Eat more Theology

Years ago the singer, aunt of Witney Houston, and former psychic groupie Dionne Warwick sang a song that went like this- "What the world needs now- is love sweet love- it's the only thing that there's just too little of." It's my belief that a statement like this is pretty far from being accurate but I guess Dionne put a pretty melody to it so I'll cut her some slack.

I'd like to steal that pretty melody and put my own lyrics to it. My song would go something like this- "What the church needs now- is theology sweet theology- it's one of many things that there's just too little of." Catchy huh?!

As I write this blog I am currently in the middle of teaching a series on Sundays to our High School students in ACCESS through the book of Colossians. In case it's been a while since you journeyed through this incredibly rich epistle, allow me to refresh your memory as to why it's so amazingly relevant.

Colossians is a letter that was written to the church in the Greek city of Colossae by the Apostle Paul around 62 A.D.. The reason Colossians was written is because a bunch of heretics (men & women who teach lies about things like Jesus, salvation, justification, etc.) were saturating the city of Colossae and threatening to destroy the faith of the Christians by throwing them into utter confusion. So a man named Epaphras who had shared the gospel with Colossae in the first place asked Paul to write a letter to the Christians of that city (who Paul had never met) in order to encourage them and hopefully end the confusion. What results is one of the most Christological books of the New Testament.

What do I learn from this? In a pluralistic society where there is so much confusion about who Jesus is and if He's really even GOD, what the people of GOD need more than anything else is sound theology. I know this will sound contoversial and maybe even heretical to some of my friends but what people in that situation need more than anything else is not "feel good" sermons, or good music, or even social projects to get behind and champion. Instead, the greatest need for Christians living in a pluralistic society like the one we live in today is to be grounded in sound theology. Why? Because quite simply the most important thing about a person is what he or she believes about Jesus Christ.

We live in a Christian culture where theology isn't very inticing or shall we say "sexy". I mean let's be honest, books entitled 40 Days of Luther or Velvet John Wesley, if they existed in the first place, probably wouldn't make the top seller shelf at your local Christian bookstore! We are living during a time when so many followers of Christ who fill our nation's churches, student ministries & young adult ministries today probably wouldn't know how to articulate things like the atonement of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, the importance of baptism or even heaven or hell simply because they don't know what they believe about those thing in the first place. For crying out loud, there are some in the evangelical church today who don't even believe hell is literal! Pardon me for a sec.......YIKES!!!

Here are just a few problems I believe the church has right now as it relates to a lack of theological emphasis in it's discipleship process:

1. Church Light: It's kinda like real church but with about half the calories. The teaching is less about GOD and more about us. The teaching is less about what we are called to do for GOD and more about what He should do for us. Maybe the teachers or leaders would never articulate it this way but it's the reason why the sermons are all entitled things like "How to be a good husband", "How to live a great life", "4 ways to reach your full potential", etc, etc! As if Jesus Christ's message to a lost world deserving the full wrath of a holy & righteous GOD was all about us.

2. Majoring on the minors: I believe it was Jim Cymbala who said the "ABC's" of church ministry is unfortunately "Attendance, Buildings, and Cash". Churches are getting so distracted by the minors that the mandate by Jesus, the one who has all authority on heaven and earth, for us to make "disciples" many times gets completely ignored.

To top it all off we get so distracted by how the room we're meeting in looks or who is leading the music that we spend little to no time developing, praying through, and studying for the delivery of GOD's magnificent Word. The irony to all this of course is that Jesus prays in John 17 that the Father would sanctify us by His "truth" and then says "Your Word is truth". He didn't say "Sanctify them by the worship leader" or "the room they meet in" or even "their mission project". Again, these aren't bad things they're just not what sanctifies (makes us more like Christ) us first and foremost.

3. Social Action minus the truth: It doesn't matter how many social projects we involve ourselves in as the church if we aren't grounded in the word of GOD. Don't misunderstand, we are called to let our light shine and to love the "outcasts" and to seek justice for the oppressed but we are called to do so not because "we" are the answer but we go as ambassadors of Jesus Christ because "HE" is the answer! He alone is true justice for the oppressed.

So....because all these things have been swirling around inside of my noggin I am teaching theology to teenagers on Sunday mornings. I was again reminded of the importance of this a few weeks ago when I first started teaching this series. On that morning I talked about the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ which is basically a fancy way of saying that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us on the cross to forgive us all of our sins, save us from Satan's clutches, satisfy GOD's wrath, keep our pitiful fannys from enduring eternal punishment in hell and give us peace with GOD. At the end of the talk a high school girl came up to me and with wide eyes and a straight face said "I've never heard this before." To make it even more sad she goes to a Christian high school in our town. What the church needs now is.....well......you know the rest.

UGA BLOG: Random thoughts on the Oklahoma State game

So the college football season has officially begun. Everybody break out your grill set, pull out your jerseys and dust off your flags before you proudly hang them on the front patio. As you should well know I am a rabid Georgia Bulldog fan (still after living in sunny-Cali for almost 5 years now) and I have waited about 8 long months for this season because last season was, *cringe* well.....let's just say....it sucked flying over 2,ooo miles to Athens just to see us get beat at our own homecoming by Vanderbilt. So on this past Saturday, excited about a sophomore quarterback who has hopefully been officially broken in, I sat in front of my tele to watch some Bulldog football.
Imagine my surprise (actually disdain) as I turned the t.v. to ESPN2 just to find that the Illinois/Missouri game was going long. In Georgia and Oklahoma the station had already transitioned to the Georgia game but one of the penalties I pay for living in the state of California is that I get to watch the long painful closing minutes of two J.V. teams (who have NO chance of winning their respective conference titles for at least the next millenium) "battle" it out until the very last miserable second. Let's just say that this experience tested my sanctification a bit and I'll just leave it there!
Finally when the game started for those of us who wanted to watch out here in California the score was all tied up at 7. All-in-all I enjoyed watching this game and here are some observations I made:
1. Matt Stafford looked good! He seems to have really grown into a confident leader over the off season. Hopefully Coach Richt and Mike Bobo are really pouring into this guy! He'll definitely need the poise and focus he was exhibiting as he begins to face SEC defenses with their spectacular man coverages and quick blitzes by Defensive ends who eat children and shards of glass for breakfast.
2. That new freshman runningback Moreno looked spectacular! He spins faster than a tornado in a north Texas trailer park! Hopefully he stays healthy, fast & smart!
3. Thomas Brown, that son of a preacher-man we all love, looked amazing! Give that guy the ball at least 25 times against South Carolina this week!!
4. Brannan Southerland is the best fullback in the country because he's cash money every time we're within 5 yards of the end zone!
5. Our young offensive line gives me the jitters but they did a great job against Oklahoma State. I just hope they can hold up against the South Carolina's, Auburn's, Alabama's and Florida's of the world!
6. Coach Martinez did a stinking amazing job prepping the boys on our Defense for Oklahoma State's offense!
So with a score of 35 to 14 I don't have a lot to complain about! Now we have Steve Spurrier to look forward to this week (who I like about as much as the weird reddish nodule on the bottom of my right big toe). GO DAWGS! Sic' Em!!

