original ______ that will be the envy of the neighborhood. But if you ask him to do something, he'll probably say "No, I'm too busy" or "we don't need something like that" or some other valid excuse. **Note - if he agrees he'll probably need to buy some more power tools to build a ______, just keep that in mind.

9. Don't ask your husband "Will you go to the store to buy me some pads?", or some other feminine hygiene product. If he goes to buy them, he'll need to buy some extra power tools to soothe his male ego (and to build that ______ for the backyard). It'll be much cheaper if you go get it yourself.

I'm sure there are more, but I'll wrap it up for now. Tomorrow, I'll add the things a husband should never ask his wife. All culled from personal experience, of course.

I Know How You Feel, Clark

Today, I tried to take our kids down to the YMCA waterpark, which is about a half-hour away. We got there and as we were walking to the gate to get in an alarm began to sound. Someone saw lightning - which means everybody out of the pool. I'm looking at the sky, and there were some clouds WAY off in the distance. So I thought, we'll wait it out. Well after a solid 45 mins of waiting we finally gave up. Kasey didn't want to go to the beach, so we came back home. I figured we would stop at a 7-11 on the way and get some slurpees to at least salvage part of the afternoon. The slurpee machines were messed up. We got some anyway, but they weren't cold enough to ice up. Ugghhh! Now I'm really irritated. And then no matter what lane I chose to drive in, it turned out to be the slow lane.

Now where did I put that BB gun?

Ruth Bell Graham

"Never let it end, God
never - please -
all this growing loveliness,
all of these
brief moments of
fresh pleasure -
never let it end.
Let us always
be a little breathless
at love's beauty;
never let us
pause to reason
from a sense of duty."

Ruth Bell Graham
1920 - 2007

Procrastination Award

I've decided to honor myself with my newly minted "Procratinater's Award" sometime later next week.

A Man's Man

Now you may be wondering why I chose the title "A Man's Man" and used this picture to accompany it. I'll get to that in a minute.

The Bible you see at the left is the parallel Bible I got for Christmas (along with the J.B. Phillips translation of the New Testament in Modern English). One of the ways, I believe, to overcome the difficulties of discovering the intentions of the original authors is to read many different versions/translations of that passage. This way you get a nice overall idea of what the intention may be, rather than the focus that particular version may choose. This particular parallel Bible includes the KJV, NIV, NASB and the NLT. It really has been very helpful.

You guys know that I play bass at church. I have an assortment of audio equipment and cables that I take with me when I play. I have to be able to carry all that stuff somehow and at the time, I didn't have an extra bag to use. I started searching around the house and found the perfect bag. However, it didn't belong to me. It belonged to Kim... and it was a Jordache bag... and purple... and hot pink. But it fit the bill, and Kim wasn't using it, so...

Now you can just imagine the amount of ribbing I get from carrying around this bag. If you knew how much money I've spent over the last 5 years on my audio equipment for work, you would wonder why in the world I would continue to carry this bag now for probably 2 years. Being on the worship team can be a source of prideful imaginations, so my (Kim's) bag is kind of a humbling thing. Kind of like my cross to bear (weak, I know). But it really does keep me from thinking a little too highly of myself.

Remember that picture of the Bible above? What colors do you see in the cover? Pink and purple. Now I'm all for humbling yourself in the sight of the Lord and all, but enough is enough, right? I mean I have a wife, two daughters and a female cat. Enough estrogen already. I'm a man for crying out loud! So to soothe my macho ego, I made a book cover for my Bible - a DUCT TAPE cover, complete with a spine mounted pen holder!! I call it my manly Bible. I even wrote on the cover underneath the title - "NOT pink or purple!"

Sounds like somebody has issues, doesn't it?

"If there's anything that upsets me, it's having people say I'm sensitive."

