There's No Place Like Home

We went out of town for Christmas. We spent some nice, relaxing time with family.

Eggnog. Family. Turkey. Presents. Kids giddy about presents. Trees. Lights.

I LOVE Christmas! And I love being with my family. And I love traveling.

But there's no place like home.

There's nothing like sleeping your own bed, watching your own TV, lounging on your own couch. (I took a wonderful nap on mine this afternoon... Woo-hoo!)

No matter how much I enjoy a trip (& I've taken some great ones!), I always love coming home.

There's no place like home!

I'm on another trip away from home right now, too... It's called life. There have been good times & there have been bad times, & I've really enjoyed my life. But, I'm really looking forward to going home!

This world is NOT my home... I'm just on a journey until Daddy calls me there! And I'm really looking forward to that day!

There's no place like home!

It's (Still) the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Regardless of how commercialized, hectic, & selfish "the holidays" become, I will always be thankful for Christmas!

Honestly, I'm not a "gifts" person, so getting gifts doesn't excite me in the slightest. But, I'll tell you what does...

There's something wonderful about watching my girls fidget and squirm more and more the closer and closer we get to present time!

There's something wonderful about seeing the hustle & bustle of "the season" come to a sudden & screeching halt about 7pm on Christmas Eve.

There's something wonderful about the sounds and smells of family and food.

There's something wonderful about the tree and the lights.

There's something wonderful about presents and decorations.

But, most of all, there's something wonderful about all of these things that constantly remind me of Jesus' love for us, His gift to us, and His splendor.

They can make Christmas as commercialized & aggrandized as they want to, it will never compare to the glory & splendor of Jesus that we will one day see!

It's still (& will always be, in my opinion) the most most wonderful time of the year!

Merry Christmas!

It's always darkest just before dawn

Some sayings are silly.

Some sayings are pithy.

Some sayings drip with sarcasm.

But there are a few sayings whose truth rings so clear that they cannot be denied.

This is one of those sayings.

I have heard it's ring first-hand, and continue to hear the echoes of it's truth down through the years.

It seems there is no shortage of darkness in the days in which we are living. I don't mean that in some hooky-spooky, ultra-spiritual arrogance, either... It just seems to me like everyone I know is dealing with something difficult in some area of their lives. For most people I know, it's several things in several areas of their lives.

Very little of these troubles seems to be overtly or exclusively demonic, although there's no doubt that the prince of darkness is working in the midst of these circumstances that share his title. No, it's just... Life. Life in times of trouble. They've happened before, & they'll happen again.

But even while this darkness looms foreboding over the paths we are walking, an undeniable and sharp sound blasts through the fog & illuminates hope in our hearts. If you listen, you can hear it. To be honest, its ring is so distinct that you have to tune it out if you don't want to hear it. It is the echoes of this truth returning to our circumstances & drawing our memories back to times previous when--at the edge of despair--dawn broke through the darkness.

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

Wherever we are, no matter how dark things may seem...

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

No matter how long the blanket of struggle has been laid heavily across our being...

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

No matter how hopeless the darkness may seem...

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

No matter how far away the morning seems to be...

"It's always darkest just before the dawn."

Brothers & Sister, hear me: DO NOT DESPAIR!

IT IS ALWAYS DARKEST JUST BEFORE THE DAWN!

Riches in Poverty

There are some ironies of life that transcend all explanation.

I found one in Haiti.

I expected that my trip there would impact my life, but never to the depth that it did! It was one of those I'll-never-be-the-same-again experiences.

I also never expected to be impacted the way that I was impacted!

As long as I've been a Christian, I've heard about the transforming power of Christ's love. (Longer, I'm sure, but what unbeliever ever listens to that!) But until I spent this time at Grace Children's Home, I never experienced it!

When you & I look at Grace Children's Home, we think "orphanage." Keith & Cindy would quickly correct you if they heard you say that: "We're NOT an orphanage, we're a family."

It's not a slogan... They are!

See, at Grace, they are not running an orphanage, (begin sarcastic voice) trying to give a bunch of under-privileged kids the opportunity of a lifetime: to be an American. (end sarcastic voice)

The truth is that at Grace, they have a family. They are a family! In fact, when you look at the 80 or so kids there, if you didn't know the kids came from different families, you'd think it was a strong family with 80 kids! Seriously!

It's incredible!

In fact, it's miraculous!

And that's really the point: this family is not knit together by DNA, but TPCL... The Transforming Power of Christ's Love! These kids have been touched by the Father's love & now have an earthly father & mother in Keith & Cindy.

If you've never seen this transforming power for yourself--or if you've seen it only to the extent that you're still able to explain it--then I invite you to join us in March as we take a team from our church down to Grace.

We're going down to be a blessing: "rich" Americans showing benevolence to "poor" Haitians, but I already know what's really going to happen: we're going to realize that they are rich, that we are poor... And we're going to be blessed more than be a blessing.

This is what happened to Jennifer & I experienced when we went down there.

Yes, indeed: we're going to see riches in poverty!

no title

That's not a typo up there: I didn't give it a name on purpose.

Ya know how people say something is so amazing that they just don't have words to express how they feel about it? I really feel that way!

We've been back from Haiti for almost 2 weeks now, & I haven't posted a blog entry because I haven't been able to find the words to describe it. Not just one aspect of the trip, either....

Let me try to describe the 2 major areas of this trip over the next couple of posts. This week, I'll try to tackle describing the best part of this trip: meeting my son.

We saw the pictures. We knew he was cute.

Those puffy little lips...

Those chubby little cheeks...

Those big, brown eyes...

But we didn't realize that his grip was so strong! No, no, no... Not the grip of his hands, the grip he has on our hearts!

We've been wondering how this would all pan out...

Would he accept us?

Would he have a personality compatible with mine? Jen's? The girls'?

Would he be cold & aloof, rejecting the love we want so much to offer?

What we discovered in our far-too-few days with him is that He was created to be a part of our family! Yes, he was born to other parents in another part of the world, but I'm just as sure that God created him to be my son as I am that God created Jen to be my wife and Micaiah, Hosanna, Faith, & Leili to be my daughters!

