Sometimes I wonder...

just exactly what you are up to. Sometimes it's hard to tell, hard to listen, and hard to receive the message you are sending. I know that you are refining me once again and preparing me for what is next. But I'm human and quite impatient, but I will wait because I know it's in your time not mine.

You have been good to me. So much more than I deserve. In this season, I will wait. I will wait for you. For you are my God and I am your child.

Thanks Father. I know that as I wait on you, you will, renew my strength.

Because it's lame to be me...

I've had to give up my nice cushy wordpress blog on my own hosted domain because I can't afford it. That's just the ultimate in lame. However, there is nothing wrong with thrifty. I'll still keep ponying up the coffee money to keep my domain name registered, but the hosting... it's just to much right now.

Another reason why it is lame to me be is that I am not savvy enough to know how to export from a wordpress blog to a blogger blog therefore I cut and pasted all 64 of my previous post into this place. I've posted so many in one day that I'm having to type in the little scrambled word at this point.

Anddddd... It's STILL lame to be me.

Maybe I will have better blogging success over here. At least I may have the time to do it now.

Blessings!

Kite Strings and Dreams...

The seasons are beginning to change. A long winter is slowing transitioning into the early signs of spring. The buds on the plants and trees are getting plump and will soon burgeon forth with new life. The trees which seemed to be dead all winter will soon show us the new life they found in the rising temperatures and increasingly longer days.

In the early days of last spring we took our daughters to fly their kites on the neighborhood’s common green. It was still pretty cool out, but the stiff breeze soon pulled the kites into the sky. I felt compelled to take the photo that you see above. Unfortunately all I had was my camera phone.

This picture makes me think of our hopes and dreams. Our hopes and dreams fly high in the skies of our thoughts and tug at our hands by the fine length of string, which in turn, tugs at our heart. The wind buffets the kite high in the sky and we feel the translation of that buffeting through the string and into our hands. Some how this doesn’t seem much different than what we experience as we walk through this life here in the imperfection that is on this side of perfection and perfect peace.

Just like that kite responds to the rising and falling wind speeds, our lives, hopes, and dreams respond to the gusts of positive and negative influences that we receive. The longer that I live the more I truly believe that we should focus on the positive. We should make a conscious effort each day to surround the people we come in contact with positive and encouraging comments and do so with attitudes to match.

What ways do you use to influence others with positive encouragement and attitude?

Does a rising wind really lift all kites?

Your thoughts?

Celebrity Look-a-Like?

About a week or so ago it seemed to be all the rage to update your Facebook profile picture with a picture of a celebrity that you look like. I have to say that I watched in amusement as friends changed their pictures. I was also amazed to see just how closely some actually favored the celebrity. Some of them were scary close. It was all in fun, and no dig against the folks that participated, but the thought of it made me a little sad and slightly introspective. Introspection is a good thing, right?

Things have gotten killer busy for me lately and way more so than I want them to be. It has been a new place every day and long hours with folks I am just beginning to get to know. But during those long rides and long days one has time to concentrate on hearing. The thoughts that have been rattling around have been fairly simple, but difficult to achieve and do so consistently.

We see, rather consistently, the morally bankrupt nature displayed in the lives of celebrities. So many examples. Far to many to list. Too much fame, too much money, over exposed, living up to others expectations, too many things, but yet the hole in the heart still exists. Fame seems to be a cancer. Why would I want to appear to be…….. ?

When I look in the mirror, I do not see anyone but me. My face, my eyes, the gray hairs creeping in on my chin, my small ears, my curly hair, the scar over my eye where I smashed my head into a Magnavox television, and my own inadequacies, fears, insecurities, and the glasses that will some day become bi-focal lenses. I do not look like any celebrity. However, we have been fearfully and wonderfully made by a Creator God who loves each of us deeply, even when we choose to not give Him the time of day.

John, a disciple of Jesus, wrote in his gospel…

³⁰He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30, NIV)

There is a tremendous challenge in this rather simple statement. (Why is it always more difficult to achieve the seemingly simple things?)

I have found the celebrity that I desire to look like. I mean after all we are, by design, created in His own image.

^26-28 God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature… (Genesis 1:26-28, The Message)

Rather than reflecting on myself and searching for my celebrity look alike I would rather pursue Christ and strive to look more like Him each day. I look like myself and you look like yourself, but Christ created each of us in His own image and at the same time to reflect His nature. Looking exactly like Him is tough, but loving, sharing, caring, serving, building up, and pouring into others is certainly part of His nature that we can strive to grab onto.

Reflecting on His nature manifested in me…

Parking on the Shore and Walking Away...

The new job has kept me really busy and certainly stifled my desire to write. However, this has not stopped the thoughts from whirring around in my head. Here lately I have been reading in Luke and I especially got stuck on the final sentence of the story of the calling of the first disciples in Luke 5.

¹¹So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

That is a very scary statement. They left EVERYTHING. They left a business, capital inventory items, nets, homes, maybe families. Who know for sure what they really left, but we do know that the book says everything.

How challenging is that?

Every year, every month, every day, and every minute is a new adventure in learning to trust God more and more. A process of becoming less, personally, and Christ becoming more. 2009 showed me some lows that I never thought I’d see, but I also saw His provision. Perfectly timed and exactly what was needed.

Leaving everything is a tough thing for us to process. Honestly, I don’t know if I can process it mentally. But, I do know that I want to give Him a bigger slice of the pie than what I have been giving in the past. As some of you know who read my ramblings, I love worship and making music. All these years I have held myself back from fully engaging with Him during those times. I’ve always rationalized that I needed to worship some but yet keep my mind in tune with the specifics of the music. What I am dragging up on the shore and walking away from this year is that part of my mind that doesn’t fully commit to worship because I’m convinced that if I fully enter worship that I’ll screw something up.

This year is all about worshiping with total abandon. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Tuning in. Singing to Him. Crying out to Him. Leading well.

This is my commitment to Him.

What are you draggin’ up on the shore and leaving for a deeper walk with Christ?

Blessings…

Thanksgiving...

For some reason this year it seemed to me that we just whizzed past Thanksgiving in the retail world and jumped straight to Christmas. I was in a few establishments a week or so ago and as soon as I stepped into the door I was smacked between the eyes with Christmas. Did I miss Thanksgiving??? I was poking around and seeing what would come up if I did a little search on Thanksgiving Origins. I knew that Abraham Lincoln officially set the holiday to occur on the last Thursday of November, but I never read his address concerning the proclamation. It’s really quite interesting.

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward,
Secretary of State

Interesting, very interesting. Thank you Mr. President for recognizing the intersection of the blessings that we are thankful for and the Source from which these blessings flow. I long for the day when our country returns to the faith of our forefathers.

How does this proclamation stir you?

Blessings…

He is still in the business...

of changing lives. Every year my church does a Sunday that is called “Stories Sunday”. Every one of them that I have seen in the past few years have been amazing. The time is very simple and the messages are very clear and powerful coming from regular people with regular lives and problems that we have either faced in our lives or may eventually walk through. These people step up and explain how their lives and situations have intersected with Christ and how He has shown up big time in their lives.

You can watch the whole service by clicking HERE and then clicking on the 11-22-09 link under the Video section at the far right. There is a three song set of worship and then the stories start. Very awesome stories. You will be encouraged and blessed for the time spent watching.

Blessings…

Fingerprints of the Father...

Well hello again! After over a month of inactivity in this space it is time to get crackin. I promised an update a couple of weeks ago and after getting ribbed by my blogging hero, I figured it was time. This is gonna be a long one. Grab a cup of coffee and dive in!

I am a Christ follower, if you have read anything around this blog I am pretty sure that you figured that out by now. I believe that He has a plan for me and a purpose for every season that I walk through.

If you read the post Throwing Off the Clutter you know well the front end of the story. Now, like Paul Harvey used to so cleverly say, “now you know the rest of the story.” So now, here it comes.

In November of last year God started me on a walk of faith. A walk of growth. A walk of trust. Living under the strain of slowly loosing a job and slipping into unemployment is hard to swallow. Especially after being employed continuously for sixteen years. What the world sees as security was totally gone… kaput. However, we knew that we were not in this alone and that our heavenly Father was superintending our path. As a family we decided that we would physically count the blessings. Physically write them down. We knew that Gods hand was on this situation and we were looking for His fingerprints, but we wrote the blessings down just to make sure we were extra attentive to His work in this season.