Prayer Request

I found out today that the son of a friend of mine is in the hospital waiting for a heart transplant. His name is Eric Stahr, he's 18 years old and has had a congenital heart condition since birth. He was in the hospital last week having a heart cath put in when he had cardiac failure. Now he is in the hospital and waiting for a heart to become available. I talked to his dad, Mike, today and the whole family is doing well - Eric is especially positive through this ordeal. Please pray for Eric Stahr, for a new heart soon and for his parents, Mike and Mary Ellen. I can only imagine the range of emotions they are going through.

Motivation

Trying to find the motivation to do something is just a nobler way of saying that I'm procrastinating getting started.

Summertime

Well now that summer is here it's time for the annual garage purging. How can a garage get so messy and disorganized in one year's time? Gotta find room inside for that chest that's been sitting out there for months now. What about all that plywood in the corner for hurricane protection? I'm always wanting to add more woodworking tools, but where? When will I ever use this stuff? Gotta make some space somehow. I keep telling Kim that I want our house to move to a "just in time" inventory system. No more of this saving stuff for some later date when I might find something to use it on or with. No more! When we need it, we'll go get it. Sometimes I'd like to just throw it all away and start over.

At any rate when I look at my garage it reminds me of my mind. All the cobwebs, old shoes, dirty rags and broken tools that I call my thoughts and memories make my mind not a pretty home or refuge. It makes me think of the words to the David Wilcox song "The inside of my head".

I got such a mess between my ears
like dishes in the sink
Stuff I don't believe just tumbles in
until I don't have room to think
These dark clouds I've stowed away
just in case of a sunny day
So I can stand in the pouring rain
of every tear I've ever shed
I've got to empty out the inside of my head

This could be a room with such a view,
but its covered up with junk
Blocking off the place the light gets through
so it keeps me in this funk
All my failures are on display,
the broken dreams of yesterday
Stuff I should have thrown away,
but I've kept it here instead
I've got to empty out the inside of my head
I've got to empty out the inside of my head

Not much of a point to this - just some random thoughts as I tackle this day (and trying to find the motivation to get started on the garage). As for my head, I guess I should consider Romans 12:2.

Guess The Author

Without doing an internet search, can you guess who wrote the quote below (hint: it's my favorite author)?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Car Buyers Tip Of The Week

If you ever consider buying a Ford Freestar, DON'T DO IT! They're about as cool as a Britney Spears haircut and as reliable as an Al Gore documentary.

Nerd Tip Of The Week

If you ever come across a swimming pool filled with rubbing alcohol, DON'T try to swim in the deep end. Rubbing alcohol is much less dense than water which means you won't be nearly so buoyant. In other words, you'll sink like a rock!

The Bonehead Of The Week Award Goes To...

...me!

On Saturday I took my girls to the YMCA to go swimming. The have been begging me for weeks to go, so I finally relented. As we were driving through the parking lot looking for a spot, I noticed a lady backing out. I thought, "Great, I'll take her spot". However as she was backing up I noticed one of her front tires was nearly flat. So I chased her through the parking lot, honking my horn until she stopped. I got out and told her she had a flat tire, to which she replied "I thought something felt strange". I examined her tire and found a nail had punctured it. I explained to her that she could take it to a service station and buy some fix-a-flat which would keep it inflated long enough for her to take it to a tire shop to have it worked on. She thanked me several times and assured me she didn't live far away, and that she would take it slow. As she left and while I was still feeling good about myself, a sickening thought came to my mind. "Why didn't you just tell her to pull over into one of the side lots where it's empty and change the tire yourself? I'm sure she has a spare (even if it's a donut spare) in the trunk." By this point, she was long gone. It never crossed my mind while I was talking to her that I could have (and should have) done something more.

