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Last weekend we got together with a few friends to celebrate Annabelle's second birthday. Elmo and Abby Cadabby (of Sesame Street fame) were plastered all over our house as toddlers blew bubbles, bounced balloons into the air, and scurried up and down the stairs like ants marching in a parade.

I was reminded on that day that one of the most amazing sounds in the galaxy is a child's laughter. There may be no other sound so filled with hope and optimism. 

It's hard to believe that this little girl is already two. As I write this blog my little munchkin is flopping around on the floor like a captured fish singing a song that has only one lyric: "da be doo-doo-doo.....da be doo-doo-doo". Her little pink bow (strategically matching her shoes) hangs sideways like a tattered war-torn flag......a casualty of her new game. The more I watch my daughter play her made up games, blow out Elmo-candles, and eat cake with her hands, the more I continue to understand why Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me."

What Friendship Means

Today I spent some time with one of my best friends, Joel. We talked about life and ministry as we ate hot wings and way too many curly fries. We laughed about old memories and dreamed about what the future may hold for each of our families. As we sat there in Beef O'Brady's Restaurant surrounded by sports memorabilia and about 16 flat screen tv's,  I felt blessed. Striking up these old friendships has been a gift from GOD over the past month-and-a-half. In addition to being at a church where I have learned a year's worth of lessons already, I have been able to hang out with friends I feel a real kindredness to. Joel is one of those friends I can imagine myself sitting on a patio with when I'm 70 complaining about the rising prices of prunes and milk of magnesia. 

Another good friend of mine is Jason. We have been friends for about 10 years now (Dude, i'm getting old!). I love talking to Jason (whenever we have a serious conversation) because even though we have vastly different backgrounds we think extremely similarly about ministry. His office is about 7 doors down from mine at the church. We actually live officially 3 doors down from Jason and his family. I consider it a joy getting a knock on my front door at 11pm from him asking if he can borrow one of my Nintendo Wii games. 

Here at 12Stone I feel like I've already made some pretty cool friendships with the guys on staff with me too. Brett (Middle School Pastor) is a stinking trip! It was a touching experience spitting lugies off of the bridge at the church and racing the 12Stone golf carts in the parking lot in our own makeshift Daytona 500. Berry (One of the Children's Pastors) is the master of one liners. The dude literally makes me laugh every time he opens his mouth! Miles (the College Pastor) is an inspiration to me. The way he blasts his music next door so loud that it makes my bookcases rattle inspires me to buy ear plugs. But it also makes me laugh. The favorite part of my week is when we find ourselves huddled around someone's computer watching the latest hilarious youtube video that one of us has victoriously tracked down.

I've learned some lessons about friendship over the past few weeks. Friendship is a gift. To have compadres in this life is crucial. Especially when you're in ministry. Having dudes with you who can relate on a close level to the life GOD has called you to is vital. Having guys I can laugh with and who can remind me that "we should take Jesus seriously, but not ourselves" is a blessing I am thankful for.

I miss the friends I had over on the west coast. Especially the few fellow soldiers who know me deeper than anyone. I miss them greatly. But I am very grateful that the LORD has provided more here at 12Stone. What does friendship mean to me? It means always having a reason to smile.............. and laugh my butt off at a youtube video.

SIMON was at Church!!!

Remember the 1980's smash hit electronic game SIMON? Any true child of the 80's does! Well, yesterday morning at 12Stone church we played it. No, they didn't pass out thousands of little electronic games during each worship service. Instead during the middle of the sermon they passed out thousands of different colored glow sticks. Each section of the auditorium received a different color. I had yellow (the coolest color by far). Then instructions were given, the lights went out, a diagram to lead us came on the big screens, and 2 guys in glow-in-the-dark suits started playing some funky electronic music on the keyboard! It was the trippiest thing I've ever experienced in a church service. And it fit right in with the truth being communicated in the sermon!! The truth is that GOD is like "Simon" in the sense that He gives instructions and we must be attentive because He expects us to follow.

I know my descriptions of what happened yesterday don't do it justice. That's OK. Just trust me when I say it was stinking amazing!!

From MySpace to Facebook: A coming of age.