There really are no words to describe how it felt to be there with him!

Well, maybe there are...

I felt like I had come home to be with my son.

By the way, Carlos has a new name: Judah Benjamin. (The girls helped Jen & I pick that out.)

I sure do miss him!

And there are no words to describe how it feels!!!

Thanks

I've said.

You've said it.

I've said it at times when I really meant it. And I've said it at times when it was the right thing to say. I've also said it at times when it was so perfunctory that I didn't even realize I was saying it (much less mean it).

But now... Today... The day before Thanksgiving... I'm saying it in a way that I've never said it before. Today I am in the strange situation of being thankful (& really meaning it!), but knowing at the same time that I have no idea just how thankful I am.

Tomorrow, Jen & I leave for Haiti to see our son for the first time. Ever.

We've seen pictures, & we have friends that have spent some time with him, but we have only seen pictures, & we've never held him. Or heard his voice. Or smelled him. Or seen him look back at us.

It's weird: I know I'm going to be emotional when I walk in Grace Children's Home in Port de Paix, Haiti, & see him for the first time, but something tells me that I'm going to feel things that I've never felt before, nor known I could feel, nor that those feelings even exist.

I wonder if it'll be like seeing Micaiah for the first time... Knowing she was dead already, but feeling a joy that overwhelmed the sorrow of her tragic & untimely death.

Or will it be like seeing Hosanna for the first time.... Feeling as much relief as joy after nine months of agonizing wondering if she would still be alive the next day.

Or will it be like seeing Faith for the first time... Amazed that my capacity to love seemed to increase infinitely as she became a part of our family.

Or will it be like seeing Leili for the first time... Delighted to see her, yet somewhat saddened knowing it would be the last time Jen would be pregnant.

Something tells me this is going to be different beyond my ability to estimate or comprehend.

Unique is probably a better word.

Yes, unique... Just like every other time. (That has to be the most ironic thing I have ever thought, spoken, or heard.)

Wow... I have SO much to be thankful for!

And God to be thankful to.

Thanks.

Time Sure Flies When You're Overwhelmed

I just logged on to see what I wrote in my last post & realized that it had been 8 days since my last post.

WHOA! Where did the time go?!

I've been extra busy lately with some extra responsibilities at the church, but I didn't realize I was THAT busy!!

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember standing over my desk right before I left this afternoon and clearing off 3 or 4 piles of paperwork from those extra responsibilities. I distinctly remember this thought crossing my mind: "Wow! So that's what the top of my desk looks like!" At one point, I looked over at my monthly calendar & realized it was still on October (I can't believe I didn't even notice until today)!!

It suddenly hit me that fun isn't the only thing that seems to speed up the clock... Being overwhelmed does, too! When you've got far more to do than you can possibly accomplish... When you're fighting an undertow of paperwork that seems to want to suck you under and into the Admin Sea... When you reference your task list just to see how much you've failed to accomplish... Ugh! I gotta quit!!

The one bright spot? When you're having fun, time goes by too quickly... When you're overwhelmed, time can't go by quick enough!

Takin' the Good with the Bad (Or, why Nyquil tastes so yucky!)

It's an amazing reality that some of the best things in life are the worst.

No, really... Think about it.

Some of the very best things that we experience come at the expense of tremendous suffering and hardship. (I hear every mother shouting "Amen!)

Don't ask me to explain it: I can't. I mean, I could try... But, why? I could give you some over-simplistic, under-doctrinalized theory about the depravity of our fallen, human condition (Oh, look... I just did!!) but who wants to sink their intellectual teeth into that?!

No... Let's just take this bittersweet pill according to the label on the bottle: "Take one tablet daily as needed."

I guess it's this out-of-bad-comes-something-good aspect of life that gave birth to expressions like, "Every cloud has a silver lining" (What?!) and "It'll all be worth it someday." (I think a politician wrote that one!)

All I know is that it's true. And if you & I are going to look back upon our lives with any satisfaction at all, we're going to see a beautiful landscape scarred with the evidence of horrendous experience. It makes me think of Nyquil: it tastes awful, but it sure makes me feel better the next morning!

So... Until Jesus comes & makes everything right again, I guess we're stuck takin' the good with the bad. God is so awesome!

Innocent Bystanders & Victims of Opportunity

It never fails!

Every time I start a new series, my wife gets to live it out first... and usually with great frustration & anxiety.

Poor Jen!

She's just minding her own business, walkin' her walk & doin' her thing, and then--all of a sudden--WHAM! She gets hit with my sermon-series topic!

She & I joke (well, I joke... she doesn't find anything funny about it) that I should be the one to have to suffer through the message, not her! She's just an innocent bystander.

The truth is that she's right. Sort of.

Whenever we align ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, we declare war on those who are enemies of God. That means that we are always a target of the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.

In war, missions often have primary and secondary targets which are the highest priority. But there are often other viable targets that can be attacked after completion of the primary & secondary ones. These are called "targets of opportunity." For all you N'awlins folks, it's what we call lagniappe (all the normal people in the world call it "bonus" or "gravy").

When we belong to Jesus, the forces of darkness will attack us just because they can. We become "Victims of Opportunity." God allows these attacks for reasons I can't even begin to understand (much less explain!), but I know that in the weathering of them, our faith in Christ grows even stronger. I didn't read that in a textbook, I've lived it! Many times!!

So, the next time you get jumped by some spiritual "boogeyman" while you're minding your own business, just remember that Innocent Bystanders & Victims of Opportunity are both Sons & Daughters of the Most High God who reigns over all!!

The Tension Between Good Enough & Great

There's something that drives me nuts.

It's the frustration I feel when I pour myself into a project or a message thinking it's going to be great only to walk away feeling like it fell far short of "great" & landed somewhere closer to "good". When it does, it usually makes a huge "Thud!"

Grrrrr.

I have to be honest... I am sometimes (usually) tempted to try to ignore my frustration & just sit there in the "good" area. But then I start remembering Scriptures like, "Whatever you do, do it with all your might," & "Do everything as unto the Lord." (Do you tell your conscience to shut up, too?)