The really sad part is that this example too often illustrates my life. I'm very eager to analyze the situation and find solutions to a problem, but rarely will I get my hands dirty helping out a neighbor. I can say with all sincerity that my inaction was not intentional. Being of a phlegmatic temperament, it's my nature to not get involved. It's just the way I'm wired. But on this day, my inaction was to me, later, like a slap in the face. I'm embarrassed and saddened to admit to you that I sent this lady on in a potentially dangerous situation with a smile on my face and a "God bless you" attitude in my heart, when I should have been rolling up my sleeves, as it were, to do what I'm perfectly capable of doing. Forget about being a good Christian - I don't even feel like a good citizen. But my hope in relaying this story is that we would all be more mindful of the opportunities that pop up around us to be able to help our neighbor. That those of us who tend to be observers would step up to the plate, bat in hand. Even if we miss, at least we went down swinging.

I'm Still Here

I've been away for the last week working on a fishing show for ESPN and haven't had access to a computer. There will be more blogs to come, but for now I just want to say that if you've never listened to Alistair Begg preach, then you're missing out on great Biblical exposition.

Your Calling, Part 2

In Ephesians 3, Paul tells of God's plan to spread the gospel to the Gentiles and how he has been given special grace to accomplish this. We read in verse 3:

"Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ..." (NIV)

I have always read and interpreted this verse in how it applies to my own situation. When Paul says that he is "less than the least of all God's people" I always applied the "worm" mentality to viewing myself in light of this verse. I would kind of imagine Paul weighing his good deeds vs. his bad deeds to see that he indeed was the least deserving of all God's people. But in rereading this passage recently, I began to think that maybe I've missed Paul's intent in this verse. Paul did indeed proclaim that he was "less than the least" or "the least deserving" but maybe it was in reference to and displaying the irony of his new calling from God.

God chose Paul to bring the good news of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Stop right there. Paul was charged with #1) proclaiming the Good News #2) to the Gentiles, the two things he was diametrically opposed to when he was known as Saul. It is generally accepted that Paul was a Pharisee, thoroughly trained in the Jewish laws and customs. He believed that the Pharisees had "the skinny" on who God was, what the message was, and for whom the message was intended. It certainly did not include the Gentiles. The Jews were the ones who were God's chosen people after all. And Jesus, according to the Pharisees, played no part in fulfilling the role of the Messiah. So now, Paul has done a complete 180, and God is using him in a new plan to include the Gentiles in His salvation. Do you now see the irony in Paul's statement "though I am the least deserving Christian there is..." (v.8, NLT) regarding his new assignment. It has much less to do with the "worm" theory.

Personal application time here. When I think of what God has called me to, it has always been to the things that I feel I am most uniquely qualified for or that I show a natural (or supernatural) talent for. Music is an example. I've been on worship teams for 15 years now and I believe that's how God has wanted to use me. But what if God wants to call me into a ministry that was so ironic that I would think, "of all God's more appropriate choices, why me?" - this statement seems to mirror Paul's sentiment much better. Therefore, that's my challenge of late. Is God calling me beyond what I feel I'm most qualified for? How about you? Do you think God may be calling you to something you're sure He has the wrong person for (Exodus 3:11)? Just a thought. I'll let you know what happens here.

Mark Twain said it best

I played golf today for the first time in probably six months or so. I only have one thing to say about it, supposedly from Mark Twain.

Golf is a good walk spoiled.

Your Calling

Have you ever felt guilty when you read the words in Matthew 28, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" and realize that you're sitting here in the good ole US of A enjoying your three bedroom home and the challenges of life here in the States? Do you ever wonder if you are being disobedient because you've read the word "Go" and you're still here? My hand is up in the air. But if you will indulge me for a moment, I want to raise a question. This may be very controversial to some of you and possibly offensive to others. I recently took an inductive Bible study course which instructs us to read the Word to see what it says. Investigate into what the passage means, not through tangential interpretations, but rather through the intentions of the original author(s), uncovering the facts that are plainly written in the Scriptures.

My question is this: Is it possible that the great commission wasn't given as a directive to ALL believers? Or possibly that we have misinterpreted it to mean that we must go somewhere to fulfill the commission?

