new post: RUNNING WITH LIL-E

So I went running with Lil-E our dog with a rapper's name! I didn't want to mainly because it's just inconvenient and i cant just focus on running!

After one mile-lap down and two to go and my wife's suggestion "run with the dog - she would love it!" was ringing in my ear the whole time, I had psyched myself up. After all, who DOESNT want to be able to run with their dog (unless you have one of those dress up purse dogs, then YOU dont!) But I have a great running, fetching dog that just needs needs some training and she is my dream dog!

Well I thought of a few very LIFE-CHANGING PRINCIPLES while running with her tonight.

1. THE EXTRA EFFORT AT THE BEGINNING PAYS OFF IN THE END! Its easy to be lazy and tell yourself you are ok with the health, energy, relationships, etc you currently have. but besides lying to yourself, there is nothing wrong with that - but no one truly wants it - they (me) just aren't willing to put in the extra effort on the front-end of life because we forget that a little extra effort, say training your dog to run side you, will result in the long-term satisfaction of a well trained running partner!

2. GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO DO LIFE WITH OTHER PEOPLE! Not as a whole - no one can do that besides Tom Hanks and even he had a volleyball, but we (I) too often escape opportunities to involve or include someone else in my meals, experiences, my life. We do this because its just easier; less messy; more convenient and we have more control. its disgustingly more complicated to be around people than to be alone but as with principle number 1, its far worth mess and the risk to "run" with others!

3. MY WIFE IS RIGHT far more often than she is wrong!

1 ALL-STAR + 1 ALL-STAR = 2 ALL-STARS??

LeBron is joining forces with another all-star, and a couple other very talented B-list ball players in South Beach as a Heat!

As exciting as it appears, this actually makes me a bit nervous and a good friend of mine worded it well when he said "Heat games will now be either very exciting or very boring!" He and I both agree that an all-star plus another all-star doesn't always equal two all-stars!

Though I plan on attending Mavs v Heat games in the future and hope for my own viewing please that I'm wrong, I fear that having three strong talented players and leaders on one starting offense might actually water down their drive and the show we are all used to seeing from D Wade and the King! This feeling was affirmed when I heard LeBron say, "it removes the pressure to go out there and score 30 every night!" Don't great stars need that to be...great stars?!

My only hope for the new Heat franchise is a small resemblance the starting 5 have to the Jordan, Pippen and Rodman Bulls - but im still not convinces that the scenarios are similar enough!

Time will tell but as for now, I anticipate watching a Mav v Heat game in the American Airline Area in Dallas!

Moral Obligation vs "How?"

You know those great things you have always wanted to do with your life - they are the things you get more serious about as time goes on until you just have to do something about it! Maybe they show up each year as new years resolutions but you dont say it out loud because then you would have to do something about it! For me, going into student ministry was one of those things and I've had several since but lately something else has been added to this 'really important to-do list'! I'm not going to tell you what it is now (because it still scares me to say it out loud) but I will say its bigger than hiking and camping the Grand Canyon (which i really want to do)! I would even say that this thing is creeping its way into my life as a Moral Obligation! Something I (...eventually) MUST do!!

but I have an enemy!

Of course, what thing worth doing or blogging about wouldn't have obstacle! Would Luke S. rescue of the known galaxy have been worth watching if it were not for a dramatic, death-defying dual with his biological enemy! No story is worth writing unless a hero is pit against a worthy villain forcing an audience to question: 'how will he do it?!" Fortunately, I do not have a mortal arch-enemy but just as powerful of an obstacle is this 3-letter word:

"how?"

My biggest problem with "how?" is that you can't blame it! its irresponsible not to ask it but Im beginning to think that this enemy has held many before me back from living a life of Moral Obligation worth reading, writing...or blogging about! Time, money, talent, luck, opportunity, energy all need to be in question but I've noticed the second I don't a good answer, I've lost and my really important task gets pushed back to next January's 'really important to-do list'.