In the past 24 hours I have officially begun my Facebook experience. It feels like the first day of Junior High to me. I have officially graduated the 6th grade of Myspace where everyone laughs at really immature jokes, lies about their boring lives, and mass mails  absurd chain letters that say If I really love GOD I will forward the chain letter to 10 of my friends (I guess I missed the chapter in my Bible where Jesus talks about that! Oh darn!!). 

I am now roaming the hallways of Facebook. Unsure of what to do, where to go, or how to be cool but pretending to know exactly what I'm doing.

I must say that it seems like everyone is in the Facebook world except for me. In less than a day I already have almost 60 friends!!! I feel so popular!! This has been a very solid day for my self esteem. Like I'm the cool kid in Junior High who just got a brand new pair of Air Jordans and that really sweet Chicago Bulls Starter Jacket. I'm walking down the hall with my walkman in my ears blasting Vanilla Ice while everyone smiles and says, "Hey look! There's Anson! Check out his cool new Donnie Wahlberg haircut!!" Oh yes..... Facebook is great! I just hope the teachers here are nicer.

TO VISIT MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE SEE THE LINKS ON THE SIDE OF THE PAGE!!

Being a Daddy...

Growing up without my biological father around I was always sort of freaked out about becoming a dad. I literally compiled numerous books on "being a daddy" and devoured them.  It was a bit like preparing to be a professional sailor without ever having seen an ocean. (OK...I'm not quite sure if that illustration makes sense to you but it does to me.) Don't get me wrong....I always wanted kids! I just didn't feel like I had what it took to be a great (even good) dad.

Then my daughter was born. One day soon after her birth as I watched her coo and poop it suddenly occurred to me that whether I liked it or not she was counting on me. Whether I felt ready or not she was ready and expecting me to be her daddy. Not perfect. Just competent. 

A few years ago John Mayer wrote a really intense song called "Daughters". If you haven't listened to it for a while I'd encourage you to pick it up on i-tunes after you read this. It's actually one of my favorite songs of all time. Probably because of my own experience of being estranged from my dad. Every time I hear the following line from that song I do a double take: 

Oh you see that skin?

It's the same she's been standing in

Since the day she saw him walking away

Now she's left

Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

I'm not sure why I started thinking about this today. Maybe it's because me and Heather took our little one to the park today. As she played in the sand and obsessively picked the pine straw out of her bucket, placing it in it's own orderly pile, I started to see a lot of me in her. I couldn't help but stare. And wonder at the miracle of life. And pray in a whisper that when she's 29 like I am today...... she won't be cleaning up the messes I have made.

I am a dad.

Leadership & Ministry

The church I work at (12Stone Church in the Atlanta area....woot woot!) is getting ready to host the Maximum Impact Simulcast tomorrow. Leaders like Andy Stanley, Dick Vitale, and John Maxwell will be speaking. Our staff was treated to a surprise today when John Maxwell came in early to spend some time with us. In short- I just had a boatload of leadership wisdom unleashed upon me. The wisdom of this man was quite inspiring. In addition to a signed copy of his new book Leadership Gold, I got to ask him a question. "John, when you were 30 what books shaped you the most?" Want to know what he said? Ask me in person some time and I'll tell you.

Dear Cheesesteak!

Dear Cheesesteak,

I needed to write to you because no matter how hard I try I just cannot stop thinking about you. I can't shake the memories I have of you. When I saw you in Philly I wasn't sure quite what to think about you. I must admit I couldn't take my eyes off of you. The whole time I watched you, I quietly prayed you would choose me. Little did I know you were hoping I would choose you too! When you ended up on my plate I breathed a sigh of relief like a jaywalker who had just escaped the overzealous cops.

Oh, my cheesesteak. So warm. So greasy. So cheesy. So steaky. So good.

I chewed you to my heart's content. I whispered sweet nothings to you. I promised you the world. I would lasso the moon for you, Cheesesteak.

I shall never forget the 4 minutes we shared in Philly.

For such a brief moment in history you made me so very happy.

And then you were gone.

Until we one day meet again,

Anson

My Trip to Philly

Last week I went on my very first trip with the high school students of 12Stone. With the help of some incredible adult volunteers from the ministry I led a trip into the inner city of Philadelphia, PA. We spent the week doing ministry on Kensington Avenue. It's one of the most broken and dark places I have ever been. The streets are laced with prostitutes (male and female), drug dealers, and crowds of homeless people. The graffitti-clad buildings cast shadows over the people while the air is constantly filled with the sound of booming-bass from cars thumping the likes of Chris Brown and Nelly. And all the while time seems to stand still under the elevated train that covers Kensington.