10 RANDOM THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING A STUDENT PASTOR

10. Summers hanging out by Hume Lake and playing the game we officially invented called "Run on the Lake".

9. Laughing at stupid Youtube videos in my office with a group of guys following our Wednesday morning Bible study right before we charge the gates of hell in prayer on our faces.

8. High School Football games in the fall.

7. Being on a mission with the most incredible adult volunteers in the country to expand the Kingdom of GOD and making it really hard for someone to go to hell from Modesto.

6. Spending every Easter in Mexico with hundreds of high school students worshipping Jesus until our throats are bloody and our voices are gone!

5. Monday night strolls around BVG watching small groups of teenagers talk about how to follow Christ and live for him more on their campuses.

4. Leading a Bible Study on Wednesday mornings before the sun is even up with a bunch of teenage guys who are making Christ a priority in life, refusing to wait for someone else to lead. HU-AH!!

3. Preaching the Word every Sunday morning to High School students at ACCESS.

2. Watching a student smile as his eyes widen and a lightbulb appears over his head on a Sunday morning as I'm preaching the Word at ACCESS.

1. The fact that I'm never alone while I do it. HE is right here with me.

BOOK REVIEW: The Gladiator

So, I just finished this book and I must say it was not all I expected it to be. There were sections where it seemed as if the author (Alan Baker) was all over the place with his thoughts. The thing I did enjoy, however, is that it helped me to get a sense for how savage Ancient Rome actually was before Christianity began to take root under the Emperor Constantine. I've been indulging my Rome kick with this book for the past couple weeks. This book was really descriptive and went into pretty lurid detail as it described the life of a typical gladiator and the intense showdowns that took place in that majestic Flavian Amphitheater. I do recommend this book but only for those who are seriously interested in Roman culture. I can't imagine what it must have been like for those who were forced to kill or be killed while 50,000 screaming Romans watched and pointed. I enjoyed how the book ended with a fictional but probably pretty accurate recreation of what a typical day in the Colisseum was probably like.

BOOK REVIEW: A Wrinkle in Time

It's a shame that our creativity is often stifled and our imagination often left to grow stale as a result of not reading books like this one. This 1963 Classic by Madeleine L'Engle is one of the best fiction books I have ever read!

I picked this book up a week ago while on a trip to the county library with my wife and daughter. This book has it all; good vs. evil, a terrific plot, intriguing characters and even a surprisingly Christian overtone.

It seems as if more and more the Lord has me running to books not only to learn and increase the sum of my knowledge but also as a form of retreat and an opportunity to get my creative juices boiling over. A Wrinkle in Time has accomplished that in a huge way! I mean what other book has children who travel to different dimensions, witches that quote scripture and love God, and an evil villian who is an enormous brain?!

The message of this book, the idea that love inevitably conquers the most evil forces in the universe is one that is first-of-all communicated by God Almighty himself in the scriptures. While "realists" (I don't mean that in a good way) might be turned off by the book's plot, I definitely recommend this book as a nice airplane read or one to work through while kicked up on a beach in Maui! Aloha!

...and the two shall become one flesh.

Recently I've been listening to Pastor John Piper's pod casts a lot. (Technology continues to floor me as nowadays I can put my daughter in her stroller and take her for a walk all the while listening to someone proclaim God's Word on my i-pod. CRAZY!) Some people aren't real fond of John Piper because of his tendency to emphasize the providence & sovereignty of GOD Almighty (a theological hot-topic for heady college students who seem to have tons to say while having little to no life experiences and an incredible affinity to avoid at all costs any experience that may cause them to "pay their dues" and not be in the spotlight.) A-HEM!!! Excuse me! Anyways......I like John Piper. The biggest reason is because of his undeniable love for Jesus Christ and the gospel and the intensity he displays in the pulpit while proclaiming the gospel.

I've enjoyed the series on Marriage John Piper has recently been teaching because, quite franky, I've never heard anyone (Preacher or Oprah) talk about marriage like this before! The basic premise of John Piper's series on marriage is this: What if marriage isn't about the warm fuzzies and Hollywood's idea of "being in love"? What if, instead, the main point of marriage is that it is a parable of Christ's covenant relationship with his church?

So....in layman's terms, the point of marriage is NOT me or my wife but instead the point is that all who see us & know us might seeclearly how Christ & the church relate to one another.

The Lord has really been stretching me as I have been mulling over this holy stuff. If this is true then it means that every time I choose to be the spiritual leader of my home, and a man who leads devotions, or prays with my family, or reads scripture to my baby girl before she goes to sleep, or cuddles and sings "Jesus loves you" to her at night, or spends time loving my wife and doing special things for her, I am displaying Chirst's covenant love for his church.

Maybe marriage isn't about feeling warm fuzzies every day. Perhaps instead it's about loving and choosing Christlike faithfulness to my bride in good times and bad times, during prosperity and need, during trials and celebration, on the mountain and in the valley of the shadow of death and choosing selfless love over selfish ambition every day of our marriage. Because that is exactly how Jesus Christ displays his love for His church.

To listen to this series search for "Desiring God" on i-tunes or go to www.desiringgod.org

BOOK REVIEW: Into the Wild

So....you better read this book soon because the movie is coming out this fall! John Krakauer is an incredible author and he's actually more like an investigative reporter.

In this book, he chronicles the journey of a young man named Chris McCandless who after graduating college at Emory in Atlanta, gives away or destroys all of his posessions except for his car and decides to leave everything so that he might truly "live".

This true story stirred my heart to the extreme. The interviews in this book with people who encountered Chris over that span of time all hold one consistent theme about McCandless. "He was different".

Though this book isn't a Christian book (at least by our own definition) and Chris' journey was inspired more by philosophy than scripture, I couldn't help but see the Christlike overtones of what Chris did. He left everything and everyone in order to truly embrace life and live it to what he believed was the fullest. Therefore, he was an inigma wrapped up in a riddle.

As you read about the tragic end to McCandless' journey, I hope you are as inspired as I was to live life to the fullest! And it is my sincere conviction that a life lived to the fullest is a life lived in consistent passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ (no matter what the world, other Christians, or other pastors may do or say about it.).

To view the previews for the movie Into the Wild click on the link below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2LAuzT_x8Ek

BOOK REVIEW: Confessions of a Reformission Rev.

Mark Driscoll- nuff said.

God has anointed this man in a cool way and I loved this book!

The stuff this man shares about planting his new church right in the middle of Seattle (Where they have "more dogs than Christians" as Driscoll always says) is absolutely incredible and caused me to marvel at how amazing God truly is!

I can honestly say that I just read a book and agreed with every statement the guy made.Whether it was his insights on the emergent church movement, cultural relevance, age/stage ministry, manhood, the way preaching/ proclamation should happen, etc, etc, etc!

Not everyone will agree with the things Driscoll says but his willingness to say them (STRONGLY AND WITH CONVICTION) almost caused me to say "Amen!" out loud at Starbucks as I read this.

I have 3 Pastors in this nation that I look to as "Paul" type figures. They are my mentors (though distantly) in ministry. One of them is Mark Driscoll.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Jesus Christ, Scripture, Sound doctrine, and people (enough to share Jesus-Scripture-and sound doctrine with them!!)