This list grew rapidly as we saw Him show up in so many ways. Skeptics would say… “just coincidences” but there is just no way. The more we relied on Him the more He showed up. Financially, yes, some, but mostly in the ways that would make us better stewards of what we had. He allowed us to be generous with others with food from a meager 64 square feet of a garden. What He provided through those few little square feet has filled our freezer and table in ways we can not believe.

Most of all, He blessed me spiritually. He showed me through His word on more than one occasion that He had me in His hand, that He knew me, and that He would provide for me. He also taught me another simple truth… THAT IT WAS NOT ABOUT ME! It was about HIM and what He could do for and through me, just because HE LOVES ME.

Through the days of unemployment and the days leading up to it I clung to a few of the Psalms. As long as I live I will never let these two go. They both mean so much to me now since He used them to scribe upon my heart. The one I want to share today is Psalm 139.

¹ O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

This, although I have heard this so many times, developed a new meaning to me. It is just so simple… He knows ME! I do not know where I missed this all these years. He knows ME! He knows me so well that He is “familiar with my ways.” Oh wow…. He does know ME!

⁵ You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

This was another one of those breathtaking moments and scriptures. Such a simple statement. You hem me in. I can sit and think about how many times I have watched my wife sew something. Nice, tight little stitches in a nice little line across the fabric. So tight, so secure. It is almost impossible to sew something neatly by hand without some intense concentration. Not enough concentration and your stitch line gets sloppy. Not enough concentration or your fabric will get a little blood stained from the stick of the straying needle. God neatly stitches us in with His plan. He was doing this for me even when I did not see it. The Psalmist tells us quite clearly that this knowledge is too wonderful for me. His complete covering is stunningly amazing so much so that I melt with the thought.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. ¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Through this season there were some days where I did not even feel like breathing. I felt like a total failure. I felt rejected, refused, denied, and kicked. I did not even feel like getting out of bed and taking a shower. The resumes went out and nothing came back. I began to equate the process to screaming at the top of my lungs into a black hole. Although surrounded by my family, I still felt alone. Rejected by the professional job world. After reading this passage and its beautiful symbolism that changed. I could not hide from Him, from His blessings, discipline, or love. This reminded me that I am totally surrounded by Him, no matter what. I really began to understand that He really was guiding me with one hand and holding me up with His other one. Imagine being held in His hand… sitting in His palm… felling the comfort of knowing that you are being held fast… secure. As the psalmist stated… there is no darkness in Him.

The final piece of the psalm that grabbed me the hardest and that secured me the most was this…

¹⁶ …All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

All of this that seemed so tragic to me was no surprise to Him. He knew these days were coming, He knew it well. He knew it well enough to write them down. I do not know about you, but if I do not write something down that I am assured to forget it. He knew about these days. I believe that He lovingly wrote these days down to remember to teach me just how much He cares for ME and how much He wants to mold me into the man I need to be to fulfill His purpose for me here on earth. It was no mystery to Him.

One year ago on the first Monday in November, I lost my job and set sail on this journey of faith. On the first Monday in November of this year I walked into my new job. God gave me a chance to learn to really trust in Him.

I grabbed for the gold ring on this merry-go-round of life and faith. Guess what… I got the ring and a ton of lessons to go with it. Thanks Father for your fingerprints on my life.

So I ask you, what is challenging you today? Where do you stand on your walk of faith? God wants to lead you somewhere more amazing than you can imagine. Will you take the first step?

Blessings…

An update is coming soon...

I have been quite negligent here, but God has been working in some pretty cool ways. Check back for an update soon!

Stats Stink Sunday...

Well here we are again. Hanging around the blog-o-sphere. There is no one here but us… so lets keep quiet.

• The weather change has just been awesome! Great time to be in the Mid-State. The low was down in the 40s last night.
• Yeaaaaaa FALL!
• Fall is my favorite season. Fall makes me smile!
• Had a awesome time Saturday watching my youngest girl nail four goals in her soccer game. She had about five assists too!
• Beginning to consider the holiday travel schedule.
• I did all the laundry in the whole house this weekend. (And nothing came out PINK!)
• I am adapting to being a “house husband”.
• I am wondering if Mark Martin will keep the top spot in the NASCAR Chase today. I would so love to see him be the champion at 50 years of age.
• I found out yesterday that not everyone understands the work SICK – in its current slang form. Oops… Guess that is what I get for being “edgy”…
• They had a fireworks display last night at the end of a local festival. I was rehearsing at the time. All the popping made me think for a second that I was blowing up my bass amp. That would be a shame. I have had the darn thing since 1982. Guess that makes it vintage… nah… it is a Peavey.
• Church was freezing today! We meet in a high school right now and the heating and cooling is controlled via computer from central administration – or so I am told. It was actually warmer OUTSIDE this morning than inside the auditorium. I am still cold from the experience. Sad thing was that I was wearing a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a hoodie type jacket. My teeth are still chattering! Witness the picture above. My friend in the t-shirt went home and put on a sweater.
• Waiting for this evenings youth gathering. We have been in a pretty powerful series. We are wrapping it up today. Our Youth Pastor will be presenting the gospel. Getting excited to see some students enter into a relationship with Christ!

Glad that you stopped by today – at least my traffic will not be as bad as it normally is. Just because of YOU. Drop me a comment. I would love to hear from you! (Photo credit to my dear friend David D.)

Blessings…

The Waiting...

The Waiting is quite possibly my top Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tune ever. I love that song – actually I love everything about that song. But that is another story for another day.

The waiting is the hardest part

Every day you see one more card.

You take it on faith, you take it to the heart

The waiting is the hardest part.

The chorus of the song just really speaks to where I am these days.

I am waiting.

The past few days there has been a nip of fall in the air. Early mornings in the lower 50s, a light long sleeve shirt for the day, and cool breezy evenings. The seasons are changing. Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year. For some reason as the seasons wax through their changes I tend to reflect on the changes that my life has gone through. Honestly, I love what I see as I am reflecting in this season. I can see the Lords faithfulness, instruction, provision, and love in this season.

These days I am most assuredly waiting. Waiting on the Lord to open the next door. Waiting on the Lord to show me the way. But in this waiting, while it is the “hardest part” I am getting to see “every day… one more card.” I believe that those cards that I am seeing are leading me into a deeper faith and a deeper love for God.

When everything is going my way faith is so easy. I believe that He is God and that he can do anything. When things are not going my way the questions seem to come much easier than my faith. I still know that He is God and I have to dig a little deeper in the faith well.

A friend reminded me yesterday…

…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26

The reminder was received, loud and clear. God has a plan for me and my family. He has something we need to pour out onto others. He has shown us blessings to increase our faith. I can really understand and echo the Psalmist in this passage…

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Psalm 33:20-21

It is funny how God strings things together for us if we keep our hearts and ears tuned into him. Our Senior Pastor at our church taught through 1 Peter not to long ago. His closing thoughts on that Sunday left an impression on me. So much so that I pulled out my pencil and wrote a summary of his words there in the empty space just above the beginning of 2 Peter. His thoughts were these…

When in a trial…

- Do not be surprised by it,

- Stay committed to faith,

- Keep on doing good,

and most of all… Represent Him well.

Father, I will do my best to represent you well.

Stats Stink Sunday...

It is indeed Sunday again. Stats are down, I am tired, God is good, and blogs are lonely today. Here is some randomness. Kinda like driving a car on bald tires in a driving rain storm. No telling where this sucker is going!

• I am seven weeks in now and if I do not find something to do I am going to go bonkers!
• I really love playing bass.
• I really love playing guitar.
• My fingers, because of the two above, have callus confusion…
• Strong worship today, tight band, frozen air conditioner. Do I have to say more?
• Really stoked and happy for a close friends current successes.
• It is getting pretty close to time to go do some student ministry.
• It is cool to see students from your small group worshiping there hearts out.
• Fighting the battle of car maintenance again. Got my truck fixed but now my other truck is missing bad on the #4 cylinder. We are praying that changing the plugs will cure the problem. If so, it was an $11.73 repair. If that does not fix it we are on to plug wires = $40.00. Come on plugs! Guess we will see when I get the job completed tomorrow.
• My oldest daughter when to a birthday party yesterday. Turns out that the establishment was owned by Nicole C. Mullen. Needless to say my daughter got to meet her and talk to her. She was the best, so gracious and interested in the kids.
• Unemployment is spreading in my neighborhood. Please keep those out of work in your prayers.
• I started an on-line professional development class this past week in Web Analytics. Man, there is a ton of reading. I am hoping that this certificate will open doors to some new adventures.