That's when I find myself in a battle--sometimes mental, sometimes verbal, and never loud enough for anyone else to hear me. (Well... Almost never... Sort of...)

Anyway...

I find myself in an all-out war with this humongous, Jabba-the-Hut-like beast that just wants to suck the life out of everything around it, including me, my passion, & my vision!

You may have seen this thing in your life, too: it just wallows in pathetic mediocrity, babbling some incoherent, gurgling sound. It becomes eerily chant-like & the scary part is that it has that same can't-get-it-out-of-my-head catchiness as the theme song for Sesame Street. (Sunny day... Keeping the... Clouds away... Gotcha!)

But, if you listen closely, you can almost make out something in the gurgling...

"Gooooooooood eeeeeeeeee nouuuuuuuuuuu ghhhhhhhh."
"Gooooooooood eeeeeeeeee nouuuuuuuuuuu ghhhhhhhh."
"Gooooooooood eeeeeeeeee nouuuuuuuuuuu ghhhhhhhh."

Like a drug, this mantra pulls you in to a euphoric state of comfortable numbness (thanks for the words, Pink Floyd). But like any lie, it doesn't tell you what it really means...

"I'm going to kill you... I'm going to kill you... I'm going to kill you..."

If you hear that, then you know for sure that you are right in the middle of a battle between life and death! That's why the beast moans that "good enough" garbage... It could never sucker you in if it told you what it really means.

There's only one way out of it's clutches: you have to reject death & choose life... You have to reject "good" & choose "great"!

It's a flesh vs. Spirit thing... It's a man vs. God thing... It's a by-might-&-power vs. by-My-Spirit thing.

You won't be satisfied with less because God doesn't deserve any less.

Therein lies the tension... Can you feel it?

God Met Me WHERE?!

I got up at 4am, left the house at 4:30am, & drove 4 1/2 hours to meet with some of our fellowship's state & national leaders.

I expected that I would learn some great practical lessons & glean some invaluable wisdom from these great men of God.

What I didn't expect was for God to meet me there!

I have been wrestling for a while now with several issues... Each of which are significant to me, but the sum total of their weight is overwhelming! I have been seeking God's wisdom & direction for quite some time.

Even on the drive that morning, I was wrestling with these giants and wondering (still) what the heck to do. They turned over & over in my mind in the same, sick sequence with my stomach turning over & over with them.

As I rolled up to the meeting place, I pushed my thoughts aside & gathered my things. I walked into the meeting room & found a seat, ready to hear what our speaker had to say.

As he began to speak, my heart leaped & my jaw dropped... I couldn't believe what I was hearing!! He was addressing every one of the issues I've been wrestling with, topic by topic. He couldn't have been more accurate if I'd handed him a list!! One by one, God used him to turn questions into answers & uncertainty into clear direction.

The overwhelming nausea I'd been feeling for so long gave way to overwhelming joy... The kind of joy that just makes you want to cry. I stayed that way for the rest of the day, thanking God for His goodness to me.

I returned home that evening different than when I left, amazed at my God who knows where to find me, where to meet me, and how to change me forever. He is SO AWESOME!!

Another Milestone... Thanks!

I signed on to write a post tonight & noticed that we've crossed the 200-reader mark.

Wow... Thanks!

I confess that I have no idea who the vast majority of you are, and even less of an idea why you're reading my more-or-less-random ramblings. But, I hope you are enjoying the things I share from my heart. Even more than that, I hope that God is using these thoughts to bless you, encourage you, & challenge you.

I once heard Graham Cooke say that each of us has a "life story in Christ"... a personal testimony chiseled out of a lifetime of personal experiences with God whereby we become especially and intimately familiar with a particular aspect of His character & nature. Graham Cooke said his life story is this: "God is the kindest person I have ever met."

My life story is this: "God is always faithful," & I hope that you sense His never-ending faithfulness to me in each & every one of my posts.

Jesus is amazing, & I hope He is pleased with my labors for Him!

You be you & let God be God

We've been talking for several weeks about the way God works in the deep, inner places of our lives that no one else knows about.

Until today, we've been looking at the "us" side of the equation... How God forces us to look at ourselves, how He knows our faults & failures, & how He leads us to places of despair when we need it in order to become who He's created us to be.

But today, we shifted our focus from the "us" side to the "Him" side.

For some reason, we seem to have this idea that God depends on our performance in order to move His Kingdom forward. But that's just not true! Yes, He calls us to obedience & to walk in the Spirit, but not we put ourselves in unnecessary bondage when we think we make or break God's plan. C'mon... He's God!

The reality is that God does not move because of us, He moves in spite of us!

When we understand this reality, it sets us free to be used for His glory! We stop trying to be the Holy Spirit & just let the Holy Spirit be the Holy Spirit. That sounds a little silly, but it's deep... Think about it!

The 1st Church of Disney: If you're a jerk, you don't work!

Another lesson I learned about church from our Disney trip was this: Their staff ("cast members") are VERY good with people!!

To be honest, this was the most amazing thing I saw when I was there!

Not one time did I see a cast member show any frustration as they spoke with a guest... No matter how difficult the situation or how ugly the guest was.

Stop for a moment & think about just how amazing that is...

It's obvious to me that Disney places a HUGE priority on how to deal with people. They either find & hire people with very cool dispositions or they find teachable people & train them how to deal with people. I suspect it's the latter... How many people are naturally like that in your world?

What if we invested the same kind of time & effort to train our "cast members" in church? What if we made our guests' visit to our church as unforgettable as your first trip to Disney? What if we valued people-skills so much that our policy declared, "If you're a jerk, you don't work."

I'm just sayin'...

Out of the Pew & into the Fire

At the end of worship this morning, one of our ladies spontaneously shared a dream she had last night with the congregation.

In her dream, she saw the altar area of our church full of fire... The fire of God. (For those of you who may not be familiar with that expression, it does NOT mean that we are a group of arsonists! Fire is a Biblical metaphor for purity, zeal, & the holiness of God.)

She shared that God wanted to encounter people in the service that morning & challenged us not to miss out by thinking something like, "Well, I can have Jesus right here where I'm sitting."