Read it!!!

BOOK REVIEW: Samson and the Pirate Monks

So about a month ago I get a call on my cell from one of my best friends Jason Britt. He is a student pastor in Atlanta at a stinkin' amazing church and one of my most trusted compadres in all the world. A true partner in ministry, I am constantly sharing wth Jason books I have read. Well this time Jason leaves a message on my phone simply stating: "Bro....YOU GOTTA GET THIS BOOK..."!

Honestly, the title threw me a bit. I loved it but I was kinda unprepared for what the pages held.

Here are a few reasons why this book was amazing and why every man on earth needs to read it:

1. Because of the lack of authentic men in today's culture.

2. Because of the lack of men who desire to have true intimacy with Jesus Christ at all costs.

3. Because of the truth it shares regarding how broken we men are and how desperately we need other men in the foxhole with us.

4. Because metro-sexuals are taking over the world.

5. Because until the men are men the church won't be all Jesus wants it to be.

Basically, I would recommend this book to any man who loves Jesus but needs to know how to have victory over sin and the enemy Satan. I've already started giving this book out to the grooms of the weddings I perform and as Birthday presents to buddies. Calling all men: BUY THIS BOOK!!!

BOOK REVIEW: Ambrose Bierce

Recently I picked up this book and I am really enjoying this writer. A civil war era writer who wrote most of his stuff here in Northern California, Ambrose Bierce had an incredible affinity for short-stories.

Most of his stories are either "horror" stories or "war" stories and each one I have read has been significantly entertaining!

It's so nice to read short stories every now and then because they are easy and most of Bierce's turn out to be incredibly intense! I would recommend Bierce to anyone who enjoys reading twisted, haunting-fiction from time to time. My favorite story so far has been one entitled "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge". It has a sort of Sixth Sense twist to it that I loved. It's one of those that I'll probably read over and over again!!!

WARNING: Don't buy this book if you're more of a modern dude or chik who doesn't like "dated" stories. If you're a fan of good fiction, though, what are you waiting for?!

BOOK REVIEW: Ancient Rome

So I've been on this weird Rome fascination for a few months and I just finished this book. Honestly, I feel like I deserve some type of trophy for making it all the way through! It was a really long read and it can get somewhat slow at times. All in all, though, it ws really rewarding to make it through and I found myself intrigued by this horribly barbaric and yet innovative culture.

It helped me as I constantly read with the perspective that "This is what a culture absolutely devoid of Jesus Christ or God's Word is destined to become."! Often times I think of a culture without Christ to look like small barbaric tribes in the Congo while the reality is that a people can be innovative, creative, well-fed and even commercially prosperous and yet morally bankrupt, blood-thirsty and power-hungry.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this book was reading about Rome's persecution of the first Christians and how it backfired on them. Christianity actually gained momentum as Christians were slaughtered in the Colisseum because the people in the stands found their faith and commitment even unto death so fascinating and awe-inspiring.

I definetely recommend this for any history-buffs but buyer beware: it takes a time commitment to make it through!!

BOOK REVIEW: The Third Policeman

Every once in a while I enjoy escaping to a far away nook and curling up with a book that really has little or nothing to do with theology, ministry or even culture for that matter. Recently while in a bookstore in Sacramento I picked up this gem.

While this book is not for everyone or maybe even most people it was the perfect read for me. Weird, unorthodoxed, challenging, entertaining and even funny at times. This is a piece of Irish fiction that was written around 1950 and is somewhat of an underground cult-classic for those who enjoy "Twilight Zone" type books. This book challenges the space-time continuum and has some intense philisophical overtones.

The end of the book left me scratching my head and thinking about it's concept. I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys the TV show Lost and enjoys thinking deep thoughts while reading! If you end up reading it let me know what you thought about it!!

Finding Jesus in the Craziness of Life

For the past few weeks I have felt as if I'm a man on a unicycle, jumping ramps while juggling knives and trying to eat a granny smith apple while blindfolded. Yes, life has been just that crazy for me. Now, I've learned over the years that life in full-time vocational ministry is always pretty insane, but the past few weeks have been a bit unorthodox even for me. As you can probably tell I haven't even been able to shave out a few minutes to do some blogging! Just a few of the tasks I have been in are as follows:

• Interviewing, answering questions for, and hiring 7 new summer interns for the Student & Young Adult Ministries of Big Valley Grace.

• Seeking the Lord's will as to who our new Junior High Pastor will be.

• Setting up who the speaker & worship band will be for this October's EVENT sponsored by www.hisecho.com.


• Writing 8 sermons in the span of 2 weeks to preach when we take our High School Students down to Mexico on our Mission Trip.


• Writing the regular weekly sermons and attempting to continue my normal weekly routine of church meetings, emails (many which have gone unanswered b/c I absolutely hate email with a jihad-like passion), phone calls, and counselling meetings with parents.


• Oh....and to top it all off I am one of the primary planners for our Mission Trip which we begin in just a few days, taking over 215 people from our High School Ministry (175 of which are high school students).

Now, you need to understand that I'm not complaining about any of this. I mean seriously, when you compare it to the kinds of storms say the 1st Century Christ-followers endured this is like a Kindergarten field trip! I do, however, confess that throughout all of this my heart has been yearning just to sit in quiet and hear from Jesus. What's interesting is that even though all of the previously forementioned tasks I have been involved in are good things they in no way bring my soul true satisfaction or rest. I mean, they all have to do with things I love; casting & implementing a vision, dreaming MUCHO GRANDE dreams, investing in young leaders and preaching the Word. But at the end of each day something in my heart still longs for more of Jesus. And so I go to bed each night and realize once again that the scriptures are for real. It's during times like these when I remember the words from that Asaph Psalm:

"You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth!" (PSALM 73:25)

10 Things I Learned with my Family at the ZOO.

This week I took my family to the zoo. It was our daughter's first time having an experience like this. Here are 10 things I made a mental note of that beautiful day.

1. Spider Monkeys look extremely depressed while locked in small cages. Prozac anyone?

2. Bald Eagles were meant to fly.....not be trapped in a cage staring at Spider Monkeys.

3. Bats are probably the most freakish animals on the planet....they give me the heebie-jeebies!

4. I have a totally irrational fear of California Mountain Lions behind chain-link fences. I distinctly remember hearing once that cats can climb fences.

5. My daughter thinks Sea Lions are the most intriguing animals at the zoo! Especially when the Zookeeper feeds them!!

6. When little kids scream the baboons scream back.

7. Chinese Crocodiles need braces for their teeth.....YIKES!

8. If I was an animal I would definitely not want to be a Turkey Vulture. UG-LY!

9. A Lemur would make a good pet. Especially if I could train it to make me some coffee.

10. Pink is absolutely my daughter's best color.

I'm Back in Cali!

Here is a picture from the Event I spoke at this past weekend in Georgia. This is one of the groups from one of the churches. A very cool group of girls! It's a blessing to be able to go where the LORD leads me and proclaim the power of GOD's love and the victory He gives us through the cross & resurrection of Jesus! If any of you from this past weekend's event are reading this, "YOU ROCK!"

(1 John 4:10)

Saved!