I wish I had something really witty to say to entertain you more, but Sundays are a get it done mode for me. With one hour to go before our youth ministry gathering kicks off I need to get the Chucks elevated for a few minutes and take a few deep breaths.

Blessings!

A Watchmen waiting on the morning...

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

If you, Oh Lord, kept a record of sins, Oh Lord who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness therefore you are feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel for all their sins. Psalm 130

There is no doubt that the Lord hears the cries and prayers of his people, young and old. But sometimes his answers are not immediate. I really love the verse where the Psalmist is waiting for the Lord. This mental picture of the watchmen waiting on the morning is so vivid. If you have ever sat watch before on something through the night you know that the morning can’t come fast enough. The struggle to stay awake and watch is a mammoth one. Sleep would be so sweet, but yet not productive. With the same anticipation of the morning that the watchmen has, so should our waiting on the Lord be.

He hears us, He loves us, He wants and has the best for us. Yet sometimes we wait. But wait we will with anticipation of the glorious morning.

Blessings…

A Declaration...

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-6 (NLT)

Psalm 18 is one of my favorite. These opening verses are such a declaration. I love to read these first six verses out loud and replace all the appropriate words to make it my declaration and my prayer to him. When I pray this Psalm it goes something like this…

I love you, Lord; YOU are my strength. YOU ARE my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. YOU are my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold. I will call on YOU, Lord, YOU ARE worthy of praise, for YOU save me from my enemies.

There is just something about a declaration. A declaration of what we believe, a declaration of our individual core value, a declaration of what is central to our being. This is what is central to me.

Life has become so cluttered and complicated. So many things compete for our attention and 90% of the time our attention is won by those other things. Attitudes and thought processes have slipped into the land of relativism and the embracing of absolute truths has been tempered. The enemies that He saves me from are the enemy of self, situations, distractions, and other enemies of the more traditional definition.

Our great youth pastor, Todd, and our youth leadership team is being driven this year by a passage from Hosea. It’s a pretty simple statement.

My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me… Hosea 4:6

My exposure to that verse now causes me to see this destruction it seems at every turn. In saying this, I must state that perfection… I am not and never will be. I am just forgiven. That is it and all, just simply forgiven.

It is my prayer that you will begin this faith journey today. If you have been on this road before, I pray that you will return. People are being destroyed every day because they do not know the grace and love of God. It is my prayer that you will be able to make Psalm 18:1-6 a declaration of your own.

Blessings…

Stats Stink Sunday, The Monday Edition...

Looks like this student is a little late turning in his homework. Oh well, go ahead a chalk up my F in the ole grade book.

• Where did Sunday go?
• No doubt, Sunday was busy. We played a short set this week, but I had to help with tear down for all the kids Sunday school equipment. Walked in the door at 3:00pm today after walking out the door at 5:50am that morning. It was long, but very well worth the effort!
• After a brief moment of relaxation we headed out again to witness a baptism of a lady from our church family. We currently do our baptisms at a beautiful Civil War era mansion called Oaklawn that is here in our community. Everyone who attends brings lawn chairs and picnic baskets. The children play on the grounds and the adults attempt to corral them and visit with each other at the same time.
• Our picnic basket held cheese sandwiches, a gallon of lemonade, hard boiled eggs, and potato chips.
• The weather is magnificent here. 54 degrees this Monday morning and a high only forecast to hit 80.
• Checking in on the fires that are going on in California. It is good to hear so far that the friends that we have there, some we know first hand and others we have meet through Facebook and Twitter, are all OK and have not suffered losses. Phew, so far. Maybe the Category 4 hurricane that is steaming towards Baha will kick up some good rains to help the firefighters out.
• Had a great day of passionate worship with a killer band. Thanks Brent, Fred, Kendra, Kyle, David, Daniel, and Ryan. Thanks to the tech guys as well – Terry, Sam, and Tim. You guys rock. It is really a pleasure to play bass behind these folks!

This is all. As late as it is… Shameful! I promise I will do better teacher. At least I did not pull the old, “dog ate my homework” excuse out. Although with our dog that event is plausible! Doesn’t he look like a homework eater?

Blessings…

Hitting the Road & Dodging the Minivans...

For those of you who know me personally and/or have spent some time talking to me you know that I’m not mister fitness. Or for that matter, mister sports guy either. The most neglected thing in my life is my gym membership. I’ve have generally accepted that I’m in shape because, as I’ve heard quoted so many times, “Round is a shape”. (But I’m not THAT round… just a little ’round the middle.) But just this week I read an article in the NY Times that said “Pot Bellies are IN”. So I don’t know why I did what I did today… seems like wasted effort now. Everything in the Times is the gospel truth, right?

Since I’ve had some time on my hands lately I have re-embraced my love for walking. I’ve been getting up and hitting the street and pounding out five miles in about an hour and ten minutes. Today something possessed me to actually break into a brisk… jog? Where’d that come from? I used to run on and off quite a bit some time ago. The year before I got married I was turning in about fifty miles a week. Times change and so do bad habits.

After a knee surgery several years ago I swore off running, but today it didn’t feel to bad. I knocked out about 3.5 miles worth of running on my 5 mile course that I take through the neighborhoods around here. The first solid mile I thought my lungs were going to burst and that I was going to “give up” the breakfast that I had not even eaten yet. Much to my surprise after that first mile was done my breathing evened out and the cruise control kicked in. Felt like old times. I may even go for four miles tomorrow morning! That is if I can drag my carcass out of bed in the morning!

My route passes by an elementary school so there is that element of adventure of dodging stressed out Mom’s in minivans as they rush their precious cargo to the school house. It is almost like a real life version of the old video game Frogger. Only with higher stakes.

I’m lacing them up again in the morning! Please don’t run over me stressed out Mom in the Caravan…

Stats Stink Sunday...

Hello Sunday, you arrived again so soon. How do you do that? Can we possibly slow down time just a hair? Here is the standard, or should I say generally accepted, form for this weekly assignment.

• Really, can we slow down time just a little? How about going to something like 74 seconds in a minute instead of the standard 60. (Boy, that would be a bigger hassle than the switch from daylight savings time to standard time.) You know, we could do that and call it the “clock makers stimulus package”.
• Went to hang at a local event in our town called Movies in the Park. We didn’t stay for the movie, but hung out long enough to visit with several good friends.
• The weather here today is just obscene! Who would have thought that in late August that it would be 71 degrees and breezy. I mowed the front yard yesterday and didn’t break a sweat. SWEET!
• Isn’t it interesting that the only difference between the word SWEET and SWEAT is the letter A? Oh, sorry. Maybe it is only me that finds that interesting…
• I am now craving fall and winter (my two favorite seasons).
• Today I had to play guitar for worship. I have not had to play guitar for many many months now because I am on bass so much. As luck would have it we did this acoustic “unplugged” feeling worship set. It was really the bomb in the end. Great keys player and some really choice percussion with some pretty tight three part vocals. It was nice and organic. To top it off, I could really feel the presence of the Lord in the place.
• Do you really know how hard it is to get the fake fingernails off your real fingernails? Nothing in the whole world should ever fall apart if you use the glue that comes in those kits. Wow!
• Took my Telecaster into the world famous Glaser Instruments here south of Nashville for a set up and plek job. These guys at Glaser do guitar work for all kinds of serious guitar players in this “guitar town”. (Shameless reference to Steve Earle. Was he the original Alt. Country guy?) I just can not wait to get the Tele back. The guy behind the counter asked me how I wanted the action set up once the fret leveling was done. My answer was “what does play like butter mean to you?” His answer was “gotcha, butter is what we do around here.” Now I should probably concentrate on being a better guitar player!
• I’m hungry.
• A friend brought me three pounds of okra this morning. I can not wait till we turn it into some real deal south Louisiana gumbo! Yummy!
• I have been very forgetful lately and I do not understand why.
• I have been very forgetful lately and I do not understand why.
• Headed out in about an hour to play bass for our Sunday evening youth event. Should be good!