In reading Matthew 28:16-20, we see that Jesus is speaking to the remaining 11 disciples. He had already appeared to the disciples and others, but he directed only the 11 to meet Him on the mountaintop. And he gave them their instructions to go, make, baptize, and instruct. The 11 disciples were the original apostles, the ones charged with the awesome task of spreading the Gospel from the centralized Jewish peoples into all the world. Remember that in those days the gospel was known only to those in that region. Today it has reached most (but certainly not all) of the world. The disciples HAD to go if the gospel would move beyond Jerusalem, Gallilee and the area. The disciples were apostles, who by definition are called to go and plant churches in regions previously unreached and to see those churches grow into maturity. In 1 Cor. 12, we read that God has directed some to be apostles, some prophets, some teachers and so on. Paul then asks, "Are all apostles?..." The answer is implied by the style of writing (rhetoric) - NO. In realizing that God has not called all of us to be apostles, we can then look at Matt. 28 in a different light. That God's command to go was meant #1 for those 11 disciples and #2 those who were subsequently called to be apostles.

Let's say your gift is that of administration. Then your gift is probably best served within the local body. Therefore are you being disobedient because you haven't gone to the ends of the earth to preach the gospel? We already live in the ends of the earth. The West hadn't even been discovered when any part of the Bible had been written.

I no longer want to live being persuaded by guilt to do something that I haven't been called to do or to be. There are evangelists and apostles whom I've met who can't understand why people wouldn't want to leave their homes and go to a strange land to preach the gospel. Using the body analogy, how could a foot possibly tell a lung how to be a lung? Can you imagine a foot saying to a lung "Why wouldn't you want to walk in the dust or get covered with mud or carry the weight of the entire body?" A lung couldn't possibly do any of that. All a foot knows is how to be a foot.

Some of us may not be called to preach to people, or to teach them. But we are all called to live lives that are transparent enough to let people see that through the broken and cracked exterior of ourselves, there is a living God dwelling in our hearts. We do that by loving each other, serving each other and being ready to give a reason, in season and out, for the hope that lies within us.

Maybe I'm wrong concerning the Great Commission and if I am, then I hope that #1 God reveals it to me and #2 those of you who are spiritual would restore me gently. I'm a common man trying to live an uncommon life for God, using the leading of the Spirit and the Word and not the misguided attempts of those trying to guilt (control) someone into a life not meant for them.

Any thoughts?

Holiness

How do you define holiness? Our concepts of what we think dictate how we act and react to situations and people. I decided to look up the word holiness online to get some definitions - it turned out to be very eye opening. The reason I'm thinking about holiness today is because of a situation at church yesterday. More to that in a moment - things will become clearer then.

First off, in looking up the definition of holiness, I found two closely related but vastly different meanings. These come from the American Heritage Dictionary.

Meaning #1 - Belonging to, derived from, or associated with a divine power.

Meaning #2 (actually #3 in the dictionary) - Living according to a strict or highly moral religious or spiritual system.

Do you see the difference between the two? Most people in society define holiness by #2 - it has to do with doing something (or not doing something). It's a works or rules based condition. If you live this way, then you are holy. However, Biblical holiness seems more to do definition #1. We are associated with, belong to, derived from the death and resurrection of Jesus. That's what makes us holy - not because of what we do or don't do. It's evidenced in how we respond to God when we mess up.

When we recognize the difference between these meanings and apply #1 to our understanding, it transforms the way we think and the way we treat others. Case in point.