Many students came to know Jesus Christ tonight at the event I was speaking at in Atlanta. Before I spoke a college student who was leading a host home this weekend came to me in the back of the auditorium and shared how her junior high girls couldn't stop talking about all the LORD was saying to them this weekend. It is so nice to be encouraged that our labor for the LORD is not in vain! Thank you Jesus! It still gives me goosebumps when I watch students stand unashamedly in a roomfull of hundreds of other students proclaiming their love and newfound devotion to Jesus. My prayer is that the churches involved this weekend would baptize immediately, and faithfully disciple these new believers! I am thankful for this opportunity the Lord has given me to preach Jesus Christ, crucified & resurrected! This weekend I have been reminded about how the LORD is alive and pursuing the hearts of people everywhere. From California to Georgia.

Your Way!

As I sat in the Sacramento Airport yesterday waiting on a flight to leave, I got a tad-bit hungry. Not starving or famished hungry, mind you. Just enough to wet my appetite and get me to craving some sort of sustenance. Realizing I was about to be locked into a flying metal-tube along with 200 sickly, coughing, sneezing, and snotting other people with only a small sack of peanuts and some stale Diet Pepsi to satisfy me, I decided to get a bite to eat from the airport's food court.

Seeing the Burger King I figured that this was as good a choice as any. After ignoring my existence for at least 45 seconds while they carried on a conversation about a man named Scooter the two ladies at the counter finally inquired about what I would like to order. The conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hey there"

Her: "mmhmm"

Me: "Could I get a double-cheeseburger combo, please?"

Her: "No"

Me: "Really?"

Her: "All we have is double-bacon-cheeseburger combos, not double-cheeseburger combos."

Me: "Ser.....iously?"

Her: "mmhmm"

Me: "I can't get it without the bacon?"

Her: "It comes with the bacon."

Me: "You can't give it to me without the bacon on it?"

Her: "It comes with bacon."

Me: "..............................................."

Her: "........."

Me: "I guess I'll have the star-shaped chicken nuggets combo then."

Confused about Burger King's current marketing strategy I just checked their web site (www.burgerking.com) and there it was again just as I had suspected: "Get it your way at Burger King!"

I don't know what baffled me the most about this experience. The fact that "holding the bacon" seemed to this lady a task equal to that of splitting the atom or the fact that I went to a restaurant that prides itself on the idea that I can have the burger any way I want it and then they blatantly refused to give it to me the way I wanted it. As usual I'm not sure whether or not I should laugh or cry at the world I find myself in.

10 Top Things I Hate About Traveling

Every once in a while I still travel to speak at various events. This week I am on one such excursion. I have been reminded once again about what I despise about traveling. The top ten reasons I hate traveling are as follows:

1. The "You're such an idiot" look I get from the airline representative when I ask for help while checking in at the self-help kiosk. I guess checking people in is now too much to ask from a real person.

2. The strip search and de-lousing I get at the security checkpoint from a 260 pound 11th grader with pimples.

3. The guy in front of me on the airplane who is constantly readjusting the tilt of his seatback. Somebody should tell him that if he wanted comfort in travel he SHOULD HAVE GONE ON A STINKIN' CRUISE!!!

4. The kid behind me who won't quit humming the Blue's Clues theme song. Man, I hate that dog!!

5. The sight-seeing pilot who feels as if it's necessary to point out every landmark we pass over as if it's an option to exit the plane and take a stroll around Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and then just casually and unassumingly hop back on the Atlanta-bound jumbo-jet when I have had my fill of its immense beauty & grandeur.

6. The stewardess who wakes me up from a dead-digger just to offer me stale crutons and 3 cubes of ice with a drop of Ginger Ale in a cup half the size of a thimble.

7. The fact that I just remembered that I left my cell phone on but it's in my briefcase in the overhead compartment. YIKES....I hope nobody calls me!!!!

8. The 1x1 bathrooms that make it virtually impossible to do your business without feeling as if you need to push the stewardess call button to request a cleanup crew.

9. The turbulence that just popped up out of nowhere right after the flight attendant gives me a scorching cup of coffee......are you sure that sight-seeing pilot isn't just screwing with us?!

10. Being away from my beautiful family.

Wonder Back

I was thinking today about something random. As I watched my daughter play with her toys I thought about how cool kids are. I think one of the things I'm most impressed with is a child's incredible ability to be excited and overjoyed as she discovers the simplest things. I mean, I look at a rattle and it's no big deal. Just a plastic gadget that makes annoying noises when you shake it or throw it. My daughter, on the other hand, is in awe of the rattle! She reaches for it as I would reach for a 100 dollar bill floating in the wind, her eyes widen as mine would if I saw Elvis Presley standing on my front porch in a polar bear suit, her mouth opens in a huge smile like mine would if the Georgia Bulldogs actually won the National Championship this year, and she coos and grunts as I would.....well.....if the Georgia Bulldogs actually won the National Championship this year. It's amazing!! She's like this with just about everything. And yet the things that excite her and bring her imagination to life are the same things I take for granted. Our dog Molly, a blue sky, her sippy cup, a cheerio, a stroller ride around a noisy park filled with screaming 7 year olds, a cruise across town in the car, and even the waiter at our favorite Mexican Restaurant all cause a joy and wonder to light up her face.

I wonder when I lost this. I was a child once too. All of us were children once. And yet at some point in our lives the wonder we once experienced from the simplest things was replaced with an attitude of "been there-done that". It's sad really. It makes me look at my child and wonder who really has the wisdom. I want the wonder back.

There is a story that Jesus' disciple Matthew told about an experience he had with Jesus one time. See, some of the disciples asked Jesus who the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven was. It's not surprising really. We as adults are always concerned with adult things like status and importance. Jesus responded as only God would have the wisdom to respond. He called a small child over to him and had the child stand in front of the disciples. As these guys watched probably wondering "Um....bro, did you hear what we asked?" Jesus makes this statement; "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-4)

I think today as I watched my daughter joyfully discover the simplest things I finally began to understand what Jesus meant. He wants us to be like children. To stand in wonder and in awe of the simplest things because they are all created by God. And ultimately He wants us to stand in wonder of the mystical things we so often grow numb to and take for granted. The love of God, the patience of God, and the cross that Jesus bled and died on. Jesus wants me to stand in wonder of Him and all that He is and all that He's done and all that He's said and all that He can and will do. I become like a child when I humble myself and stand in awe of his love. When I reach for Him with wide eyes and a huge smile. Like a baby reaches for a new rattle.

Where have all the Gladiators gone?

As I sat at home alone last night I decided to pour myself a glass of iced tea and watch (what was in my opinion one of the greatest movies of all time ever produced in this solar system) the movie Gladiator. I guess reading this new book on Ancient Roman history had me craving it. As I watched this movie I couldn't shake a nagging question in my mind. "Where have all the gladiators gone?" I mean, seriously! How come men don't live like this anymore?

Now before you get the wrong idea I'm not writing a blog about how men should slaughter others with swords more often, hold more simulated wars inside sports arenas, and be on a mission to kill Caesar and avenge his mentor's death.