That's true, of course, but she made it clear that God was calling us to take a step of faith!

When I finished the message, I gave people an opportunity to respond & reminded everyone of her dream & exhortation... People responded & the altar was packed!!

God kept His word, & it was awesome to see!

The 1st Church of Disney: An EXCELLENT Adventure

One of the first lessons I learned about church from our Disney trip was this: Excellence is everywhere!

Everywhere you look at Disney, it's excellent! The staff, the decor, the rides, the food... If they do it, they do it with excellence. If they can't do it with excellence, they don't do it.

Somewhere along the line, the Disney team has figured out that people will not drop thousands of dollars per family for mediocrity. Apparently, they recognize that there's more than enough mediocrity to go around!

The excellence of Disney is so far-reaching that they absolutely dominate their market! For example: ask the kids in your life what their favorite princess is... Betcha they answer with the name of a Disney enterprise. (I'm having a hard time thinking of a princess who's NOT a Disney character even sitting here.)

I don't have any idea what led them to make this discovery about the power of excellence, but it's obvious they're fully committed to it!

I wonder what kind of effect we could have in the Church of Jesus Christ if we could get a grasp on this principle. (Insert "Ouch!" here.)

I have seen so many times when we try to do something just to say we're doing it, but then give only minimal effort & the result is completely sub-par! Then, when it fails (& mediocrity just always does!), we blame it on anything (& everything) but our mediocrity.

This MUST grieve the heart of God... We've got the greatest message ever & the only one that gives hope! But we treat it like some fly-by-night, one-hit-wonder, low-budget, B-movie.

What if we committed to do everything we do with excellence, or not at all? What if we committed to treat the Gospel like it actually is the Greatest Story Ever Told?

What if we began treating a relationship with Jesus Christ like an Excellent Adventure?

Ahh... It's Good to Be Home!

We just got back home tonight after a WILD last few weeks!!

It all started when we evacuated to Pensacola for Hurricane Gustav... The 3-hour trip took us 9 1/2 hours through the night (the traffic was unreal!!). We stayed with some friends in Pensacola until our local-government's website said our subdivision had power.

We got home at midnight to find out that we did NOT have power, so we stayed with Jen's folks for 3 nights until we did get power.

We got to sleep in our own bed for ONE night, then left for an already-scheduled trip to Disney World with the kids. We left not knowing if we'd even have a New Orleans to return to because Hurricane Ike supposedly had us in his sights.

Well... Ike didn't hit us & Disney was amazing!! I look forward to sharing some lessons-learned (for the church) from our trip... Stay tuned: some of these may surprise you!

Tonight we'll sleep in our bed for the 2nd time since August 30th (4 weeks ago today)... Jen & I are SO glad to be home!!

The Not-So-Magical Kingdom of Jesus Christ

Jen & I are at Walt Disney World for our girls' first-ever visit... You know: The "Magic Kingdom."

We got here this afternoon & went over to the Animal Kingdom in time to catch the last showing of the Lion King musical, and... Wow! It was awesome!!

I sat there watching and wondering in amazement at how good the production was: excellent music, excellent singers, excellent dancers, excellent gymnasts, excellent choreography, excellent costumes, excellent props... Excellent through & through! In fact I was moved to tears!

No, seriously... I caught myself tearing up several times. But not so much because I was touched by the performance... But because I was embarrassed by mine.

Why do they do what they do at Disney? It's certainly NOT for the glory of God (although I have to be honest: I couldn't help but worship Him for the amazing gifts & talents He has given His creation!).

If anything, it's for money. (I don't know if you noticed or not, but Disney is HUGE business!!)

Why do we do what we do at church? It's certainly SUPPOSED to be for the glory of God! But why is it that the Disney "cast members" can give their all with excellence for their "god", but we seem to throw chump change with mediocrity of ours?

I'm sorry if I seem cynical, but this really bothers me. And it really challenges me!

Do I give MY best?
Do I give MY all?
What if I gave as much to my God as they do to theirs?
What if I demanded excellence in everything I did for Jesus?
What if we who love Jesus & His Church felt as passionate about our "customers" as Disney does about theirs?

Maybe we could describe the church as something other than the Not-So-Magical Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Sittin' on the dock of the bay... Wastin' time!

Well, maybe not on a dock... Certainly not at a bay... But DEFINITELY wasting time!

We're still in Pensacola hoping to return home tomorrow to power. Our house still has no power... We kinda need that.

Our hosts have been great: warm, welcoming, & gracious... But we're ready to go home.

Add this to the mix: we're supposed to take the kids to Disney Sunday after church... & now Ike is lurking out there like monster from an '80s slasher flick. Ugh!

So... We're just sitting here, wastin' time... Until further notice.

Whew... That was close!

Like millions of other coastal-Louisiana residents, we evacuated New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Gustav... The mass exodus was truly a sight to behold!

My family & I came to Pensacola to watch (& hold our breath!). This morning when I got up, I went right to my computer & started pulling up every weather & news website I could find.

As the morning wore on, I felt a tremendous sense of relief as I watched the storm pass by New Orleans with no catastrophic effect. Gustav's bark has--so far--been much worse than his bite...

Thank you, Jesus!

Finally, at 3:30 in the afternoon, I feel like I can let go of my held breath: Whew... That was close!

Sometimes "Uh... Duh!" is better than "Oh... Wow!" (Part 2)

I told you in my last post that the "Oh... Wow!" moment that everyone seemed to be anticipating came and went with almost no fanfare... And that I couldn't be happier. I also said that in this post, I'd tell you why, so... Here we go!

Think about this: a climax is a moment of great, eye-opening revelation where great understanding suddenly grips us & great excitement floods our souls... We spontaneously reveal the depth of this stirring with some kind of outburst like, "Oh... Wow!"

But if there is no great revelation... No great new understanding... If, instead, there is a realization that you've known this all along... If there's a recognition that this is the obvious answer that has been right in front of our eyes, then the response you get is much less sensational & much less emotional. With a little sarcasm, it might be expressed, "Uh... Duh!"

