Forgive Me, But ...

I don't think I care. Not that I don't care about Penelope Cruz, I do. She's a beautiful person made in God's image for His purpose. But I don't care much for a big deal headline about how she almost fainted for winning an Oscar. The caption: "Penelope Cruz says she almost fainted after winning the night's first Oscar." … Is "so what" an appropriate response? … I could tell you about many people around the globe tonight who didn’t “almost” faint … they did … from hunger, thirst, drunkenness, loss of a loved one … from real issues, in the real world, that’s really broken and in need of a real Savior. Not a functional Savior (thanks to Driscoll for the insight), someone or some experience to distract us from our emptiness and give us "heaven on earth." The more the news dishes out shallow trivial anecdotes about superhuman movie stars the more we are potentially lulled into thinking that we live in a shallow world that has no need for the depth of the Gospel. Am I overreacting? Comments welcome.

Let's Be That Generation ...

... that throws off ambitions of vanity and lives for a bigger cause than self gratification ... that turns away from societal norms and cuts a new path ... and most importantly, let's be that generation that doesn't react so sharply to the disappointing flaws of those before us that we lose the value in their convictions and belief systems. Think about it - there have been generations before who have thrown off the norms and blazed new trails, of course they weren't always leading in the right direction (the 60's come to mind), but even those that sought to lead in the right direction often went so far into that direction that they introduced a whole new set of injustices and heresies to be corrected. By whom? The generation after them of course ... who would react so strongly that they ended up back in the same pile of mess the other guys were reacting to. Confused yet? Reacting to something that does not line up with God's heart and plan for redemption is completely appropriate. Reacting so much that we are disgusted by anything associated with the crowd and/or convictions that we're reacting to, regardless of its validity in the Christian worldview, is not appropriate ... but often practiced. Perhaps you have noticed some of this in the past half century. Strong orthodoxy absent of compassion for the broken leads to a social gospel devoid of the truth about sin and the need for a Savior ... which leads back to fundamentalism combined with skepticism about anyone who tackles issues of social injustice (hello Dr. J) ... which leads to ... you get it. Overbearing dominant leadership in the church combined with (the one man answer-all show) combined with stiff sermons laced with lengthy theological rhetoric leads to a an unhealthy skepticism about leadership in general and an anti-authoritarian bent that even slips into questioning that authority God's Word claims for itself (hello McClaren). Overemphasis on the church building and its structures and hierarchies leads to a distrust of institutions and organizations (hello ... me). So, where do you stand? What are you reacting to? If you are passionate about the mission of the church you have likely noticed the oregano in its teeth and are prepared to remove it with a pressure washer ... but may I suggest that a simple water pick might do the trick. What am I saying? That we don't have to react so strongly that we do more damage. The orthodox ogres are right about the importance of sound doctrine ... and the meek mercy-givers are right about the need for that doctrine to translate into a mission to loose the chains of injustice. So it is my prayer that as we are reacting ... we slow down, pray more, seek God's heart, not our own agenda ... and somewhere in the middle of the swing back in the other direction stop and realize that balance is needed in these issues. Let's be that generation ... the generation that doesn't react so strongly that we need to be reacted to.

What's In Your Ear?

I know a lot of people like to wear their IPod when they work out, and that's cool, I guess. I'm not really into it myself. I like to hear the sounds, and be aware of the people around me, ready to converse if the opportunity arises. But what I saw tonight was really over the edge. A husband and wife working out together ... both with IPods in. It was actually quite entertaining at times. The wife would say "whew my arms are Jello." To which the husband would reply "huh" ... and she'd repeat it louder. Then the husband would say "maybe you should use less weight for this one." To which the wife would reply "huh" ... and he'd repeat it louder. Please try to picture the funny faces made with each "huh" and the removing of the earpiece ever so slightly to get the message. It seems like this would have been awfully frustrating, but apparently it wasn't. Because it just continued as I sat and pondered the situation.

I feel like that scenario painted a good picture of the way our lives become in our modern era of business and activity. It seems like we always have something in our ear, whether it's an actual IPod or not. So many things rival for our attention, and too often we offer little resistance to the noise of the world ... there's always something in our ear. And just as the bride and groom in the above story were having a hard time hearing each other ... we, as the bride of Christ, often have a hard time hearing Him due to a noisy lifestyle. And even if we think we hear from God sometimes, maybe we only take the earpiece out long enough to say "huh," but not long enough to sit, and be still and fix our gaze on His beauty ... and truly listen. So, what's in your ear that may be keeping you from hearing the One who loves you? Maybe it's time to clear some space ... to be still, to be quiet, to listen.