Many of you know that I play bass on the worship team (band) at church. There is a lady who goes to our church that has a ministry of reaching out to women in the local jails. Many of the women have come to Christ and attend one of our Sunday morning services. Yesterday, there were many of these ladies attending. I noticed them because they sit right in front of my side of the stage. About the 2nd or 3rd song into the worship time, many of them had made their way to the altar, openly weeping. BTW - some of these women are new to the faith, and haven't been completely "Christianized" yet. They don't always wear clothes appropriate for a church service. So when they kneel down in front of my side of the stage (right in front of me), they help me to focus on "fixing my eyes on Jesus" - or, at least, on the back wall! (Instead of properly instructing them on what to wear, I think I'll just extend some grace - and not look!) At any rate, these women were at the front weeping, during a fast song even - don't they know you have to at least wait for the slower songs. I'm kidding, of course. But God was moving in their hearts, and they were responding to Him in the most transparent and honest way. And as I was playing, I began to think of how we see people versus the way God sees people. Many of these women have felt the sting of rejection in their lives because of what they've done. But as I watched them (peripherally) pouring themselves out before God, I began to think that they may possibly be the most holy people in the sanctuary. They had messed up their lives and knew they had messed up, but were responding openly and unashamedly before the One who accepts them in all their brokeness. It reminded me of the story of a "certain immoral woman" who came to Jesus (who was eating at a "religious" man's house) and wept at His feet. With her tears she washed his feet and with her hair she dried them. She then annointed his feet with alabaster. It was the most beautiful and appropriate response she could offer to him, and in doing so evidenced the holiness which marked her life - in spite of all that she had done. She was choosing to identify with, be associated with and belong to Jesus. How much holier can you get? What was Jesus's response to her? “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

I hope the women who have come out of the prison ministry understand how precious they are to God. When I recognize the holiness of these women, I tend to have more grace with them, even if they do continue to "mess things up" or feel like they're blowing it. Maybe we could extend this kind of grace to all our brothers and sisters, knowing that everyday we move closer to maturity - but we're not there yet! And we're going to make mistakes. And maybe alot of them. But when we love and accept each other in spite of this, we move closer to the state of community that we should have with each other and what God calls us to. Freely forgiving each other, freely serving each other, freely loving each other.

Been a long time comin'

I've been away from my blog for awhile now. Last weekend I was in VA and this week my parents have been in town. Busy week or so. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

I've pretty much always been a happy person. I predominantly have a good attitude about life in general and my life specifically. I learned early on to be able to laugh at myself; everybody else was, so why be a party pooper? I grew up (in my mind at least) too skinny, too poor, my ears were too big, my teeth too crooked... I probably have a fairly low self-esteem, but I try to make up for it with my personality. But there are some days when I just don't feel like trying. You know those days. I call them my "chemically imbalanced" days. I wake up and I'm just dissatisfied with everything, but yet nothing in particular. I don't really like being this way, but I'm learning to accept the fact that some days I'm just not myself. And that's OK. As Christians, we weren't called to always be happy and bubbly. We were called to love and to serve. That's it. If we focus on those two things, we'll change the world. So the question becomes: do I let my "off" days affect my ability to love and to serve? It's alright if I'm not happy and smiling and joking around, but if I'm not loving or not serving then there is a problem.

In Nehemiah it says "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength". Now I'm completely ripping this verse out of context with the surrounding passage, but for years, I (and possibly you) have taken this Scripture to mean that somehow the joy of knowing God would supernaturally change my emotions. Now that I read it for face value (inductively), it says the joy of the Lord is your strength. Strength for what? In the passage, it meant for the strength to no longer grieve (probably for not measuring up to the Law). Can I take the liberty to say that maybe it's for strength to love and to serve on a day when you feel like having a pity party? Amazingly, joy returns when we focus on loving and serving others. Our joy comes not in us manufacturing it, but it comes when we do what God created for us to do. The most joyful people I know are those that don't focus on being joyful. They focus on others, the first of whom is Jesus.

So bring on those Wellbutrin days; that's when our faith really meets the road!


***Note - My depression never lasts more than a day. Most people go through this every now and then. If you experience the symptoms of depression on a near constant basis, then you should seek counsel and/or medical help.