Did I mention that I have been very forgetful lately? (Think I have worn the funny out of that one by now.) In closing of this random scatter shot of things I hope that your world this next week is full of blessings. Look for God in all things and you will see His fingerprints often.

Be a blessing!

Stats Stink Sunday...

I don’t have any witty way to open this Stats Stink Sunday… sorry.

• I am tired… shot, pooped, tuckered out, bushed, etc.
• This past week was really busy. Busier that I thought it would be.
• Today I was super busy playing bass. Two services at church and youth group this evening.
• Songs today were… All Because of Jesus, Hosanna (Hillsong), God of Wonders, and Revelation Song. Also, We Love You Lord, O Praise Him, Enough, and Hosanna (again).
• The campus of our church that I attend is getting ever the more closer to a permanent home. Amen and Yea God!!! We are looking forward to the new ministry tool.
• Brody, I eat grape jelly. A little to often, matter of fact. But I like apple jelly better.
• I think I ended up doing 12 loads of laundry this past week. This is an accomplishment for me especially since nothing turned out pink.
• I am getting my studio room back! Wooo hoooo! Demoted from the master bedroom. Something about getting seven guitars, two amps, and a keyboard out of the bedroom sure frees up some space!
• Praying for my students and our home group meeting this Wednesday. Sharing a piece of my testimony with them and then talking about John 15. Pray for me to communicate clearly about hearing from God when we are reading His word.
• Watching the Sound of Music. Listening to them sing the song, “These are a Few of My Favorite Things.”
• Really sorry that I have neglected my blog this week. Just to much going on.
• Watched Twitter being used to spread the word for prayer for a young man who had a car wreck and eventually succumbed to his injuries. Was glad to see Twitter being used in this way rather than someone trying to sell me something.

To wrap this thing up. Not much wit here, but I am just to pooped.

Blessings!

Stats Stink Sunday...

Hello… Hello again… (Can you hear me singing with my best Rick Okasek voice? Do you remember him and the group “The Cars“? If you do, you either showed your great grasp of music trivia or… you just showed the age card!)

All the Ha-Ha funny aside now. It is Sunday and it is time to get funky, punny, comatose, stupid, RANDOM! Yeah that’s it, Random! Bring on the bullet points!

• I just could not go to sleep last night. It must have been around 3am before I finally went out.
• A 5:30am alarm clock to make a 7:00am band call is a mean sounding thing. (The clock that is!)
• And the neighbors almost directly behind us were having a party. They were still whooping it up (loudly) at 2:30am. (This was my first “Not Cool Award” of the day! Very early in the day I might add.)
• I saw a black vulture sitting on a house this morning. I thought that was the job of Starlings and House Sparrows. I guess the economy must be screwed up in bird world also.
• Set list this morning was… Beautiful One, Come Thou Fount Come Thou King, Lead Me to the Rock, and Enough.
• Set list last night was… Happy Day, Song of Hope, Holy is the Lord, Mighty to Save, Jesus Paid it All, God of this City, Lord of Lords, and Here I am to Worship.
• The suicide rate by car for SKUNKS around here must be at an all time high. Every where I go I see one of these critters all smushed and stinky with their natural perfume wafting all around.
• Oh yeah, speaking of stinky… It is NEVER cool to let one go in church.

That is all. I now must ready myself to go to our youth group event and play some more bass. Set list is All We Need, My Future Decided, Hosanna (Hillsong), Came to the Rescue, and Nails in Your Hands. This has been a full weekend of bass playing! Ain’t it great? Me thinks so!

Blessings!

Majesty...

Positive Post Tuesday...

Today is a day to count the good things…

Even though troubles come our way, we can always look for those good things. Those blessings amidst the troubles and turmoil. Making a list of those “good things” certainly helps us keep them out in front of us. When darkness starts creeping in we can pull this list out and review.

Today I am personally thankful for…

• My family who loves me unconditionally.
• My Savior who loved me enough to extend his grace to me through his substitutionary death and resurrection.
• That we live in a country where we can write blog posts like this.
• Friends who take time out of their lives to help, who provide wise council, and who will stick their neck out for you because they believe in you.
• For the occasional pause that gets inserted into our lives that allows us to sit back, reflect, regroup, dream, grow, and then return to productivity.

Today and for the days that lie ahead I am convinced that good things will occur. Good things for my friends and I who are working through challenging times and circumstances. In and through faith, we will be cared for and will overcome.

You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy, at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Ps 16:11 (Amplified)

Stats Stink Sunday...

It is Sunday again! How does it come around so quickly? You know the drill by now… randomness in bullet points…

• My youngest daughter was cutting a design out of paper yesterday afternoon. When she finished she exclaimed, “man my hands are tired!” as she held up a shape cut out of paper. We said, “that is a neat design, what is it?” She says in a very matter of fact tone, “a pancreas…” Homeschooled kids, who knows where they come up with this stuff.

• It is amazing just how fast my grass grows with all the rain we have been getting. I think goats would be a good addition to the back yard, but some how that probably will not conform to the neighborhood association rules.

• I had another mental block on one of the songs for worship today. It has two bass fills that for the life of me I can not remember.

• I got to eat left over breakfast biscuits for lunch today. Yummy! Then followed that up with some chips and homemade salsa. Some days it is not good to be my stomach. As I have said many times before, “I am like a dog in a trash bag” when it comes to my dietary combinations.

• Crazy to hear about the weather related stage collapse that occurred on Billy Currington and band last night in Canada. My friend Brody (who works with Billy) was telling us about this this morning at church. These are the kind of things that really scare me. Very sad to see folks get hurt. It also makes me wonder what parts of the scenario were preventable from the event management standpoint. I guess time will tell. Prayers going out to Billy and his band members for healing and peace.

• Our family dog really has the life…

• And… Scooby Doo! Fruit Flavored Snacks are pretty tasty!

And thus ends this bullet ridden saga. It is Sunday, let the people rejoice and do other things (instead of reading blogs…)

Blessings!

Seasons Change, Love Does Not...

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven… Ecclesiastes 3:1

Things change… It’s just that simple. Comfort tends to be our best friend and we are lulled into a routine by it. However, change is an inevitability and it is no respecter of person, position, or privilege. And so it begins.

Today begins a new season for me. Eight years with a great employer has come to an end. When you spend so much time in a position and in a business segment you get comfortable with your knowledge and abilities to make things happen. I’ve been doing basically the same thing for almost sixteen years if you count the other employer I worked for.

God has been very faithful to me through this whole process. He has provisioned me and my family in crazy ways. He provided opportunities to help us prepare for what is finally real today. When I get another job I plan on doing a special blog post on how He took care of me through all this and why my faith is in Him instead of myself or other things.

I have been constantly reminded as of late that in Jeremiah we are told that He has plans for us, plans to prosper and not harm and plans to give us a hope and a future. It sure has seemed pretty fuzzy as to what that future will be, but I’m sure that it will be amazing.

Other colleagues, and friends that I have through Twitter, Facebook, and blogging, are facing similar changes. The loss of relationships, the reality of having to move very far away from home to secure employment, and others enduring long months on the sidelines are changes and seasons that are just hard. Hard to stomach, hard to process, and hard to embrace.

Many of the folks I’m thinking of have faith in Christ and are actively working out their faith and placing their hope and trust in Him. Trusting that He will lead them through this season. There is no doubt that He is here side by side with us as we walk our individual paths and endure these trials.

I honestly believe that He is leading us towards better things and drawing us into a closer walk with Him. I believe that He has bigger things for each of us.

The sun will rise and a new day will dawn.

Blessings…

Stats Stink Sunday...

OK, I’ve basically ignored my blog all week long. The week has been a very busy one. But since the stats will stink anyway today, no matter what, I’ll end my neglect with this post, in bullet points…

• Worked some crazy hours this week. Still worked eight hours each day, but they were from the middle of the day. Therefore, not enough time in the morning to do anything and home late enough to pretty much head to bed.
• My wife’s parents were in town this week for a visit. I’m not happy that my work schedule interfered because I missed most of the time that they were here. My kids had great fun with their Grandparents!
• My lovely wife is currently cooking some eggplant lasagna. Always a home run in my book. She’s a great cook and an even better wife!
• Watching Prince Caspian at the moment. Great movie and even better book. C.S. Lewis was an amazing writer and believer.
• Inspired worship today. Great band and a tight sound. Thanks to Luke Smallbone for leading today at The People’s Church – Spring Hill Campus. It’s so great when the music comes together, effortlessly so we can worship and lead worship with abandon.
• Set list this morning was All Because of Jesus, King, Lead Me to the Rock (an original by Michael Neale, TPC worship pastor and Kyle Lee), and Mighty to Save.
• Quite the rowdy thunderstorm this morning. The thunder and lighting over Williamson County was quite intense.
• The rain that came with this little storm was quite nice and very welcome.