And let us not forget the wisdom of the Three Amigos ... "in a way we each have our own El Guapo in life ... in this case it also happens to be the actual El Guapo." We each have our own IPod distraction in our spiritual life ... and if yours happens to be an actual IPod ... take it out. You're missing a lot of life. (don't take this part too terribly seriously (unless you have a serious IPod addiction) ... I just wanted to get the Three Amigos in there).

But seriously, I know in my life I need to make space to listen and be still. As your brother in Christ I lovingly challenge you to do the same. He is truly beautiful, as are the gentle words He longs to speak to us ... if we'll listen.

None of the Other Birthday Blogs Would Be Possible Without This Guy ...

That's right ... this man is partially responsible for the six wacky kids that carry the name Christmas. And we are truly grateful for his part both in bringing us into the world, and teaching us how to live in this world. And in this crazy world where little is certain anymore, I am certain that our Dad has been there, as the pictures show, for ... birthdays ... swimming days ... lake days ... play days ... fun days ... Christmas days ... wedding days. He has been there and has been ready to give, love, live, correct, teach, provide, and lead our family. Thank you Dad. Happy Bir- oh, yea, Trey wanted to say something too ...






It's pretty wild to think that I now have the same privilege and responsibility that I am thanking my dad for today. Happy Birthday Dad ... thanks for being there, for caring, and for loving. Pray that I will do the same for Trey. I love you.

Why You Smilin' a' Me?!

... Fair question Christy ... well, here's why ...



Because, as these pictures represent, you are a beautifully alive woman with a big heart. Your true colors may be veiled to some by your introverted tendencies, but those of us that know you, we have reason to be smilin' a you.

Because you used to think there was a Miami and a Yourami ... we're smilin'. Because you used to dress up like an Indian and shoot a bow and arrow ... we're smilin'(it was very convincing by the way). Because you used to smoke a pipe ... we're smilin'. Because you raised Kevin ... we're smilin'. And even though you often demanded "gimme a sandwhich now!" ... we're still smilin' (and snickering a little). You give us reason to smile. Happy Birthday Christy. We love you.

What Do You Say To Something Like That?

… I was in a hurry … didn’t see him … I’d been waiting in line since yesterday … but are any of these justification for taking a man’s life? Hardly. There are a lot of things worth dying over; bargain shopping isn’t one of them. But it was in the name of more stuff for less money that Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour was killed by a stampede of lustful bargain hunters on what has been termed Black Friday, an ironically appropriate name in this case. As much as my heart warms at the thought of celebrating another Christmas, it is saddened by the death of this man, and by the slow death of the true spirit of Christmas in America. This is more than a "Keep Christ in Christmas!" cry from the local religious wing nut. It is a cry to consider what we have become and how we can change the face of Christmas celebrations in our country. Even in an economic slump one consumer stated “It’s our life. We cannot die because the economy is down.” I wonder if she realizes that she just equated buying gifts with life. If that is our life then we have sold out to something far below the vision that God has for us. The degradation of our Christmas traditions is encapsulated by the marketing madness of Black Friday and the gross consumerism it evokes, and it must change. But how? It is too late to be proactive, but reactive measures are very much in order. The church must begin to be the trend setters for the way Christ's birth in celebrated. Will we be brave enough to be counter-cultural, to buy less, and love more, to generate new traditions based on relationships, not stuff? There are so many ways to go against the consumerist flow and contribute to needs that represent the heart of God in the process. Did you know you can buy a goat for an impoverished family in another country? You can contribute to the building of a well for a village where people die frequently for lack of clean water. And you can spend the time that you would have shopped for stuff your loved ones don’t actually need and spend it with them instead. React against this sad death; bring joyful life back to the Christmas celebration. See www.adventconspiracy.org, www.musthavegifts.org, and www.rethinkingchristmas.org for more creative gift alternatives, and be brave enough to be counter-cultural. Also, perhaps you see fit to contact Wal-Mart and let them know how disgusted you are that they had inadequate security, and re-opened the store only hours after Mr. Damour’s death. (http://walmartstores.com/contactus/feedback.aspx)

702 SW 8th Street
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

“All it takes for evil to prevail is the good (wo)men do nothing” … do something.

Proud Moment

Joanna, after taking a stressful trip to downtown Raleigh, and in the face of sub-freezing windchill temperatures ... decided to go out and run today as she had planned ...



Trey was very supportive as Joanna finished the run with some intervals up the hill in front of our house ...






Joanna and I (and Trey) will be running a 5k on Thanksgiving Day! The goal is to finish without stopping ... but either way it'll be a blast! Can't wait! I'm so proud of my cute little runner girl!