Spirit and Flesh - The Battle Rages On

As some of you may know, I'm currently in Blacksburg, VA (VA Tech) working with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I've been here a couple of days now. Our shooting schedule has been busy in the mornings, but the afternoons have been free (for me to blog!). That's why I'm typing now instead of working.

Since I had some free time this afternoon I thought of going by the local mall and walking around a bit - maybe catch some sales (some of you are now wondering if Kim somehow hacked onto my blog page and is typing this). But as I left the hotel, I had a strong desire to go to the memorial site for the students who were killed here at VA Tech just a week or so ago. All the victims have their own memorials, with their names printed on cards. As I walked around the memorial, I found myself praying for the families of the students, one by one, by name. I watched students there at the drill field. Some were weeping at the memorial, some were playing frisbee. All were trying to cope with it the best they could. I couldn't help but wonder how the parents must feel. Naturally, being a parent myself, the first thing I thought of was how I would feel if this had happened to one of my daughters. About that time, a cold wind began to blow that seemed to pass right through my coat and chill my very core. And there, I began thinking of how lonely the world must be for the parents. To have the joy in their lives ripped out in a moment. To be left with a gaping hole in their hearts that they think may never heal. All those pat answers that we as Christians tend to offer seemed, at that moment, to be useless. Words can't bring healing. Justice doesn't seem to help (much). Time may bring relief but that's a long ways away from the here and now. I realized that only the Great Comforter, the Holy Spirit, could do anything for these parents. And I began to ask the Holy Spirit to be with them. I think of how Jesus reacted when He found out that Lazarus had died - He wept. He didn't launch into a 3 point sermon on how the peace of God transcends our pain. He hurt, he wept, he felt loss. When Jesus left, he didn't leave us alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. Not as an inferior substitute or a ghostly shadow of God's nature, but as a powerful comforter and healer. And that healer is the only one who can help these families and students.

As I was leaving the memorial, having a sense of meeting with God, the temptation began to come around me. It seems that all the pretty girls on campus showed up wearing their short shorts and revealing tops. Of course, I began to beat myself up mentally that I would even be distracted by them. God wanted me there to pray, but the flesh began to kick in. Then I thought of Peter, James and John, who, when instructed by Jesus to stay and watch while he went up to pray, fell asleep instead. Not that I aspire to reach their level of obedience at that moment (I'm already there), but that even the disciples who were with Jesus were tempted seemed a comforting and reassuring thought. Jesus told them to "Get up and pray, so that you won't fall into temptation". There's a sermon right there.

The more I know God, it seems, the more I need Him.

Spoken like a Champion

A few posts back I wrote about the many funny things that kids say and how it seems to enlighten the situation. But what about when adults say things that defy their very intelligence (or maybe exposes their lack of it)? Most of you know, I work in TV. I've had the pleasure of working with some very fine people in the past. But occasionally we get stuck with a green reporter who doesn't know when to stop talking. Sometimes we get guys whom we know are smart but for some unknown reason disengage their gray matter just long enough for us to doubt.

A couple of years ago I was working with a reporter from a network that I will leave nameless, but I will say it covers nothing but professional football. We were interviewing the father of a pro football player who earlier in his adult life was addicted to drugs and alcohol. During a drug related incident, the father was shot and subsequently was left blinded for life. It was a sad story to hear. The correspondent, obviously thinking about that coveted sports emmy, decided to ask a very serious question. "At what moment did you first realize that you were blind?" The father thought very briefly and then answered laughingly "when I couldn't see". It was all I could do to keep from rolling on the floor at the stupidity of the question. Later the correspondent told us that his train of thought was "At what moment did you first realize you were PERMENANTLY blind?" Yeah sure it was...