The next few days are ones of transition for me. Old comfortable things are ending and new beginnings are closely on the horizon. Prayers are greatly appreciated!

Blessings…

City Prayz and Crazy Schedule Busy...

This past week has been very, very busy. All the efforts that go into closing down a business segment, preparing a 60,000 sq ft facility for sale, and selling of the other assets that are there. Glad that the business does not belong to me or the stuff for that matter. This can make for one busy boy! I’m glad that all this portion of my life is almost over.

On a really fun and exciting note, a good friend of mine connected me up with a group of local musicians and worship leaders who are working with an organization called City Prayz. You can check out their website HERE. I have been invited to play bass for the upcoming worship experience that will be in Spring Hill, Tennessee on August 8th.

Peep the little video below to hear about City Prayz. This video is from Wisconsin which happens to be the founding location for the project. You can see the video HERE

I am looking forward to this experience. It will be amazing to see the whole body of Christ worshiping him without denominational boundaries and other little boxes that we as believers put ourselves into more times than will pull ourselves out of.

If you are in Spring Hill, TN or in the area of Spring Hill on August 8th we would love to see you at Spring Hill High School auditorium that evening for this worship experience.

Blessings!

Stats Stink Sunday...

It is now Sunday again!

• First off I have to say… “This weather is ridiculous!” It is very unseasonable this weekend and we are thankful.
• A 103 year old minimum temperature record was in danger of being broken.
• I wonder if the government will legislate that my lawnmower needs to get better fuel economy?
• If they do, maybe they will give me some money to buy a new one. This would be nice because my “self propelled” lawn mower has been ME propelled for about five years now.
• TELECASTER!
• STRATOCASTER!
• DELUXE REVERB!
• Tone heaven – with no effects in the chain – pure 6V6 lovin”!
• I still remain in awe to this very day that the technology of old seems to sound better. The digital age has rendered many things much better, but a good old vintage tube amp is just the only way to go.
• My wife makes good salsa!
• It is so fun connecting with old friends.
• And absolutely nothing is better on a Sunday afternoon than plugging in a good guitar into a great vintage amp and caressing six wonderful strings.
• Next week begins my final two weeks of work… Anyone have a really cool music related job for me?

Sunday was good today so far. We are so blessed to live in a country where we can worship freely without the fear that many around the globe live in today. We can worship freely and openly the God who created us and knew us before we were knit together in the secret place. Wow! God is a vast God and is so huge that my little mind can not even begin to comprehend His vastness.

So I end this little Sunday tradition with one of my favorite quotes from an amazing artist and lyricists.

“Our heavenly father loves us with an extravagant abandon. Passionate, undignified worship is our only reasonable response.” Matt Redman

Lately I’ve spent quite a bit of time fishing keys in and out of my pocket. Every time my hand goes in for the keys I touch those other little trinkets that I carry around with me. When I touch these things memories are generated.

So this leads me to ask a question, “What’s in Your Pocket?” (or purse – which ever one is applicable to you.)

For me, those special little things that I carry around are pictured above. The two most special things are the little metal cross and the small rock. Each has its own significant story.

The little metal cross was given to me in 1982. I got this at a retreat taken by my home church youth group. The significant thing about that retreat and this metal cross is that I became a Christ Follower that very weekend. I received this cross then. It’s been a wild ride and I’ve bounced back and forth a lot, but the one thing that has been constant is that Christ has never moved. When my hand falls on this metal cross, I am reminded of his love, grace, and consistency regardless of my stumbling attempts to follow Him.

The small black and grey rock has ridden around in my pocket since 1998. This came into my possession when a fair headed green eyed girl plucked this small rock out of our back yard. She looked up at me and with a very sweet little voice said, “Daddy, a rock for you!”. Not to let her down or belittle her innocent gift I slipped the rock in my pocket. It’s been there ever since. It has been lost in the house, lost in the washer, lost in the dryer, and lost in other places. When this happens the house goes on lock down and we call out the search party. Every time it has been lost we don’t rest until it is found. So far, so good. It will ride along with me as long as I have it or till it is passed along with my final belongings.

The other two things are guitar picks. Being a guitar and bass player I don’t get caught short of a pick. The white one is special to me. It was given to me by my friend George Vinson who is here in the Nashville area. George is an amazing guitar player and has a heart for God and spreading His message of love and redemption. George runs a music ministry called Project 150. Check out his stuff, it is certainly worth the listen. This was a pick that he was given when he was interviewed for Guitar Player Magazine several years ago. It used to have the Project150.com website stamped on it, but I’ve worn that one off following my own call to serve Him through music.

So, that is what is in MY pocket. What’s in yours that is special to YOU?

Blessings

Seriously... You've got to be kidding me

OK, I’ve had a pretty good day today. Decent day at work, had some rapid fire linguistic fun with some friends on Facebook, saw a really funny song video, and now had the laugh of my evening when I saw this headline.

Swearing Can Make You Feel Better, Lessen Pain

This is pretty humorous to me. I would love to see a copy of the experimental design and the plan for the analysis of the data. Being fairly well armed in experimental analysis and fairly savvy with statistics I am always curious when I see studies like this.

The sad thing about this is that it was most likely government funded research. I don’t know this for sure, but I just can’t see any “for profit” business sponsoring research like this. Can you imagine… Drug Company Z sponsors research that shows swearing is better at relieving pain than their brand of pain reliever.

Imagine the commercial… (In bad TV salesperson voice.) Hit your hand with a hammer, cut your finger with a knife, bump your head on the table? Don’t take a pain reliever, just let a little swearing fly and that stubborn pain lessen by the second!

I’m not normally negative on my blog here, but don’t we have more important things to research and serious illnesses to find a cure for and for that matter cover in the media. I can think of a few, how about you? AIDS, Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer Disease, Heart Disease? Just to name a few.

My favorite statement in the news article is that the reason swearing developed and persisted is that it provides this analgesic effect. So, if there is no analgesic effect then swearing should cease to exist?

Stats Stink Sunday...

Where it is all about the points, but the points don’t matter. Here we go with another round of bullet randomness… Likely no one will see it anyway.

• Watching Prince Caspian… I bet Lucy was glad that it really WAS Aslan when she ran with abandon up to a random lion in the forest and gave it a hug. The movie might have had a drastically different ending if it wasn’t Aslan.
• It is HOT and HUMID today. Nothing like 90 degrees and pouring down rain. I think that today is the day that we could conceivably drink air!
• My wife made some killer salsa yesterday. Chips and salsa for lunch, yum!
• As we are watching Prince Caspian and they are attacking the castle, my daughter, of highly nimble wit, pulls out the line from The Princess Bride and quotes, “Have fun storming the castle kids”! It was a Coke out the nose moment!
• Worship was amazing today – the band was tight. Set was “Your Grace is Enough”, “Not to Us”, “Your Great Name”, and the old school version of “How Great Thou Art”.
• It took me from 3am to 7am this morning to remember that the first song we were doing was “Your Grace is Enough”. Don’t know why this was erased from my memory, but it was.
• It is so hot that when I step outside, my glasses fog up. Curses… poor vision.
• A friend of mine in Texas said it was so hot there that the robins were pulling worms out of the ground with pot holders! Ha! Vivid mental picture here.

I’m missing the movie as well… It’s a Sunday party all around!

Seventeen Years Today...

Seventeen years today things were poised to change,

The beginning of an adventure that I would not exchange.

With a rented tux and someone else”s shoes,

I charged into the day.

For better or for worse, in poverty or fame.

Seventeen years ago today my girl friend took my name.

The church was filled with family and friends came from afar.

To avoid the trail of tin cans, we hid our Firebird car.

Walking down the isle she took my breath away,

I struggled to believe the fact that she'd be mine always.