Throughout the week we worked with some incredible people in an organization called AIM. These people have such a heart for the people on Kensington Avenue and all those living in Philly's inner-city. They actually live there year-round. They minister full-time to the broken people who fill those streets. 

We walked the streets of Philly having providential conversations with the homeless, grilling them hot dogs, serving them steaming coffee, and praying for them as they expressed needs. Much can be learned in a week like this. The LORD taught me some staggering truths during my time in Philly (The Birthplace of America). I'd like to share a few of them now.

• -I've been incredibly judgemental toward the homeless and their plight. I've acted like a jerk toward them my whole life. I need to grow up. I repent.
  
• -I see why Jesus chose to spend so much time hanging out with the "riff-raff". There's not an ounce of pre-tense in them. They're just happy you're there.
  
• - Processed hot dogs smothered with sauerkraut and canned chili can actually taste good when you're eating them with hurting homeless people in Philly who really appreciate them.
  
• - People living on the streets care about the same thing I do like the presidential election, the war in Iraq, and whether or not the Braves will beat the Phillies in the NL East.
  
• - There's so much more to Christianity than just Bible studies & church attendance. Start to serve and give yourself away to those in need and you'll realize this.
  
• - The only real difference between those of us living in the suburbs and those who sleep in the dark alleys of Kensington Avenue in Philly is where we sleep and live. Our struggles are the same. Lust, selfishness, addictions, anger, greed, and pride to name a few.
  
• - The absence of fathers who care for and lead their families seems to be the root of all this brokenness.
  
• - People in Philly really hate the Dallas Cowboys. I mean with a vitriolic hate.
  
• - Flyers fans are psycho!
  
• - One day even the darkness, sin, and despair so visible in a place like Kensington Avenue will be defeated by Jesus Christ. Every knee on Kensington will one day bow to the King.
  

Here's to you, Philly! Thank you for the lessons.

What I'm Reading Right Now: A LIST OF BOOKS PROBABLY NO ONE ELSE CARES ABOUT.

So anyone who knows me is aware of my obsession with books. Part of it is just about leadership. A mentor of mine in college once remarked to me "A leader is a reader". I'm pretty sure he stole this quote from John Maxwell or Oswald Sanders or someone like that but the truth of that statement remains. I have never forgotten this!

Another reason for my obsession, however, is just therapeutic. Books are so full of wisdom and insight. Way more than any TV show or web site. So, in my spare time, I try and discipline myself to study and read. My most influential mentors are dead guys who wrote great books.

So, with all that said, here's what I'm reading right now:

The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander

This book was actually given to me by an older gentleman at my previous church in Cali right before we left a few weeks ago. It's subtitle is "Building Your Ministry On The Gospel". This should give you a clue into what this book focuses on. It's a great look at how to lead a church that is truly about the Gospel. A church where a "win" is defined by how well we're carrying out the Great Commission and not just whether or not a worship service was, in our own relative definitions, "cool".

Preaching & Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd Jones

Ummm..........wow! Gone to be with Jesus in 1981, this incredible pastor of Westminster Chapel in London is fast becoming one of my dead mentors!! This book is so before it's time. In it he addresses the idea that preaching the Word has become stale and is no longer effective. He asserts that not only is preaching still effective it is indeed the most effective task we could carry out in a church. Sometimes as I'm reading this book I actually feel as if I'm reading a contemporary book addressing the emergent church. I love it and hate it when I read things like "If people are not attending places of worship I hold the pulpit to be primarily responsible." OUCH! I totally recommend this as essential reading for anyone who preaches GOD's Word on a regular basis!

John Wesley: A Theological Journey by Kenneth J. Collins

I don't read as many biographies as I should. This one has been a challenging one but it has definitely been beneficial. I have never known a whole lot about Wesley so reading this book has made him human to me. Reading about his struggles and even depressing seasons has encouraged my soul. Reading about how he and George Whitefield disagreed so strongly on theological topics such as predestination and yet how they remained good friends respecting one another's ministry has challenged me in my own life. This is a man who persevered and his work for Christ lives on hundreds of years later. Lord, help me to be a man like this for your glory!

So that's a bit about what I'm reading. So, what are you reading?