As a Christian, I should have an advantage. I trust that, at some point, it is the Holy Spirit of God that puts things like this in my head and in my heart and therefore I can trust God to help provide, protect and all that good stuff but it still leaves my enemy without a great explanation many times! I desire to honor God and give Him glory with my life and may just need to trust Him in a way I've never had to before...simple enough...

...to be continued.

Salty

In the New Testament the word 'salt' is almost synonymous with 'peace'. In almost ever verse where salt is mentioned dealing with our influence in the world, the word peace immediately follows!

We know that salt adds flavor and preserves and we as believers have been called to do both! And it's interesting to notice a big part of having the influence Christ leads us to have as salt is almost directly related to being peacemakers!

So how do we make/keep peace? Well there are a few ideas that seem to show up around each mention of peace and salt.

The first, vengance is God's.
Romans 12:18,19 says, '...as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge...leave room for God's wrath.'

The second, be in unity.
2 Corinthians 13:11 tells us '...be of one mind, live in peace...'

And last, have a high standard of love.
1 Thessalonians 5:13 says 'hold them in the highest regard in love...Live in peace with each other.'

These are our steps toward being peacemakers and preserving/adding flavor to our world - it's how we are the salt of our world.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

BAD CALL!!

God is not a referee. But if he were, He would never make a bad call.

If you are a sports fan you probably remember a couple pretty major referee blunders in the past several weeks. The first one I think about is the bad call that stripped a perfect game from a MLB pitcher and the second happened this morning in the FIFA World Cup tourney when USA, while kicking the ball into the net, was called for an obviously nonexistent foul resulting in the loss of the much needed go-ahead goal! Both calls resulted in public ridicule and critique of both the man and the league that hired him!

Here’s my point: …(besides the fact that Instant Replay should be used more often)…One man’s decision, made from a limited vantage point in the heat and speed of play, stole something that an individual and a team is clearly deserving of.

Again, God is not a referee but when it comes to His cosmic responsibilities to ‘give and take away’ ‘bless or curse’ and ‘heal or not heal’, we tend to visualize God dressed in pinstripes with a whistle as the ‘Line Judge’ of our lives. And the very moment we don’t agree with a call or His sovereign judgment, we cry “BAD CALL!! How could possibly understand what I’m going through – that’s unfair – God, do you see what I see?! How could you allow this?!”

But how many times have we heard stories of tragic and seemingly unfair situations bring the exact thing that draws people to God! People have re-prioritized their lives, changed habits and trusted in God for the first time as a result of the most tragic situations imaginable!

So, before we demand an Instant Replay when God does something that seems unfair to us or allows something that we don't deserve, let's look at the facts:

- God sees eternity; not our finite 85-year scope. He sees things from an angle we never will: Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 - For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by…and a thousand years are like a day…

- God loves every single human being passionately: Psalm 139 and Matthew 7 – I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…how precious are your thoughts of me. How vast is the sum of them!...Your heavenly Father feeds the birds and are you not much more valuable than they!

- God is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-present: Matthew 19:26 - …with God all things are possible. 1 John 3:20 - …He (God) knows everything. Jeremiah 23:24 – Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?...Do I not fill heaven and earth!” – declares the LORD

Tip: Try being humbled by His sovereignty not threatened or angry! Let the infinite questions make you rest in Him and His love for you.

Top 5 Summer Camp must-dos

We are heading back from Break Camp 2010 at Camp WOW in Girdy, Ok and after 14 years of camp (half as a camper and half as a leader), I am noticing some things to do everytime on purpose!!

Top 5...

#5: Do camp w/ friends!
Join churches for the sake of an over the top exciting experience for your students. This week I gained a new friend named CM. He brought a small group of students compared to the 60 and 150+ students the other of us brought, because he knew he wanted in a summer camp experience! To be a part of 600+ students worshipping and having fun does something special in the mind and heart of student that God can use to turn them to Him! I joined with my friend's churches and our students made new friends - and it's a blast. At camp it's always more fun w/ more!