Vows they were recited and rings they were exchanged,

Sealed with a kiss and then we were proclaimed…

Husband and Wife.

What God put together, let no man put asunder.

Thanks Allie for an incredible seventeen years. There is no way I would share this life here on earth with anyone but you. I pray that as we go forward into the years ahead that God will bless our efforts at loving each other and sharing His love with those who surround us.

For better or for worse…

“I”ll be yours until the sun doesn’t shine, till time stands still, until the winds don’t blow. When today is just a memory to me, I know… I”ll still be lovin you…”

Restless Heart (I sang this to you that day…)

Edgar Allen Poe... A Rapper?

This just proves the power of the social media. I posted this status update via Tweetdeck onto my Twitter feed and Facebook site…

Reading Poe”s “The Raven” – when the “rapping at my chamber door” part was read both the girls start immediately beat-boxing – oh my!+ (June 30, 2009 – via Tweetdeck).

Well one thing leads to another and the next thing we know the story ends up in The Advocate which is the Baton Rouge, Louisiana news paper. This anecdote was written about by The Advocate columnist Smiley Anders. You can read the article HERE. Wow, by July 7th the story hit a major regional newspaper.

Maybe I am still easily amazed, but that is pretty cool. (I am also amazed at how the generally accepted “first definition” of words have changed even in my short lifetime.)

There is a huge amount of power in the social media and the world of blogging. Seems to me that this is a wonderful outlet to spread many forms of good news rather than negativity.

This is one of the reasons why I like the idea that my dear friend Brody Harper introduced into the blog world. The idea simply helps us keep a barometer on ourselves and what we are posting through the social media and blogs. It is really simple. You can read about it HERE.

In a world of 24\7\365 negativity, keeping it positive is a conscious decision that we must strive to make in the social media.

Jungle Flight, A must read...

Jungle Flight, Spiritual Adventures at the Ends of the Earth by Dane Skelton has been published. Dane is a good friend and a former pastor of mine when I lived in Virginia. He is currently the pastor of Faith Community Church in South Boston, Virginia. Dane, as a pastor and friend, made a tremendous impact on my life. His love for teaching, reaching those longing for finding Christ, and worshiping Christ has left me forever changed. For as long as I’ve know Dane he has always dreamed of writing and publishing a book. This book has allowed him to tie his love for aviation with his love of spreading the good news of Christ. This, my friends, is a must read!

Here’s a review from someone most of us know!

Jungle Flight will ignite your imagination and inspire your heart to read about survival and rescue missions made possible by the miracle work of Jesus Christ, the Pilot of our souls. This collection of short stories will allow you to peer into the cockpits of airplanes set apart for missionary service in the Name of the Lord and learn how aviation has contributed to carrying out the Great Commission. As a pilot myself, I have been amazed at how God has used planes and helicopters as effective tools to elevate Bible translation for the purpose of evangelism in the most remote parts of the world. Franklin Graham

President and CEO, Samaritan’s Purse and The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Show Dane some love and buy this book and be inspired by the stories you will read between its covers. You won’t be disappointed.

Find JUNGLE FLIGHT at: The JAARS Gift Shop at 704-843-6104 and help support Bible translation. Bulk orders: contact daneskelton@hotmail.com. Available soon on Amazon.com; Borders.com; BarnesandNoble.com; Target.com; Xulonpress.com/bookstore

Stats Stink Sunday...

And here we are at the beginning of another exciting week. I’m all fired up and ready for another installment of randomness at its best. We are so lazy on Sundays that we just use bullet points. On your mark, get set, randomness…

• Yesterday was crazy. Former Tennessee Titan Steve McNair found shot dead. It has been a tough couple of weeks to be a superstar.
• Apparently there is no economic recession in fireworks sales here in TN. Seems like everyone near my house spent a whole paycheck on the little things. Nothing like seeing your money go up in smoke and out with a bang.
• The rain last night was great. It was good to hear thunder rolling through the heavens last night. The other upside was that it ran all the fireworks shooters inside at an earlier hour!
• Chuck-e-Cheese didn’t kill me yesterday – thankfully it was a slow day. I think that place could quite possibly be my hell on earth.
• I did have to “high five” the dude dressed up like the rat. My cool factor dropped like ten points immediately.
• Had an awesome conversation with a pastor friend of mine concerning raising up church leaders from inside congregations – among other topics.
• Last nights third annual driveway 4th of July potluck was really fun. Neighbors and other friends from outside our “hood” hanging out and eating. Glad it was in the lower 80’s!
• Great worship set this morning – Awesome is the Lord Most High, I Am Free, From the Inside Out, and Jesus Paid it All.
• Our little worship band was major tight this morning – kudos for all bringing their best this morning for God.
• Had the pleasure of playing with Justin Nace, drummer for the Sidewalk Prophets. He made my job of playing bass really easy. I really love it when I can hook up with a drummer!
• Give a listen to Sidewalk Prophets they are great!
• Dr. Pepper – nectar of royalty!
• Grabbed a Vanilla Latte from Mc Donald’s. I should have know better. They call it Mc Cafe… as for me, I call it Mc Crappie. They did not put the vanilla shots into it. Yuckkkkkk!
• Garden fresh tomatoes with cheese, salt, and pepper then slightly baked in the oven = yum yum!
• It is thundering again outside. They are not little thunders either!

I think that is all the randomness that I can deliver today.

Confessions of a Hit & Miss Self-feeder

A few Sundays ago at my church we had the privledge to hear Wayne Corderio who is the Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Hawaii speak. He was a captivating speaker and delivered a great message concerning learning how to feed yourself from the Bible. The service and his message is certainly worth your time to watch, you can check it out here.

Have you ever been to busy? I sure have and more times than I care to admit I let this be my excuse for not practicing self feeding. How many times have I thought over the years that I’ll just get my feeding on Sunday. Just let the pastor tell me what I need to know, he’s the one with the degree in theology and he can more properly understand all this that is written between the covers of the book. He’s studied Greek, he’s formally trained in hermeneutics, formally trained in Biblical exegesis, and he can really deliver the message in a way my brain can understand. Therefore this has got to be the best way, correct? That’s what I’ve used over the years when I’ve felt guilty about not digging into the Word as often as I should. As I’ve grown older this habit has gotten better, but I’m by no means perfect. Never will be perfect, but instead, I’ll settle for constant and steady improvement.

From Wayne’s illustration of a plant putting down roots I see that there is a delicate balance between fruit bearing and root growth. I see this in our garden in the back yard. When the roots of the cucumber plants don’t get the water they need the leaves start to wither. As they begin to wither the production of cucumbers slows. The cucumbers are the indicator plant for watering in our garden. We see the leaves wrinkle a tiny bit, we water, and the next morning they look strong again. This example from my garden and Wayne’s example really put wheels on the need to self feed, daily.

In actuality, it is not up to our pastors to be the sole provider of our meals for the week. It’s up to us as individuals to seek and see the Lord through his word.

II Timothy 3:16-17 says…

All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

This passage tells me that the scriptures, inspired to men and exhaled by God, are there so I can learn, so I can be corrected, and so I’ll be ready for the task when it arises. The one little three letter word in there, man, and the phrase that it resides in, “so that the man of God”, sums it up for me. It doesn’t say, “so that the pastor” or “so that my wife”, or “so that my friend” will learn and be equipped to bear fruit. It’s pointing right at me and it’s telling me to pull up a chair to the table and dig in!

Habits aren’t built in a day and discipline is usually not fun either. But again, the word is there for us to learn from. Check out this tidbit…

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Will you travel with me as I turn up the heat on my feeding times?

A Hard Day...

Today was a tough day. I referred to my situation with my job in a previous article titled "Throwing Off the Clutter" The economy has really trashed the building and building products industry and things still seem pretty slim to me still. Our business group was effectively eliminated back in November of last year and individual “right sizing” dates were given for each employee. In my facility there were three of us still hanging on although our futures were finite. Today was the day for two thirds of us.

Our little group of three was reduced to one today. I’m the last man “standing.” There is nothing like shaking the hands of colleagues who have become good friends, taking their keys and ID badges, and watching them drive out of the parking lot and into the rest of their lives.