When it comes to each of us fulfilling our God-given purpose, we have no interest in sensationalism... Jesus was supernatural, NOT sensational! Instead of sensational, the leadership team of our church has chosen simple: we've developed a simple, 3-step process that facilitates growth.

Why? Because prefer that our people understand how to BE the church of Jesus Christ (without the fanfare) than to hear ooh's & ahh's from an adoring crowd who are still stuck in a pew GOING to church.

The reality is that most of us feel that anything sensational is too intimidating to attempt! But, when we believe that something is simple, we already well on our way to achieving it!

Let me put it another way... This is one time when "Uh... Duh!" is better than "Oh... Wow!"

Sometimes "Uh... Duh!" is better than "Oh... Wow!" (Part 1)

For the last several weeks, our church has been looking at the principles of spiritual growth that Jesus modeled for us during His earthly ministry in a message series called, "God Gives Growth."

This series was the foundation for and the introduction to "E3", the process our leadership team has developed to help our church grow in Christ.

Here's the path we walked to get there...
1. God created us to grow in steps.
2. These steps are environments that God specifically creates to facilitate our growth.
3. Jesus showed us what these environments are during His earthly ministry.
4. The 1st environment is the crowd... in this 1st step, people ENCOUNTER Jesus.
5. The 2nd environment is the 12... in this 2nd step, people EXPERIENCE Jesus.
6. The 3rd environment is the sent... in this 3rd step, people EMULATE Jesus.
7. Our process is E3: Encounter | Experience | Emulate

It took 6 weeks, of course, to build up to this final message & the anticipation was tremendous... There have been times when I could "feel it" in the congregation!

But here's the odd thing: the "Oh... Wow!" moment that everyone seemed to be anticipating came and went with almost no fanfare... Almost no notice, in fact. It was as though we got to the great big climax & it turned out to be... well... anti-climactic!

No, really... The great big moment that we've pushed so hard for did not happen! It kinda bombed, really.

And I couldn't be happier!!!

In my next post, I'll tell you why!

This is HUGE!!

I've finally reached it!!

It's been a tough, hard-fought battle that has been won with dedication, hard work, perseverance, & a little (lot) help from some friends.

There have been times when I wasn't sure I'd make it, but I'm finally here & I can't explain to you how good it feels!

I hope to build on this huge victory & keep moving forward... Please pray for me that I will continue to do so!

Yes, it's true: this is a HUGE milestone... this blog has finally seen it's 100th visitor!!

Woo-Hoo!!!!

Let me close with a moment of seriousness: thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you... I hope you continue to enjoy my postings!

When can't becomes gonna

If you would've asked me six months ago where we'd be today, I'm not sure what I would've said. But I do know what I wouldn't have said: "Here."

For 7 1/2 years, God has burned in our hearts & minds that He wants to use CLC to save lost people, then train & equip them to reach multitudes of other lost people here in New Orleans. At the same time, however, we have had a sober concern that if God started sending them, we weren't ready to handle them.

If I was going to describe my overall attitude about it in one word it would be this one...

Can't.

But something happened last week.

As I was praying about some of the final details of our growth process, it hit me: "We're not only ready now... We're gonna do it!"

This went past being just a casual change of perspective or some fit of wishful thinking... This realization--there's a better way to put it--this revelation just hit me in the gut & consumed every bit of me!

In one moment... In one breath... That "Can't" I'd been feeling for so long became "Gonna!"

It's a new day!

Have you ever just felt like something was different?

Not that you could necessary say exactly what it was, but just that you felt different. Kind of like you wake up one morning & think, "Whoa! Something's different!"

Well... That just happened to me! Service was amazing (which isn't new: we usually have really good services), but it just felt different. At our Leadership Team Meeting afterwards, Frank said today felt like we crossed over a line & walked into something. He wasn't the only one, either! Several others said they felt the same thing!

Jen's been feeling that way for several days... Since the Night of Worship a couple of weeks ago, actually. She sang this spontaneous song that night that declared, "It's a new day!"

She prophesied it... & now we're living it!

It's a new day!

I didn't know she had it in her

I was getting ready to read a story to Faith before bed tonight. She picked out a story I've read a few times, but it's been over the course of the last year or so.

As I picked up the book & she got situated on my lap, she said, "I wanna do it, Daddy!"

Keep in mind, now: Faith can't read yet... So, I told her, "You go ahead, Sweetie, & I'll help you out if you get stuck." She got busy, telling the story (as she remembered it) as it unfolded in the pictures across the pages.

Her ability to tell the story absolutely floored me! If I didn't know that she wasn't reading the story, I wouldn't know that she wasn't reading the story! In many places, she told it word-for-word as it was written! I was so amazed at her recollection that I called Jen in to witness it.

Now, I know I'm a proud Daddy, but I was blown away! She has a real gift for telling a story...

& I didn't know she had it in her!

A Little Something in the Air

Today was a lot of fun!

My message today was about the 2nd step of our growth process. I talked about the disciples' experiences walking with Jesus & used that to show the importance of relationships with others in our personal growth.

At the end of the message, I introduced Life Groups: our version of small groups that our Leadership Team has designed to facilitate relationships.

As I shared about the Life Groups we have lined up for our Fall '08 semester, the air was filled with a sound that I can't really explain except to tell you how it felt. It was like a buzz of excitement swept across the congregation... I got a very real sense that many of our brothers & sisters have been longing for this!

I know I have!

The great response at our sign-ups after service proved to me that I'm not the only one feeling that little something in the air.

Bring it!

I was sitting in my office this morning, having just read some e-mail. One in particular stood out to me & had my heart a little troubled.

The sender shared a story with me about a troubling encounter that seemed to reveal an attack strategy of the enemy that could hinder our church.

My first response was, "Oh, no!"

Then I remembered what God has spoken about CLC... The devil can't stop what God wants to do. He'll try, for sure... That's what he does! But God's plan depends on my obedience to God & faith in God, not my ability to bind the devil or expose his schemes.

You see, I've read the book. I know the Author. And I know what He said. My faith is in His ability to perform what He said He would do, either through me or in spite of me.

As I sat there remembering all of the times that I have experienced God's faithfulness, a shot of confidence--in God, not myself--went through me like lightning!