#4: Put students in teams!
Few things get student's attentions more than being a part of a "team" - a defined group competing on a healthy level for a prize or common goal! I am never disappointed how excited and creative students get when they are a part/responsible for the fate of 'thier' team! This year we built boats from cardboard and duct tape and divided them in colors and issued them the task of creating a name, cheer and flag! For the 3rd year to do this, we saw body paint, repurposing clothes to support themes, ideas that I NEVER could have come up with! Pride, trophy or candy are great prizes!

#3: Prioritize fun!
For 90% of students, this at least 90% of the reason they signed up in the first place. So much of camp is about building relationships that allow walls like pride and depression to crumble and that's when the truth of God can get through! Nothing builds relationship better that shared experiences...really fun ones! This year, we had skate ramps, waterfront with blob-slide-tubing-zipline, volleyball, basketball, fields full of activities, latenight activities, and more! Our students had fun with leaders and friends and bonds were made and trust was established. I blobbed a sophomore about 10' in the air!

#2: Empower volunteer leaders!
Camp will end. And when it does who better to help continue the week to week ministry of your group than adults that have experienced such a relationally intense like camp. Give as many volunteer 'leaders' (as we call them) as you can a chance to lead and love a group of students! Camp is the epidome of why you delegate your ministry and empower volunteers to grow as leaders. You can't do it anyways! At the end of the week at camp the groups circle up in the auditorium and the leader challenges, encourages and leads communion and every year it's when I get the most jealous - I want that bonding experience!! I quickly realize how selfish that is and then am overwhelmed with joy and pride in our leaders!

#1: Tell the story of the gospel clearly!
If you don't do this, don't do camp! This is the 'ends' and everything else is the 'means'. We would all agree that camp should be a Christian event - the message, attitudes, worship, etc should make that apparent - but a direct invitation to be a part of the Christian life and to trust God for the first time is a must!

I love summer camp!

- aPosted using BlogPress from my iPhone

HOW GOD SAVES

Salvation depends on the Holy Spirit convicting my heart and spiritually opening my eyes to see, but I believe a few 'dots' connected in a my head, logically, as I accepted Christ. Knowing these can help us pray for and prepare for what God is doing in someone's life.

dot 1. FORFEIT "My way doesn't work."

Romans 7:23, 24

But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

I am controlled more than I realize by a destructive force called Sin. It has gone undetected because sadly it's the norm and is synonymous with living in my flesh. This means that, despite my best efforts, I act selfishly and break things/relationships if left to them long enough. And the same thing that allows my to destroy my own life is what simultaneously rips me away from a relationship with God (separates me from Him) because of a host of lies in the form of shame, pride and fear. My sin by nature of what it is, separates me from God.

dot 2. FORGIVEN "I need someone to pay the debt for my Sin."

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God set up the world to demand a penalty or a sacrificial payment
where there was disobedience to Him. And based on dot #1, I have done that already and desparately need what He has to offer to rescue me from my death penalty. So I don't have to die (though I deserve to) God provided a perfect sacrifice for all people for all time! Only Christ offers true forgiveness for my disobedience and by accepting his death as a substitution for mine, I am forgiven and made righteous and brought back into a good relationship w/ Him!

dot 3. FREE "I am free from the bondage of sin."

Romans 6:6

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

The selfish and sinful lifestyle that I was convinced was true freedom was actually a plastic, fake version of freedom that ultimately results in bondage, addiction and bitterness! By obeying and honoring God out of pure response to who He is and what He has done for me (not because i have to), i experience authentic freedom. Bondage disguises itself in freedom and freedom can get labeled bondage by those who haven't trusted Him yet!

I tend to consider salvation as this completely organic and super unique experience and though HOW it happen may be, WHAT God does in the mind of the person He is drawing to Himself is very clear, specific and biblically consistent.

Also, its necessary that the believer matures past the idea that the Gospel is all about them and into the truth that it is about God getting glory. That God did just 'help you out' but that He is up to something that no one/thing can stop and we worship/know a God whose Glory results in our Good! THAT is a powerfully loving God! That's my God!