The older I get the more important people become to me. Seeing folks exit my life gets a little more difficult each time and each year. I know that all this probably sounds incredibly selfish, but I’ve lost some really good friends with this downsizing. I haven’t lost their friendship, but losing that near daily contact with people you care about is no less a loss.

To all my former colleagues and the two that I watched leave today. A traditional Celtic blessing – my favorite because of the beautiful mental picture that the words illustrate…

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I Think I'm in Love...

OK, I admit it, I’m kinda a gear hound. I love nothing better than a new guitar or bass. I’m sure that there is a program to help me over this; however, a limited amount of cash seems to keep me reined in. This new love interest is also a real departure for me and I almost feel like I’m cheating on my wife with this one. I am an unapologetic lover of all things Fender. All Stratocasters and the blackface and silverface amps of the ’60s and early 70s really work me into a lather. I mean, hey, it is Leo Fender we are talking about here.

Last night I searched out the Duesenburg web site and saw this beauty of a bass. After wiping the drool off my chin I was total struck by the beauty of this thing. Some of the details of this little dream machine remind me of an old Mercury from the ’50s. Beautiful! This German company really nailed this one. All the guitars on their site are like art to me.

Another thing that interest me about these guitars, and Duesenburg’s commitment to quality, is the fact that all these guitars are “Pleked”. The “Plek” process uses a CNC type machine to perfectly level and dress all the frets along the neck for exquisite playability. All this done to the 1/100 of a millimeter (for those not savvy to the metric system, let’s just say that’s pretty darn close.) I know folks around here that have had their guitars Pleked and they say that butter is not quite as smooth.

I don’t want to even know the sticker price on one of these babies, but if anyone out there wants to sponsor me one, I’m up to it!

Couldn’t resist… MSRP $2,800.60. (Come on… $0.60. Really?)

I mean really, this baby could surely lay down some beautiful bottom end.

WOW… I like this bass so much that I will even say it backwards… WOW!

Stats Stink Sunday...

And here we go… Bad stats, so let us chat…

• Nothing like having a four day trip to western Montana to enjoy the Rockies and the cooler temperatures.
• Now Billy Mays – seriously.
• Touring the Smoke Jumper Training School in Missoula was really cool. However, I still do not see me jumping out of a perfectly good, flying aircraft. There is something counter intuitive there.
• Parts of Montana did not have ATT cell coverage… this got me hot under the collar for a bit. Good thing that the morning temperatures were in the lower 40s.
• Took some killer pictures while in Montana – to bad I’m a hack.
• The stomach bug that I had Friday and Saturday took more than five pounds off my frame. Could stand to loose about 15 more, but would choose an alternative method.
• With a stomach bug, sneezing takes on a whole new peril… (We are not talking about the Indiana Jones type of peril either.)
• Imodium could plug a leak in the Hoover Dam – that stuff is money!
• Worship was cool today; however, the building was not – again.
• And if I reach for the mouse that is attached to my desk top computer thinking it is going to work on this laptop one more time I might have to beat myself to a greasy little pulp.
• Our pastor, in commenting about the lack of air conditioning, stated that there was “CONDEMNATION” on the floor of the children”s Sunday School room. He meant to say CONDENSATION. I laughed really hard.
• Stupid mouse – still does not work.
• The Master of Disguises movie is hilarious and disturbing all at the same time!
• Sleeping to much during the day makes for a long night.
• A Fender P-bass has the greatest TONE in the world.
• Aghhhh the mouse still does not work!
• Sonic french fries on Sunday are the greatest thing ever if the last thing you ate was Thursday night dinner.
• Pardon me, I just reached for the mouse again…

I got nothing now. Randomness has ruled and the mouse still does not work. I wonder if the Master of Disguises movie is over down stairs yet.

A Beautiful Place to Be Still...

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. Genesis 1:9

This week I had the privilege to travel to the far western part of Montana. This was my first trip to the “Big Sky” country. After leaving Missoula I quickly drove up into the majestic Rocky Mountains and enjoyed almost 200 miles of mountain views before I reached my destination. The little motel that I stayed in backed up to the Noxon Rapids Reservoir and Clark Fork River that stretched through the valley. Exploring my surrounding I found a path that led down to a small boat dock that opened up into the cathedral of the lake and its surrounding mountains. The view of the Cabinet Ridge Mountains was stunning and peaceful.

Sitting there on the steps of the dock I reflected on last week and the huge lesson from Psalm 104:27-28 and remembered His goodness even when I’ve not recognized it.

I read through a portion of another one of my favorites, Psalm 18:1-3.

¹ I love you, O LORD, my strength. ² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ³ I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

My eyes then went over to a portion of Psalm 33:20 & 21.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. ²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Catching a bit of alone time in the majesty of the Rockies always directs my mind to the “big-ness” of God. I find myself looking at the mountains and thinking about the creation story and how all this came into being. I can come up with nothing but a dumbfounded sense of total awe. The grandeur of the mountains and the huge declarations of the verses above… makes me wonder why I sweat the small stuff so much.

A Loss in our Family...

Over this past weekend my small family lost one of its members. My cousin, Joel Helleny, passed away in his Illinois home. My aunt found a blog entry where his friends memorialized him and talked about his talents and his life.

In memory of my cousin and his proweres behind the trombone I will simply post this link to the blog my aunt found.

Rest in Peace… Joel Helleny 1956-2009

If you watch the YouTube video that is attached to the blog at the above link, Joel will be the first solo trombone – standing out front of the band. His solo improv starts very close to the beginning of the tune. He had some chops that is for sure!

Stats Stink Sunday...

And nowwww… Welcome to another edition of Stats Stink Sunday. Here is my little dose of randomness for the week that lies ahead.

• Happy Fathers Day! Nuff said.
• Nice little nap after lunch – woke up hearing Addison Road – cool on both accounts!
• Played bass this morning barefooted at worship – not like me to be that free, but I have found that flip-flops make my feet sweaty… I do not know why I discovered this little fact half way through “Rain Down” (TMI – I know… sorry!)
• Got home and received two wonderful cards from my family – one with a reference to the “pull my finger” game – girls, who knew?
• Had two amazing veggie wraps for lunch – almost all the veggies came from our garden. (Free always taste better… just ask college students and musicians!)
• It is wicked, Texas hot, here in Tennessee – why am I craving coffee at this very moment?
• I wonder… how does God feel on fathers day?

This concludes this test of the emergency broadcast system – oops wait, this concludes another installment in the epic and soon to be famous Stats Stink Sunday!

Blessings!

Stunned Silence (It doesn't happen often...)

Friday of this past week started just like any other workday. Wake up before the alarm clock, turn it off, and wait for 5:00 am to arrive. Get up, shower, dress, blah, blah, blah. This morning I felt compelled to grab a little red book written by Matt Redmon called “The Heart of Worship Files”. In this book there are three short sections called The Theology of Worship. I woke up with these short segments on my mind and wanted to review them so I dug the book out of the chest that it resides in and dropped it into my back pack to take to work.

During a break in the day I pulled the book out and began reading the first section on the Theology of Worship. The first section written by Chris Jack was titled “Reasons for Worship”. He enumerates the biblical reasons for worship. Each of the reasons for worship listed different scriptures. Being only simi-geeky, I looked them up in my “analog” bible… you know, the one that actually has pages and is not on a computer or other portable electronic device. I had read the first few references and had just completed reading Psalms 104.

In the background I heard the new updates sound pipe up from my laptop that displayed a good friend”s tweet. It was a simple prayer request for a proposal that he was about to turn in for a job he really needed to get. So in the moment I decided I would e-mail him a simple little prayer. For some reason while reading Psalms 104, two of the verses really popped out at me. They stated… (vs 27-28)

“These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.”

So I included them in the short prayer that I sent my friend. Sent to encourage him and give him hope that the Lord provides.

So I sent the e-mail and spun around in my chair. Picking up the bible again I re-read those verses. All in that moment, God clubbed me right between the eyes. It stunned me so incredibly that I had to take a very quick deep breath because the one I had was gone. In encouraging my friend I had received an answer to a prayer I had been praying for months now.

My close friends know that I was officially notified in November of last year that I would be laid off (right sized was the term) on January 1, 2009. It was with that notice that the provisioning begun. Within fifteen minutes of being told this lovely news, my lay off date was moved to the end of March. As the days rolled by it was moved to April, then to May, then to the end of June. During this time the job market had been terrible and I had been getting little to no action on my resumes that were out there. However, God was providing.