I'm not foolish enough to tempt the devil, but all I could think of is how safe I am in the center of God's will & His plan.

And the words exploded from my lips: half prayer, half boast-in-the-Lord... "Bring it!"

A Tribute to "Hannibal" Smith

Did you ever see that show back in the '80s called, "The A-Team"?

You know... the one with Murdock, Faceman, Mr. T ("I pitty da foo dat don't watch my show! Grrrr!"), & their leader, Col. Hannibal Smith.

At the climax of every episode, Hannibal would stick his nearly-gone stoagie between his teeth & boast, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Well, I gotta tell ya... He was on to something!

For the last 7 years, I've been praying about our church & asking God to make us a place where people are growing in Christ. I've spent more hours in prayer than I can count. I've wrung my hands in frustration. I've had great ideas (at least, I thought they were!) that bombed. I've drawn out a plan that looked brilliant (at least, to me it did!) only to fail miserably & have to go back to the ole' drawing board. I've preached my heart out sermon series after sermon series, & sometimes it felt like I was hitting my head against a brick wall. (I can't tell you how many times I told Jen after church, "They need to get another pastor... I am NOT the man for this job!")

But.

But now.

But now everything seems to be falling into place & God is putting all the puzzle pieces together. It's finally starting to take shape & I'm totally amazed at just how awesome God is! It's awesome to sit here & watch Him do His thing.

As Hannibal would say, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

Daddy, can we watch Spongebob?

We just got DirecTV installed.

I can now watch all of Michigan's football games (or record them for later and/or repeated enjoyment).

For some reason, my girls are not feeling my excitement... The highlight for them is that they can watch Spongebob Squarepants now.

Their excitement is easy to see... As soon as naptime is over, it's, "Daddy, can we watch Spongebob?" As soon as dinner is over, it's, "Daddy, can we watch Spongebob?" As soon as they finish whatever they were just doing, it's, "Daddy, can we watch Spongebob?"

You get the picture.

But there's a dilemma.

You see, nobody has invented Spongebob TV or the Spongebob Channel ("All Spongebob, all the time!"), so I often have to tell them, "Spongebob isn't on right now, Girls."

What's amazing to me is to see how they respond when I tell them that... It's like they can't quite wrap their little minds around that little factoid.

They don't yet understand that there's a programming schedule... A timetable... A timing issue. All they know is what they want. And they want it now.

I wonder how many times Daddy God hears us cry out our list of wants (at every waking moment) & watches with parental delight when we are completely perplexed by the timing.

I'm just saying....

Then ya take a left at the old Johnson farm...

Have you ever gotten directions like that? I have.

The "signs" are obvious to the person giving them, but it's this weird, cryptic language to the rest of us.

God is taking our church on a journey, & for the last several years I've felt at times like I was looking for "the old Johnson farm" to know where we were heading.

But something has changed.

I've known for years where we're headed, & I've known that I've never been there before. And I've had this feeling all along that when we got there, I'd just "know it."

Well, the scenery is beginning to take on a warm familiarity... Like we're getting close to home. Like when you've been gone for a while & then start getting close & smell the air & think, "Wow... I forgot about that smell!"

No, I've never been here before... But it's good to be back!

One Savior

Jennifer & I have the great privilege of walking with a family though a very difficult custody battle right now. We are honored that they would allow us to be with them during this very difficult time in their lives, but we take no pleasure in watching their suffering.

Part of this process involves government regulation & litigation. As I have watched this whole nightmare unfold, I have seen once again--first-hand this time--why our founding fathers never intended for our government to become what it is today.

I also see why God warned Israel of the dangers of having a king. God warned Samuel that the Israelites would demand a king, that He would give them one, & that the king would become lord over their lives. What started out as a God-given cry for leadership in the people of Israel became consent to bondage... All because that God-given desire was misdirected upon men instead of God.

These custody proceedings prove this principle again today in 2008... Man can NEVER take the place that only God can fill: the just & fair leader of mankind. The government can NEVER be the savior of mankind or even one man... Only Jesus can do that!

Just the Beginning

He stood there with tears streaming down his face.

As Jen & I finished praying for him, I knew that he had encountered the Living God.

Maybe he came because he'd heard about our music... or our loving people... or one of my messages... or maybe just because he was desperate for what only God can give: hope, life, & true freedom!

Whatever his reason was, I'm just glad he was there today. And I'm glad God met him there.

I'm glad God was there today... & I hope it was just the beginning!

So... It's instinctive?

I was helping Hosanna get on one of her favorite websites a little while ago.

She's pretty savvy with a computer, but she was having some trouble & needed a little help.

I was watching her enter the web address & I noticed something: she would do the hunt-&-peck method on the keyboard (to be expected at 7 years old), & she would look up at the screen after every keystroke to make sure what she meant to type is what she saw on the screen.

As I sat there watching, I remembered back to my childhood... Back to my mom's IBM Selectric Typewriter (Yes, sports fans & fellow geeks: this was before the PC or the MAC!) & I remember teaching myself how to type using the same old hunt-&-peck method. I remembered doing the same verify-every-keystroke thing, looking over the little silver ball with all the characters on it & the little black ribbon (anybody remember those?) onto the paper to see if I was getting what I wanted on the page.

Then it hit me... We instinctively require feedback!

No matter how old (or young) & no matter what level of development, God has created us with an innate need to "check the compass" & make sure we're headed in the right direction. Throughout life, He constantly guides us with gentle nudges & little course-corrections that--for the most part--go completely unnoticed by us.

We truly are fearfully & wonderfully made!

Pretend you said, "Yes."

We're in Atlanta visiting some family. Today, we were in The Container Store & the girls were playing make-believe with their cousin, Caleb.

(Jen was "playing", too... She's wanted to shop there for years!)

But, anyway...

The kids were playing & one of the girls said to Caleb, "Pretend you're my boss."

Without hesitation (and with his own idea of what he was going to pretend), he answered, "No."

Not to be deterred, she shot back, "Pretend you said, 'Yes.'"

Amazingly, Caleb said (even quicker than the 1st time & like it was his idea all along), "Yes."... and then they went on playing. Her way.