The cameraman with whom I work most often has told me this story several times and I love it. Previously he was a network cameraman in NY City. One day his assignment was to go with a young reporter to interview a man who had been injured by a gun shot wound to the head. He had been in a coma, but had awakened and now they were getting the "exclusive" first interview. So they get to the hospital, go to the room and set up. The very first question the reporter asked was "what was the first thing that went through your mind when you got shot"? To which the man immediately answered "A bullet!"

There's no real point to this post other than to make you laugh. And maybe to remind us all to think before you speak... unless you want to be a network correspondent!!

What Am I So Scared Of?

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's the American Dream. But what happens when reality challenges this ideal? As some of you know, my father has muscular dystrophy. He's had it for a long time now. Thankfully he has a mild form of MD that is a slow progressing disease. The muscles in his feet and hands have slowly atrophied over the past 20 years or so. I've seen a man who used to love to take me fishing turn into someone who has a hard time just opening doors. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of him. He has a good attitude towards it. He fights hard to be as normal as possible. You won't hear him complain about his disease.

MD (at least the type he has) can be passed on to successive generations. I was tested when I was a child to see if I carried the genes that might lead to this. I never saw the results of that test. But I had it in my mind (through conversations with my dad) that I did carry the genes. So for many of my adult years, probably the better part of a decade, I lived with a constant fear that I would see the beginning stages of the disease, although I didn't really know what to look for. There were years when I thought about it every single day. Subsequently, whenever I dropped something or when I had normal muscle fatigue in my hands, my mind immediately started assuming the worst. About a year or so ago, I finally sat down with my parents to ask them what the first symptoms were that he showed. Turns out my fears were unfounded, as the symptoms he described were absolutely nothing that I thought I had. In fact, my father told me that I didn't carry the genes. It was as if a HUGE weight was lifted off my shoulders. My heavy heart jumped for joy and has been free ever since.

Our pastor at church has really challenged my train of thought over the last couple of years. He has actively attacked the notion that pain and suffering are things that the Christian should avoid at all costs. There are those who believe (incorrectly, in my opinion) that God's will for you is that you be healthy and wealthy. And if you're not, that you are missing out on God's rich promises. Without getting in to why I believe this doctrine is erroneous, instead why not consider what suffering should produce? Suffering, and in particular - long suffering, should bring about patience. Patience should bring out kindness. Kindness should bring about love. And love covers a multitude of sins. Pain and suffering also will produce character - good or bad, depending on the sufferer's response to his situation. Some might say, "it's easy for you to say these things, you've not suffered like I have. You have no idea what it's like to wake up in pain everyday, all day." I would say, you're absolutely right. I don't know what it's like. But the question is, will I let pain and suffering turn me into sour pickles, whom no one wants to be around? Or would I try my best to overcome my "woe is me" attitude with one of kindness and one of thankfulness for what I do have?

My father, while not perfect (and who is?), has been a great role model for me in this area. Most kids, at some point in their childhood years, go from wanting to be like their parents (early years) to not wanting to be their parents (teenage years). But sometimes as the children grow older, they realize that mom and dad weren't so terrible after all. And their words really had wisdom even when we "knew better". And we begin to see the positive aspects of their lives. If I ever do develop MD, I hope and pray that I would have the same resolve that my father has to not give in and to never complain. He never manipulates the situation to elicit some type of sympathy for his condition. He's a very good man. Probably better than he realizes.

I gotta bring this to a close, but my mind is a bit scattered this morning so please bear with me. Pain and suffering has produced some of the most Godly people I've ever met (or read about). Jon Courson has an incredible testimony about having lost his wife and daughter and how God has met him. Think about CS Lewis; he certainly was no stranger to pain. But he persevered through it and has influenced generations of believers worldwide. Or maybe some of the saints who attend our local church, who have dealt with setbacks which would have caused others to throw in the towel, yet they continue to be faithful to the body of Christ and they minister by their joy. I find more and more, that these are the kind of people I want to be like. But if I have to endure what they've gone through, do I have the courage to say "Your will and not my own". What am I so scared of?