What I am saying is it seems like young men don't live noble lives anymore. They don't stand for anything anymore. They don't passionately believe in anything anymore. Most men today wouldn't die for anything. Most men don't look at one another in the eyes and say in unison, "Strength and Honor!".

Strength and Honor. What if my life could be summed up in those two words? Instead of falling into this hollow worlds pit of lies and beinf a foolish man with only women, sex and money on my mind, what if I lived a life characterized by strength and honor?

There is a scene in Gladiator when Maximus has been marched out into the middle of the Roman Colisseum along with at least a dozen other slave-gladiators. It is announced that these men will fight whatever comes out of the gates. They will fight to the bloody death. Maximus stares ahead with passion as he asks the men who stand behind him, "Anyone here been in the army?". "Aye, sir", most respond back. Then in a moment of intense and firey leadership Maximus says, "You can help me. Whatever comes out of these gates..... we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive."

After the chillbumps left my arms I couldn't help but to ask myself why most men don't act like this anymore. How come men don't unite in battles against the evils of this world? Most men are living and working for the weekend instead of something much larger than themselves. Most men today are defined by heros like Borat and the fellas from Jackass instead of being defined by something that is worthy of honor and yes, even worthy of dying for. Most men would rather sit around and tap on their MySpace pages and Youtube instead of learning about the great men of history and what it was that made them great. Most men would rather be the empty-headed people in the stands of the Colisseum screaming for blood and entertainment instead of actually being Maximus and his small army, staring ahead and waiting patiently for the enemy to burst forth from its iron gate.

So what are we going to live for? For Maximus it was Rome. For us it's Jesus Christ. Where have all the gladiators gone? The world treats us like fools and expects us to be hypnotized and have our senses and passions numbed by the media it vomits out each day. GOD calls us to be the men he designed us to be. Gladiators ready and willing to fight and die for that which is true, noble, and eternal. Who stands up and fights for GOD anymore? It's time to be a Gladiator, boys. And one more thing:

"We've got a better chance of survival if we work together."

Lindbergh

This week I have finished 3 books I've been reading this month. One of those books was the autobiography of Charles A. Lindbergh, the famous aviator and icon of the 20th century who became the first man to fly an airplane from New York to Paris. (We call that a Transatlantic flight. *Anson smiles intelligently*) To think that Lindbergh did this during an era when most people didn't even see aviation as having the potential for an incredible feat like this is astounding to me!

There are 3 reasons I wanted to read this book. One, I became fascinated with Lindbergh while our history class studied him in the 7th grade and I had to do a report on him. Two, Heather and I visited his grave on our first trip to Maui a couple years ago. We actually stumbled upon it by accident at a small church on the road to Hana. Three, there has always been something in me that kind of wished I was alive during the roaring twenties, depression-strained thirties, and patriotic fourties. It's weird.

There were many fascinating things about this book, Autobiography of Values. It struck me how this guy was such a fascinating man involved in everything from aviation, cartography, medicine, WWII bombers, politics, the environment, rocket science, and even mysticism! I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you really enjoy history like I do.

One thing I didn't know about Lindbergh prior to reading this book was that before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he was quite the anti-war activist. Dead-set against America becoming involved in the turmoil going on between Germany, Russia and England he constantly gave speeches and met with politicians regarding his stance. I close this blog with an excerpt from one of his speeches that I found to be quite relevant for the debates echoing throughout homes, classrooms & offices today. I want to encourage you to comment this blog with your opinions regarding this statement:

"Democracy is not a quality that can be imposed by war. The attempt to do so has always met with failure. Democracy can spring only from within a nation itself, only from the hearts and minds of the people. It can be spread abroad by example, but never by force. The strength of a democracy lies in the satisfaction of its own people. Its influence lies in making others wish to copy it. If we cannot make other nations wish to copy our American system of government, we cannot force them to copy it by going to war..." (Autobiography of Values, p.194)

Mozart hurts my neck!

This has been a physically painful week for me. Unfortunately, the reason for my physical ailment was about as "anti-machismo" as a man could possibly get. One morning early this week I had decided to go into work later and spend more time around the house with Heather and Annabelle.

I was playing with my daughter and decided that we would play a game that has become a favorite for her. Here's the way our game works:

I begin to play Mozart on my i-pod (which is hooked up to a set of speakers so we can all enjoy it)

I then pretend that I, Anson McMahon, am the great Maestro, Mozart. I do this by wildly leading my imaginary orchestra in a classic number.

To say that I am a bit eccentric while "channeling" Mr. Mozart would be an understatement.

I'm like a frothing-at-the-mouth Musical Savage as my arms zip and flail, sharp and fast through the air, the whole while my head banging as if I'm listening to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

Each time I do this sweet Annabelle is staring wide-eyed with mouth open, giggling, cooing, and she is even learning to move her own arms with the music like a lil' miss Mozart.

There was a mishap this week, however, as we played this game.

In the middle of my composition of "Le nozze di Figaro" my arms came up, my head jolted back, my shoulders tensed, and I guess it was the convergence of a Perfect Storm. The sound could be heard across the room!

"SNAP!!"

I wish I could explain the pain I began to feel in my neck at this moment but there are no words to do it justice. It was as if I had just been interrogated by Jack Bauer! I have no idea what my face must have looked like at this moment but it was probably similar to the look a gnat gets on his face the moment he smashes into a windshield on the freeway. A faint squeak escaped my mouth as the pain stabbed my vertabrae with what felt like a jagged machette. My pupils dialated. My body collapsed into the leather chair behind me. My wife rolled her eyes. My daughter laughed.

After marinating my aching-neck in Icee-Hot and positioning the heating pad in just the right spot I began to think about my battle wound. It may sound a bit overdramatic (OK....a lot overdramatic) to call it a battle wound, but that's what it is to me. I had been wounded in the war of quality time.

As a Student Pastor I am convinced that there is a war going on in the lives of American families today. The enemy is "Other Responsibilities" and it attacks in the camouflage-fatigues of career, hobbies, and "things that just can't wait". The casualties are children, wives and even husbands. The only way to overcome this enemy is to be willing to die on the hill your family is on. I meet kids all the time who have dads who care more about beer and football than they do their own families. I hang out with all kinds of students who have moms who drop everything to spend 5 extra hours at work each week but haven't "had time" to go to one of their kid's softball games in years.

As embarassing as it was to tell people this story, I also sort of told it with a sense of healthy pride. See, I'm proud I didn't pull my neck out at work, or helping someone move, or para-sailing, or playing wiffle-ball with friends. Instead, I was injured in the line of duty while my wife and daughter laughed their heads off. And that's like being awarded the Purple Heart to me.

Memoirs from a Bookstore

My family and I had a crazy night on the town this past Friday! After a long day of playing & hanging out at the McMahon house we decided to swing by Jamba Juice for a nice fruity beverage and take a stroll around the Borders Bookstore here in town. There was this book about Ancient Roman History I’ve been longing to get (I know what you’re thinking….who wants a stupid book about Ancient Roman history?! Well, I do! I may be a total book-geek but I’m stinking proud of it!! The older I get the more I come to discover what pure treasure knowledge of the past & present truly is and how it relates to the quality of our future as a society and world. The more I study the history and current events of this planet that GOD has spoken into existence, the more I appreciate GOD’s Word and long for His Kingdom to be manifest. Actually I believe that if more people read good books instead of letting Oprah, Senators in the incubator called Washington D.C., and Jerry Springer tell them what to think and when to think it, we might actually be better off as a people and culture! Besides, this particular book focuses on Rome’s political and military history which when you think about it is actually so re- ...Ooops…there I go again…..what do you care? Anyway,). There are a few things I noticed while with my family in the bookstore during this excursion. I decided to share them with you kind young chaps who actually frequent my blog.