I stood there watching & couldn't help but wonder how often this happens in our walk with Christ.

How many times does He tell us to do something & we shoot back, "No," only for the Holy Spirit to nudge us in the direction of His will? Then, just like Caleb, we consent to His idea... & think it was ours!

The next time God speaks to me, I hope I remember what I saw today & just "Pretend I said, 'Yes,'" right then.

11 Years... Amazing!

Today was me & Jennifer's 11th anniversary... How time flies when you're having fun!

I've enjoyed every minute of this most-special day... All because I was with my Sweetie!

I love you, Baby!!

Some Independence-Day Perspective

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. I'd heard about some problems where he is so I asked him about it.

"Well," he said, "let me put it this way: 2 years ago, this was the worst place in the country. Today, it's the safest."

Wow... That's quite a turn-around in just 2 years!

Then I asked him about the weather. "It's about 110 or 120 today," he said.

What... 120?!! Where on earth IS he?

He's in Iraq.

He's in a place where people understand freedom... Not only what it's worth, but what it costs. He's with people who are thousands of miles away from everything they value & hold dear fighting for all that someone else holds dear.

I know the 4th of July is a birthday celebration of sorts for the USA, but it's really about independence. I hope the people of Iraq have the great privilege of celebrating their independence for many years to come.

I also hope that our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, & Marines get to come home soon... & get the hero's welcome they deserve.

The Journey of a Lifetime... One Step at a Time

We had another great Leadership-Team Meeting today... It's all starting to click as we can see the goal coming more & more into focus. It's great to hear the heated, passionate debate by passionate people who are united by a common goal: to make fully-devoted followers of Christ!

Don't misunderstand me... We're still a long (VERY long) way from that goal, but each day we take another step and move that much closer to the prize before us! (Did I mention that we're still a long way off?) Every time we meet, I can feel the momentum building, the expectation rising, & the excitement increasing... We really are on this journey together, & it's amazing to see it all happening!

One day, we're going to look back at all of these lunch meetings & say, "Remember when this all started... Back around the tables in the Fellowship Hall? Wow! Who would've ever thought it would lead to all of this?"

Next month we will be taking a HUGE step forward as we begin presenting our discipleship process to the church for the first time... I can't wait to see the excitement build as the vision explodes in their hearts & they "get it." This is what CLC has been waiting, longing, & hoping for!

This truly is the journey of my lifetime (& for generations to come!), & we're walking it out the only way we can... One step at a time.

It's hard work, but it sure is fun!!

The Power of Faith

Now, hold on a minute! Before you go thinking that I'm gonna write some blab-it-&-grab-it, name-it-&-claim-it post here... Not THAT Faith.

My Faith.

Faithy Waithy.

My sweet, loving, compassionate, 6-year old Faith. My daughter.

Faith is so tender-hearted & compassionate that she will talk to anybody (& everybody) who looks like they might be in pain, suffering, or sadness. Once she was in the mall when someone in a wheelchair rolled by right next to her. You could see her expression change as she reached out & rubbed their arm as they went by. She definitely has the gift of compassion!

I have watched Faith over the years melt even the hardest-looking faces into a pleasant smile. She really is amazing!

Just the other night, we were visiting a movie set where the lead actress (who is not known for being super personal) was portraying a ghost & had make-up on her eyes to look like tears of blood. When they finished shooting the particular scene, she came & sat in a chair right by Faith. Faith looked at her and said, "You're beautiful!" (Not the word I would've chosen, for sure... Especially with "blood" coming out of her eyes.)

You should've seen the reaction: This girl totally melted! She scooped Faith up in her arms & they loved on each other for the next several seconds.

THAT'S the power of Faith!

I've seen her do that over & over again to people with a kind word, some genuine compassion, & a willingness to love someone without conditions. To Faith, there is no such thing as an unlovable person.

I am sure of 2 things: 1) that Jesus is smiling & 2) that I am envious!

It's the Little Things... The REALLY Little Things!

I got a pretty good bit of feedback on my message today, but not the kind I normally get.

No, indeed...

I like feedback. I love feedback. I need feedback. I thrive on feedback! Fortunately for me, I've learned over the years, how to keep both positive and not-so-positive feedback in perspective. In a desire to help me stay humble, someone once told me, "You're never as good as people say you are. But, you're never as bad as they say you are, either."

Thanks.

I think.

Anyway... Feedback...

The feedback I got today was good, actually, but just so unusual that I'm not sure how to take it.

I was talking about selfishness using some less-than-savory-traffic habits to get everyone thinking in the direction that I wanted to go. I went on to share how God calls us to put others first & pointed out that we are, by nature, very selfish. I put out a challenge to be selfless by celebrating the success of others & shared that when we do, God will increase our influence in their lives. In spite of the fact that I kept forgetting my points (Grrrr!), it seem to go pretty well.

That's where the feedback comes in: NO ONE mentioned the message! At least, none of the meat of it! Instead, I got kind of a "confession-on-the-fly" from people fessing up to all of their rude & selfish driving habits.

(I'm chuckling as I write this because it was pretty funny, really.)

One person even called and left me a voicemail immediately after leaving the church saying that they had just committed one of the "cardinal sins" I mentioned... I don't think his conscience was really bothering him all that much about it, though: he was giggling way too much to be repentant!

So, I'm glad people heard the message today. Or not.

Patience, Perseverance, & Promise

There's a great scene in Lord of the Rings where Gollum is debating with himself about killing Sam & Frodo in order to take the Ring. As he begins to get excited about the thought of having back his "Precious," he reminds himself, "Patience. Patience, My Love."

That word, "patience," has been going through my heart & mind a lot lately, along with 2 others: "perseverance" & "promise." I have been thinking about these words in terms of their relationship to time... Patience is exercised during a time, perseverance is exercised over a time, & promise is realized at the end of a time.

Anything we do that is going to endure is going to take time (far more of it than I am comfortable with, by the way). Pregnancy is 40 weeks... Building a house takes 4-6 months... Graduating High School takes 18 years... College take 4 years... You get the point. But the key to realizing the promise that awaits any accomplishment is to be patient moment by moment and to persevere over the course of time.