Over this time I had become increasingly discouraged with things. I had been trying to hide it from my girls, but they saw right through me all the while. I kept on praying that God would give me a peek behind the curtain, give me a little shred of His plan to keep me from getting discouraged. But this had not come. At this nexus the answer to my prayer had become crystal clear in the blink of an eye.

Again, I’m no theologian. I am not smart enough for that. The verses ahead of these two were recounting all the creatures that rely on God for their needs. I remembered that I was a creature also. A creature created by the God who loves me. I’d received my answer. My answer was not a peek into the master plan for my life, but a gently reminder that He is in control. That He in His perfect timing and in His perfect plan will open His hand at just the right time with just the right thing. Then I’ll go gladly gather it up. I will be satisfied with the good thing that He is going to provide.

I’ve been in a season that I can look back upon and see that as in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9…

⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

I’ve been just as the verse above says. He has provided for me and my family and He will continue to do so. The message received was simple. It was “relax my son, I will take care of you.” It is so amazing what happens when we are still before Him. On my ride home I just sat back and drank in the events of the past few hours. In a stunned silence.

Within just a few miles of home the cell phone rings. It was my manager. He asked, “Will you stay on until the end of July?” I said, sure and mentally ran over and picked up that “good thing” that was just provided.

HE had opened HIS hand again.

(As for my friend, his proposal was successful and he got more money that he originally planned on bidding the job for.)

Be lifted higher…

Amped 2009... an experience!

Several weeks back I posted a note entitled “Outta My Zone.” I just felt led to be a part of our church”s (The Peoples Church) Middle School and High School summer camp. This week was certainly one that I will not forget for a long time. It was simply amazing! The camp was held at Horns Creek Resort in the hills of eastern Tennessee.

I was placed with two other leaders with a group of six eight grade boys. Man… it was interesting. I learned a lot about these guys and I hope that they learned something from me and my co-leaders.

The week was filled with great fun. Climbing walls, thousand foot zip lines, wave pool, water slide, paint ball, lake swimming, blobbing etc. But most of all some wonderful times of teaching, small group discussions, and energy charged worship!

All who attended will agree, the Lord showed up, BIG TIME! It was amazing to see more that 20 students come to Christ as new believers! I was stunned. We also had the privilege to see over 30 students baptised! It was unbelievable. It was also so rewarding to see one of the students in my small group come to Christ and be baptised by one of my co-leaders. God is soooo good!

As these new believers go forward into their faith life it is my prayer that they will remain focused and intentional in their walks. Now it is up to us to cover them in prayer, guide and influence them as we can, and most of all celebrate them in their decisions to be a child of the King.

Next year I think that I will try leading in the High School group! Waiting in anticipation for next year!

Authenticity...

Recently I have been bombarded by thoughts and others thoughts about being of an authentic faith. Some of the comments have been of a harsh nature, some more of a lamenting tone, while others I could not figure out their point. So, my quest begins as I attempt to place my thoughts on this page to add to the discussion.

The dictionary is the best place to start processing this. Defining has always been key to my ability to understand things. A quick little trip revealed the following:

Authentic

1.) Worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact,

2.) Conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features,

3.) Made or done the same way as an original,

4.) Not false or imitation.

Most of the definitions seem relevant to the topic of authenticity and authentic faith. Yes, my faith and beliefs are based on facts that are easily found in the Bible. Yes, my faith is founded on the original teachings of Christ and on His birth, death of substitutionary atonement, and resurrection. And although a couple of thousand years have gone by, the core beliefs of the post resurrection church are still living and active.

The explanations above clear things up for me a bit. However, a few of the phrases punch holes along the waterline. Those phrases for me are to “reproduce essential features” and “not false or imitation.” The fly just landed in the soup. Up to this point, I think that we can agree that the basic tenants of the faith are solid. It’s just where our “human-ness” kicks in that ruins things for those on the outside looking in.

How would believers be viewed if we really embraced, practiced, and shared with our neighbors and friends as the early church did in Acts 2? Giving to everyone as they had need (vs 45), eating together and sharing with glad and sincere hearts (vs. 46), and devoting themselves to prayer (vs. 42). What interests me the most is at the end of vs. 47… “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” A true issue of cause and effect?

Now living like that is certainly “counter cultural” in today’s times. Many of us long to be counter cultural, to not merely fit in or go with the flow, but to actually effect change. If we reproduced these essential features, along with the others mentioned in the book, what would that counter culture look like? Would there be those questions of authenticity? Or would people not yet reached want to see what we as believers are up to because it all seems to good to be true?

The second piece of the definition, the not false or imitation part, to me really comes down to another word… transparency.

Transparency

1.) Having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly.

2.) Allowing the passage of a specified form or radiation

3.) Fine or sheer enough to be seen through,

4.) Free from pretense or deceit,

5.) Characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices.

In this instance the definition, free from deceit or pretense seems to fit best. How many times have we postured ourselves when it is appropriate? Pumped ourselves up as a “super Christian” who has no problems and is whistling and skipping our way through life while ignoring the actions that made the early church add numbers daily.

However, when reviewing the possible definitions of the word this one slammed me in the face.

Fine or sheer enough to be seen through…

There is absolutely no doubt that we are fallen people living in a fallen world. That’s why we need the Savior that we were given. That fallen condition is what we walk around with every day no matter how hard we try to avoid it. But seriously, when our day to day stretches us to where we are “fine or sheer enough to be seen through” what do those sitting in the court of our peers see? Do they see a reflection of something based on fact, conforming to the original, and reproducing the essential features of the faith?

Do they see authenticity?

The other part of the transparency definition that just instantly created a vivid mental picture for me was…

Having the property of transmitting light without appreciable scattering so that bodies lying beyond are seen clearly.

My mind’s eye envisions a person who is “transmitting” these authentic features and truths of their faith in a manner to others that does not scatter the message and that the others who look upon them clearly see the Savior that stands behing them.

Stats Stink Sunday...

Over the past year or so I’ve been reading my friend Brody’s blog and he does this reoccurring post on Sunday’s. Brody was my inspiration to attempt to blog and thump the dust out of the recesses of my mind and share with you my weirdness. So I guess I should follow my mentor and give this a whirl.

Traffic is always low on Sunday’s in the blog-a-sphere (or low everyday in the case of my blog) so this is a little random list of things.

• I used to think that air conditioning was something I could do without until we didn’t have any at church this morning.
• I don’t like it when my bass goes flat… there is nothing even remotely amusing about it…
• The grass in my yard looks good when it’s freshly cut; however, why does it have to be me who cuts it?
• Some folks should not be allowed to use power tools.
• It’s good to follow a meal of garden grown squash, zucchini, and rice with a bowl of cookies and cream ice cream. Totally negates the healthy-ness of the lunch.
• Laptop computers are cool except when the battery only last for 40 minutes!

So there you have it, my S.S.S contribution. I hope that you have a good day today free of worries and troubles! +

If you're not 5 minutes early...

you ARE 10 minutes late!

This is my moniker. One of several that is. I have to admit that I’m pretty OCD on a few things (others who know me would debate the FEW portion of my previous statement). Being late is the one thing that gets to me the most.

So… is it just me or have we, as people, gotten later and later on the whole. Why is this? Do we over commit ourselves, do we poorly manage our schedules, or do we just schedule too tightly? OR is it just disrespect? OR is it that we really just don’t care?

I’m dying to hear your thoughts…

The key to success...

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” attributed to Bill Cosby

Well, that’s certainly one to roll around in the brain some. I’ve seen this one come true more than once in my life. Either in my personal life or my business life. It’s sometimes hard to not let this quote become a reality. Especially when you have a personality that prefers harmony and peace among people you are related with through work or personal affairs.

Pleasing everybody is almost impossible. Take that back, it IS impossible. I certainly think that in management there are negotiable and non-negotiable things. However, we can not confuse the two. Trying to be the good guy ALL the time falls into the “trying to please everyone” category. The results of this approach I have lived through and have had to live with (to an extent).

In life and business there are black and white things, right and wrong, yes and no. There are absolutes. There are also shades of gray. Being able to discern the difference separates good leaders from great leaders.

Leaders make decisions. That’s what we do. That’s what we are paid to do!

We won’t please everyone all the time or anyone sometimes.