1. The children’s book section at Borders is A-MAZING! Annabelle was in awe of the colors and imagination that filled that place! Books and stuffed-frogs stacked to the rafters. Stories of talking elephants, flying kangaroos, princesses, bear families and more were everywhere as if they were screaming out for Annabelle’s attention. She was much more interested in this than in the Roman History section. Go figure!

2. It’s really difficult to flip through books while holding a giant cup of Caribbean Passion smoothie from Jamba Juice. I hope they don’t find that stain I accidentally left on a copy of Homer’s Odyssey.

3. My wife is so cool! The fact that I’m married to a woman who can have fun with me just strolling our daughter through a giant bookstore is AWESOME! It’s such a cool thing knowing we can have a great time just hanging out doing the simplest things! She truly is a Proverbs 31 woman!

4. Whoever woke up from a long night of sleep and suddenly came up with the idea of a giant bookstore with a giant café in it along with a giant magazine section right next to the giant DVD/CD section is right up there with Sir Isaac Newton & Alexander Graham Bell in my opinion! BRILLIANT!!

5. Barack Obama actually has 2 books on the National Bestseller list. Pretty impressive! He won’t be my choice for President in November of 2008, but you have to admit it’s pretty amazing that he’s had time to be a senator in Washington D.C., making crucial votes about U.S. policy and national security, traveling the speaking circuit, listening to and meeting with his constituents in Illinois, being with his family, learning what it takes to be President of a world superpower, and writing two Bestsellers all in the past couple of years!! {Anson winks while his tongue is in his cheek}

6. There are a lot of “Book-Grazers” in the world. You know…. people that somehow confuse bookstores for libraries. Get a card people!! Dang!

7. There is a book on the Bestseller list entitled The God Delusion. Man….that’s harsh! Sounds like that brother got burned by somebody or something real bad!!

8. Books are my weakness. My vice, if you will. For some it’s alcohol, for some it’s crack-cocaine, for some nicotine, for many it’s food or laziness. I have discovered that books are a weakness for Anson McMahon. The moment I walk into a bookstore my knees turn to jelly, I hear voices in my head luring me to the non-fiction and current events sections and I begin to see things “I must have or I will just die!!” Even more of a weakness to me than Best Buy is, and that’s saying a lot!!

Those are some things I learned last Friday night. But above all else I learned this: I love being with my family. Whether we’re at an Almond festival or a bookstore on a Friday night, we always learn something new. And to top it all of, I found my book on Ancient Rome! {Anson the book-geek smiles in eager anticipation}

Ministry, Jesus & the joy of Pod-casting

I haven't seen (or really cared enough to look at) any statistics regarding how many students, young adults, or even older adults actually listen to podcasts. (For those of you who have no clue what a pod cast is, take this opportunity to look it up on www.wikipedia.com) What I do know is that it has become an amazing ministry tool to use for ministry. Tapes and even CD's for that matter have gone the way of Vanilla Ice and now media is literally a click of the mouse away.

I am so jazzed about what the LORD is doing in the ministries of www.hisecho.com. The DEVOCAST and the ACCESS pod cast have become incredible tools for God's kingdom in the lives of the students at BVG, not to mention the pod casts of Xrds and Newgen!

So...if you aren't doing anything important in the next half hour, pour yourself a scorching hot mug of joe (vanilla-nut creamer suggested) and enjoy a discussion centered around the Word of GOD. You can find all of our pod casts at www.hisecho.com or by typing "BIG VALLEY GRACE" in the i-tunes search window.

A Journey through ACTS

For well over a year now I have been hitting the alarm clock at 4:45 on Wednesday mornings so that I can hit the ground running (actually more like crawling that early) with my Wednesday routine. A quick shower, a quick mostly unnecessary shave, a quiet tip-toe down the hall in a futile attempt to not wake my wife or daughter, a drive through Starbucks for my steaming dark black venti drip (cup of heaven), and a journey to the YAC to meet a group of High School & College-Age guys for a study through the New Testament book of Acts which I lead. I don't know what's most surprising to me; the fact that an average of 20 guys still faithfully come each Wednesday or the fact that we are still in that book almost a year-and-a-half later!!

This time has been like a soul-refresher to me for many reasons. The guys gather around a coffee tin the size of a nuclear bomb while fighting over vanilla nut creamer and sugar packets. After this we head into the YAC, usually giving somebody a hard time for showing up to a Bible study without a Bible! After the athletes in the group finish their discussion about the games they won or lost the night before we begin. It's all about relationships! It's been awesome taking a few verses at a time to slice & dice. It has been so incredible getting these guys' perspective on these Holy Spirit-filled 1st Century followers of Jesus. Over the months we have put ourselves in the samdals of guys like Peter, John, Stephen, Philip, an Etiopian eunuch (ouch), Barnabas, James, Paul, Seven sons of Sceva (ouch), a jailer, a couple of Roman centurions and even some Pharisees & Sadducees. The scriptures have come to life as we've asked ourselves tough questions like "Would we be willing to die for Christ?" and "Why would a guy wana become a eunuch or marry his sister?"

Each time we close our time in prayer I am reminded of a couple things. One, I love High School students. Contrary to popular belief they are far from hopeless. And, two, ministry isn't ever as rewarding when it's about the "BIG-SHOW". You can have all the theater lights, fog machines, jumbotrons and prayer segways. Let us not forget....a guy named Jesus just needed twelve to turn the world upside down forever......and He didn't even have a microphone.

What are the results of beginning this Bible study? Well, where do I start? A bunch of high school guys are growing into the disciples Jesus wants them to be, my wife Heather just started one at the same time (6:15am) on Thursday morning for the girls of ACCESS & they already average more than we do, one of our graduated college student visiting from his school in Chicago recently said to me, "That Wednesday morning ACTS study is what I miss most about Modesto." along with a ton of other things, both measurable and immeasurable.

May ACCESS never be a ministry that's a mile wide but an inch deep. As long as I keep hitting that alarm each Wednesday morning before the angels are even up it hopefully won't be.

Two into One

It blows my mind every time I look at my daughter and realize the LORD'S Great Creativity in merging two people's traits, looks, and personalities into one. I am reminded of that really cool part of Psalm 139 when it says,

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."

Over the past 10 months I have observed how Annabelle is a lot like Heather and yet a lot like me! I was thinking about this as I watched her play today. Some examples of this are:

HOW SHE IS LIKE HEATHER:

1. She really loves sleeping & she could probably sleep through nuclear fallout on the nights she's really tired! Exactly like her mommy!!

2. She has an incredibly sweet disposition around everyone! Just like her mommy! I wish I was more like them.

3. She's into everything! Like Heather she always has to be involved in some sort of activity or project!! She's constantly crawling to see what lies beyond the next corner!!