So I've decided that I am going to be patient right now (That's funny: all I've been given is right now, anyway!). As each "right now" becomes a "back then," my patience becomes perseverance, which will in turn produce the promise I am longing for.

Happy Father's Day

You know what? I've got an awesome Dad! I remember growing up that when people would ask me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" that I would answer with the typical little-boy answer... Something like, "A linebacker in the NFL," or, "A fighter pilot," or something else equally grandiose.

But in reality, all I wanted to be was a Dad. One like my Dad. One who was always there. One who always rooted for me. One who always pushed me to do my best & be my best, but always there to encourage me when I fell short of my own expectations. One who showed me what it meant to be a man. A real man. A man who put his family before his own interests and desires.

Now I have 4 beautiful little girls of my own; 1 waiting for me in Heaven & 3 that I get to spend time with... If their dad is 1/2 the man that my dad was (is), then they're going to have a great example.

Hosanna, Faith, & Leili: I love you, my sweeties! Micaiah, Mommy & I will see you one day.

Thanks, Dad. I love you!

What Just Happened???

Have you ever been going along--minding your own business--when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you get blindsided by something completely unexpected?

That happened to me last night. Several of us, really. We were just finishing up our prayer service (which was absolutely awesome!) & I noticed a commotion in the foyer. I walk out to see 2 Sheriff's deputies walking in with two ladies. I introduced myself & asked them what was going on & the ladies informed me that they were from OCS & were there to seize custody of one of the children that had come to church that night.

I wish I had words to describe to you how violated I felt. I'm the Senior Pastor of this church. I am LEGALLY responsible for the things that happen here. But no one from the state even had the courtesy to let me know they were coming.

When I asked why, the OCS workers' response was, "They're our kids once the judge signs the order... We have no choice but to come and get them."

At church? In front of everybody? As if it's not hard enough on the kids & the family already, you want to violate what should be the safest place for them?

Even today, my head is still spinning. But you know what's really scary to me? That many of our fellow Americans really believe that the government is the answer to our problems. The same government that can't deliver a letter on time for less than 42 cents... And we're going to trust them with our health care?! I wonder what it's going to take for us to realize that the only government that will ever truly be reliable and protect its citizens is the government established by Jesus Christ Himself.

The longer I live, the more my heart cries, "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"

E3: Encounter | Experience | Emulate

We had a great Leadership Team meeting today! It seems that we are all beginning to feel our discipleship process coming together & today we took a couple of HUGE steps in that direction!

We know that Jesus has called us to make disciples, and we are moving closer & closer to having a process in place at CLC that facilitates the growth Jesus intended. This is exciting to be a part of... Watching God work in the hearts of our leaders to accomplish His will in our church & community. I am SO thankful that I get to be a part of this!!

Our process at CLC is called E3 & it consists of 3 steps:

1. Encounter Christ... Through worship & the message in our weekend service.
2. Experience Christ... Through relationships with others in a small group.
3. Emulate Christ... Through serving in the church & building relationships with those outside the church.

We cannot wait to see the spiritual growth & maturity that results from having a plan for discipleship in place! As I tell our leaders in every e-mail...

Keep the vision before you.

Lord of the Rings

We had some friends over yesterday for a Lord of the Rings marathon. Jen bought me the 3-box , extended-version set, so it takes about 13-14 hours to watch it all, but it's a blast!! We've done it twice now & I can't wait to do it again!!

The Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie of all times (in case you hadn't guessed that already), & every time I watch it, I'm amazed at the depth of life that they captured. My favorite Shakespeare prof. at the Naval Academy, Doc White, once said that the difference between Shakespeare & other writers was that they all captured a glimpse of life from one aspect, but Shakespeare captured life itself. That thought has always struck me, & I think that's why I love LotR so much... It seems to do the same!

One of my favorite exchanges takes place between Frodo & Gandalf in the mines of Moria. Frodo is lamenting his burden of carrying the ring & says to Gandalf, "I wish the ring had never come to me... I wish none of this had ever happened!" Gandalf replies (& this is awesome!!), "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All that is left for them is to decide what to do with the time they've been given."

There is more truth there than I'm comfortable with!

So... What am I going to decide?

It Sure is Quiet around Here (For Now)!!

Jen & I took the girls to Tallahassee this weekend & met my folks there. The girls went back with Grampa & Honey for two weeks, and whoa! is it quiet around the house!!

We had a good service today... Worship was really good (I'm so proud of the way Jen leads us in worship... She is really coming into her own as a worship leader), we baptized 3 people, & we had some time with Dave & Shirlene Reddout. The altar call, though, was pretty... quiet.

I keep hearing different people share how God is moving in their life & how they feel an expectancy that God is about to break loose in their lives & in our church... I can't wait to see that happen!! There is a day coming when EVERY altar call will have lost people coming to know Jesus as Lord & Savior, getting healed & set free!! Where every baptism ceremony has 15-20 people... Where people are hearing the call to serve Jesus with every gift & ability He gave them.

And when it starts... LOOK OUT!

Yeah, it's pretty quiet around here, but God promised us He would send the fire and the rain... Either He's going to do it, or He's a liar. My God is no liar.

I got a brick today... & LOVE it!!

A guy came into my office today & pulled out a huge brick that he had cut. He said to me, "I'm here to build the altar with you." WOW!! That one act may have seemed insignificant--even foolish--to him, but not to me!

You see, about 7 1/2 years ago, God gave Jennifer & I a promise as we were considering moving here to CLC...

"Build Me an altar in a dark & perverted place; worship Me & see what I will do... I will send the fire & the rain."

We have held onto that & know that someday (we don't when), ONE day (we don't know how soon), God WILL DO WHAT HE SAID!

2 Kings 10:10 says, ""[T]here shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the LORD... for the LORD has done what He spoke...."

God said it... That settles it. Get ready for fire & rain in the bayou, y'all!!

OK, OK... I'll do it!!!

What is the most boring thing in the world? It has to be a rookie blogger (me) doing his first blog entry. There... It's done.

Now, let's begin the healing process.