HOW SHE IS LIKE ME:

1. She hates shoes! Just like daddy she needs to have her feet free from the constraint that shoes bring! The minute they're on she tries to take them off! If only they made baby flip-flops!

2. She loves books!! NO REALLY!! MORE THAN USUAL!!! Heather literally has to read her about 10 books first thing in the morning because the second one is finished she is reaching for another! She already knows how to turn the pages!! I think she'd rather read than eat!!

3. She is a total movie buff!! Although we only let her watch one about two or three times a week she gets totally dialed in when it's on!!(Baby Einstein)

HOW SHE IS DIFFERENT THAN BOTH OF US:

1. She actually has rythym! She's always rocking or patting her hands and feet to the music. Nothing like me or Heather (even though we like to pretend sometimes!).

2. She doesn't really seem to like cheese a whole lot yet.... me & Heather are addicted to it.

3. She has two different colored eyes! It's the coolest thing I've ever seen! Incredibly rare!!

It's amazing to see how the Lord can bring two people together and create a beautiful & unique life from it. Though she is similar to us she is still different than us in so many ways. But she will forever be our daughter. I think of exactly 12 year ago today when Heather and I first started dating & I think of all that has happened in our lives since that day. And that makes me happy.

Nice Try Guys.

"I have been used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead."
-Professor Thomas Arnold, Chair of modern history at Oxford and author of History of Rome


There is a story floating around out there about a guy named Simcha Jacobovici. Apparently this guy has found the casket of Jesus Christ and his family (including the son of Jesus & Mary Magdalene named Judah.). Actually....in all seriousness the casket was allegedly "discovered" in 1980 when workers at a Jerusalem construction site accidentally busted through into a really old tomb. They found an inscription of Jesus' name on a box, did some DNA tests & what do you know.......IT WAS JESUS!! Apparently this guy along with James Cameron, the director of the blockbuster movie Titanic, will hold a press conference on Monday to "clear up things" for everyone. Especially the poor pathetic people who follow Jesus Christ.


The only problems I see with this guy's claims are as follows:





1. 10 out of the 11 disciples were murdered because they refused to deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ took place. The 11th, John died in exile on the island Patmos because he refused to deny the truth of the resurrection.





2. The resurection was not something kept hidden for centuries. Three days after Jesus' crucifixion people in Jerusalem knew about the resurrection and were going crazy about it!





3. The reasons outlined in this paper: http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:YvsSLOAce48J:www.greatcom.org/resources/areadydefense/ch20/default.htm+quote+about+resurrection+from+Josephus&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us





4. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus (the Apostle Paul) who went from being one of the most militant persecutors of the followers of Jesus into the most outspoken evangelist for Christianity in a Jewish & Greek Culture of 1st Century Asia Minor (who would just assume kill you as to look at you if you preached about Jesus.)





5. The tomb of Jesus was never worshipped by Jewish Christians. The tombs of religeous icons were always worshipped. Why not Jesus'? He wasn't and isn't in it!





It will be interesting to hear the talk in the next few weeks about this new movie coming out. Throughout all of it, though, I hold fast to historic evidence from both Christians & non-Christians alike. He is risen! Or as Paul wrote to the church at Corinth:



"Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,  and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born." (1 Corinthians 15:1-8)

Cup of Heaven

How come Starbucks coffee tastes so much better than any other coffee at 5:30 in the morning. It's not just in my head either! There is something seemingly sacred about the rich aroma filling my office. I take a taste & the steaming hot black taste of roasted whole beans from Ethiopia brings my senses to life. I think the only coffee better than Starbucks is whatever they serve in Heaven. Starbucks is soooo good.....mmmmmmm.

I feel as if I'm going on a journey with every sip. I'm on an excursion with Juan Valdez battling the evil dragon DECAF. We travel over hills and through valleys with a mission to spread coffee love to all nations! We cross a great river called Espresso in order to reach the nation Barrista. Once in Barrista we are attacked by the froo-froos. The froo-froos are a dangerous people who have been hypnotized by coffee imposters called FRAPPUCCINOS. We are forced to destroy them immediately before they infect other innocents with their deception. I am exploring villages filled with people who desperately need to be freed from their lack of true coffee-enjoyment.....they have been slaves all their lives to an evil master named Maxwell House and his depraved wife Folger. We shall set them free, however! Nothing can defeat the power of Starbucks wielded by Anson & Juan Valdez!! WE SHALL OVERCOME! We shall battle them with our plethora of flavors! Our arsenal is quite diverse!!! YUKON!! ETHIOPIA SIDAMO!! COLUMBIAN!! SUMATRA!! GUATEMALA!! VERONA!! AND DON'T YOU DARE MAKE ME HAVE TO USE THE FRENCH ROAST!!! AND IF THOSE DON'T WORK I SHALL CALL ON MY STRONG KOMODO DRAGON!! WE SHALL..........

Um.....

Sorry.

What I meant was.....Starbucks is really good.

Now back to my cup of heaven.

Almond Festival

Heather, Annabelle & myself attended the city of Ripon's annual Almond (pronounced a'-mon-d not all-mon-d! according to Riponites!) Festival today. I learned some valuable life-lessons there that I would like to randomly blog about now. They may help you in the future. The life-lessons are as follows:

- NEVER mispronounce "almond" to an almond farmer!! They take it personally! "It's an a'mond NOT an all-mond!!!" Unfortunately these same people can never explain why the commercial calls the candy bar "ALMOND JOY"!

- There is no such thing as a healthy low-carb corndog, funnelcake, churro or peppersteak sandwich!!

-It's ALWAYS a rip-off to pay 25 cents in order to get a penny with an almond imprinted on it!

- You should never talk bad about a school in Ripon while standing behind a financial supproter of that school in the Teriyake Chicken Bowl line.

- 6 bucks is way too much to pay for a lemonade no matter how "cool" the 16oz. cup looks.

- People dressed up in almond costumes are always frightening to small children!!

- The sidewalks in Ripon are way too small for 4 strollers side-by-side. Why do we always try to make it work anyway?!

- There are 4,899 ways to prepare an almond.

- Young 17 year old gangsta-wannabe's should never hang out trying to be cool and scope out girls at an almond festival....it simply doesn't work, fellas.

- Don't eat the yellow snowcones.

- Giant blow-up bouncers may be fun for the children but they are always a bad idea when they are made to look like a horrific national tragedy.....for instance let's say THE SINKING TITANIC!!!!! SHEESH PEOPLE!!

REMEMBER: THOSE WHO DON'T LEARN FROM THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT.

HOME DEPOT CHURCH

I went to Home Depot this morning to buy a wheelbarrow. Have you ever noticed that you can't ever seem to find an employee at Home Depot when you really need one? I had to walk up and down aisles stocked with millions of abstract items I know nothing about simply to find one 17 year old with an orange apron tied around his waist over his velcroed back-brace.

My conversation went like this:

"Where are your wheelbarrows?"

"Uh....Over there." (17 year old pointing back the exact way I had come from)

"K.....Thanks" (me feeling stupid)

Finally I found them......unassembled!! DOH!!

A sign posted at the top of the 40 foot scaffolding declared in large Sharpie-font "BUY ASSEMBLED! ASK AN EMPLOYEE!!

DOH!!! Not again!!

After an excursion to the carpet section I found a lady with the orange apron identifier.

"Excuse me.....where are the assembled wheelbarrows?" (I ask frustrated at 8:30 in the morning)

"Out front. Go get one and bring it inside to pay for it." (she says clearly frustrated that I'm speaking to her at 8:30 in the morning)

"K.....thanks." (I say wishing I was at LOWE'S)

After kicking an assembled wheelbarrow out front because it was locked to 23 other wheelbarrows and a large stone pillar I set out to find a third Home Depot Disciple. This time one was standing near the front of the store. A 19 year old girl with fresh highlights chewing gum.

"Can I please get a wheelbarrow?" (I ask sheepishly resigned to their soveriegn will)

"Sure" (she said in a way where I could tell she meant "DUH!")

"They're locked up" (I say in a way meaning "DUH!!!!!")

"Oh"

Rolling her eyes she calls for help on a really loud red phone.

A frustrated manager stomps to the front, walks speedily past me, looking back once to make sure I was following her the way a small starving pup would, unlocks them and waits for me to let her get back to doing whatever it is she wants to do.

FINALLY! I HAVE IT!! NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS PAY!!

Inside.....the checkout person isn't a person at all. It's a machine. A robot checked me out at Home Depot. I must admit though.......it was more helpful.

Sometimes when I have experiences like this I can't help but to think about how often I must treat people this way. I know there have been many times when I have treated people as a burden. Many times when I have been less-than-helpful to others who just need a bit of leadership and care. I make excuses for myself during these moments as to why I treat them this way. Excuses help to seperate me from the people who treat me this way. Excuses help me feel better.

I wonder how many people have visited a church body on a Sunday just to leave perplexed and confused and undervalued.

May we always be people who give Christ a good name in the way we treat others. Whether we're the church or a manager at Home Depot.

What I'm Reading now....

I'm the type of guy who has to be reading a few books at one time. It's weird & probably one of the signs that your an ADHD-bookworm-psycho! I'm really psyched with what I'm reading these days, though! It is as follows:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF VALUES by Charles Lindbergh
(Currently on page # 297. I've always been fascinated by this man. In case you didn't know he was the first guy to fly non-stop from the U.S. to Europe in the late 20's. He became a cultural icon for that generation, experienced horrible personal tragedy, and was a tremendously flawed man. Not a Christ-follower from what I can tell. This is his story in his own words. I visited his grave in Maui on the road to Hana & ever since then I've been fascinated.)

THE TIPPING POINT by Malcolm Gladwell
(Currently on page # 122.A bestseller that takes a look at the power of epidemics and how word of mouth advertising & other elements helps to get movements started. Didn't know I'd enjoy it as much as I am right now!)

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD by A.W. Tozer
(Currently on page # 157. How could you not love Tozer? I've been immersed in thoughts of what GOD is really like because of the current teaching series I'm leading at ACCESS high school ministry. An amazing reminder of who my GOD is at His core. Tozer is the type of guy who knew firsthand!)

THE ADVENTURE OF WORSHIP by Gerrit Gustafson
(Currently on page # 40. Pretty interesting book my worship leader buddy Joel Goddard gave to me recently. It's kind of a look at the Biblical history of worship and how it translates into our lives today.)

I love books! They're like extremely low-maintenance friends who are really wise and interesting!

Hit me Baby, One More Time

Two days ago I turned on my television in order to get some sort of update regarding the war our nation is in on two fronts- Iraq and Afghanistan. The news has been inundated of late with stories from the battlefield as well as the vain repititions of the U.S. Congress, unjust massacre in places like the Sudan and nuclear threats from both Iran and North Korea.

One can imagine my surprise, therefore, when the top story on all the news shows (seriously.....ALL the news shows) was a bald picture of Britney Spears. Yes...Britney Spears...the "Hit me Baby, One More Time, Ooops I did it Again, Lucky"-Pop Diva! It's bad enough when the news breaks away from real news in order to cover a low speed car chase through the hills of Ventura......but Britney Spears HAIR?!

The weird thing is that I have thought about that experience over the past couple of days. I thought about the hollow promises of fame, fortune & big homes. I thought about her two children who will now grow up without mommy & daddy together. I wonder whatever happened to the Mickey Mouse Club Britney. Whatever happened to the girl from Louisiana who broke onto the scene not only singing & dancing, but also unashamedly talking about her faith in Jesus & her commitment to stay sexually pure until she was married? What has happened in her life to take her from that "commitment" to kissing Madonna in front of the whole world, to text messaging her hubby a divorce message to checking in & out of rehab in less than a day to completely shaving her once stylish head of hair? And in the midst of all this, when does she have time to be a mother?

When I think about Britney Spears it saddens me. I obviously don't know her but it does sadden me. Maybe it's because I see how far she has fallen from her "commitment" to Christ & chastity. Maybe it's because I'm reminded that a little bit of compromise each day really multiplies and builds up over the months & years until one day you wake up and wonder where the real you went. Maybe it's because I work with High School Students all the time and I'm broken by the thought that girls like this are the heroes that teenage & 20something girls of today esteem & hold in high regard. Maybe it's because words like "character" and "integrity" are being replaced by words like "style", "popular", "sheek", "sexy" and "fashion". Maybe it's because I wonder what will happen next.

As I watch Britney I am reminded of a story that Jesus told one time about a young man who basically told his father "screw you" and took his inheritance with him to a land far away. Jesus tells us that the young man squandered his wealth on cheap sex and "wild living". He was having fun. Sin is always fun for the moment. Then one day the young man woke up & wondered who he had become. He found himself literally living in the mud with the pigs. A jewish boy in a pig pen. Jesus' point was well made.....this boy couldn't have gotten any lower if he tried!! Jesus tells us that one day the young man "came to his senses". He was unworthy and knew he needed to return to the father he disowned but how would his father ever take him back. As always, though, Jesus makes a scandalous point about what GOD is like!! The story ends with an embrace & a party. The father sees his son returning, runs to him, throws his arms around him and kisses him!! The father restored his rebel-son to the family. All the son had to do was return....the father did the rest!

Britney is just one example of many who have run. None of us are immune to becoming runners-from-God ourselves. The truth, however, is that the FATHER loves His children. He will always be right there for His children. If we will just come to our senses and realize that there is no peace, hope, fulfillment or real life apart from the Father we can be restored!

My hope is that Britney will realize that Jesus is still there....waiting for her return....he loves every single one of his children. Bald or not.

Playing with my daughter

These are the moments that matter most. Even though she is only 10 months old she is establishing a bond with us that will last a lifetime.

As I watch my wife play with our baby girl I am struck by how GOD created moms to be such nurturers. I am overwhelmed by how the LORD has blessed us so that Heather is able to stay home to love, teach, correct and feed our little girl each day. Many people aren't able to do that & I don't want to take it forgranted.

I have to go now.....my baby just said "dadadadadada-DAAA!" again & my heart is melting!

PS- Wish they had toys this cool when I was a baby!!!!