Book Review - The Greatest Words Ever Spoken

What better way to close out the year than with a book review. I received this book as we headed into the craziest time of the year with the commitment to review it before the year was up. I completely realize that I was three short hours from not keeping that commitment.

The book is “The Greatest Words Ever Spoken” by Steven K. Scott. This is not what I would consider a book to just sit down and read, but more of a reference work. Scott has gone through the entire New Testament and collected all the words of Christ. Then, he has grouped the sayings by topic. This is where the book’s value begins to shine. The back of the book contains a subject index. Curious about what Christ has to say concerning anxiety, turn to pages 190-193. Wondering if Christ ever talked about sickness? Check the index and then turn to pages 395-396. This is powerful when you are facing an issue and would like to know Christ’s thoughts on the matter.

I think it’s a worthwhile book to have as a resource. Below I’m going to post the publisher’s description of the book and a link if you should choose to purchase it.
Haven’t you wished you could ask Jesus any question and get his immediate help with the biggest problems you face? Now you can.

For the first time ever, all of the statements Jesus made in the New Testament have been brought together and organized under more than 200 topics. When you want to know his will in a specific area of life, or you’re seeking the answer to a perplexing question, or you are desperate for his encouragement, comfort, or wisdom–you can easily find the help you need.

The moment you turn to the appropriate topic heading, you will have access to the breadth of Jesus’ teaching on that subject. You can also use this book as a guide for studying Jesus’ wisdom on any topic of interest, such as prayer, forgiveness, eternity, anger, temptation, relationships, grace, or knowing God.

As you immerse yourself in Jesus’ words, your life and relationships will be transformed, and your faith and spiritual passion will be renewed. Let the greatest words ever spoken bring new vision, power, and joy into your life–one statement at a time.
Buy it here at Amazon.

Merry Christmas

My pastor had a great quote this past Sunday. I tried to jot it down after the fact, but I know what I’m writing is a paraphrase at best.

“People spend a lot of time preparing to celebrate Christ’s first coming, and often spend so little time preparing for his second coming.”

May your Christmas celebrations tonight and tomorrow be filled with Christ’s presence and the knowledge that his return is getting closer than ever.

Book Review - When the Soul Mends

This is a review by Kelly.

I really enjoyed reading “When the Soul Mends” by Cindy Woodsmall.  It is the third and final book in the Sisters of the Quilt series.  I was able to get the first two books to read after I began reading this book.  I read few pages and wanted to know more about Hannah and where she was coming from and what her life was like prior to the beginning of this story.  I would recommend getting the first two books before trying to read this one. When the Soul Mends does give a bit of back story in the first few chapters but it is best to read the others first.  It is worth taking the time to read the first two books.
        I enjoyed reading all three of these books.  I loved the story.  I was easily caught up in the story.  I could hardly put the books down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Summary:
After receiving a desperate and confusing call from her sister, Hannah Lapp reluctantly returns to the Old Order Amish community of her Pennsylvania childhood.
        Having fled in disgrace two years earlier, she finally has found a satisfying role in the Englischer world, as well as love with Martin Palmer, a man with whom she can safely entrust her heart. But almost immediately after her arrival in Owl’s Perch, the disapproval of those who ostracized her reopens old wounds.
        As Hannah is thrown together with former fiancé Paul Waddell to work for her sister Sarah’s mental health, unexpected truths surface about the events during Hannah’s absence, and she faces an agonizing decision. Will she choose the Englischerworld and the man who restored her hope, or will she heed the call to return to the Plain Life―and perhaps to her first love?
        This intriguing final novel in the Sisters of the Quilt series is richly textured with authentic details drawn from the author’s real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families.

Cindy Woodsmall is a best-selling author, who has garnered strong praise for the first two novels in the Sisters of the Quilt series. When the Heart Cries was a finalist for the ECPA Novel of the Year in 2007 and received the Reviewer’s Choice Award from the Road to Romance website. When the Morning Comes was named among the Best Books of 2007 for Crossings Book Club. Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty years.

There is one copy of this book to give away. We’ll pick the winner Friday, December 19. Just leave a comment to this post to be entered.

General Tso's in the Microwave

About 45 minutes ago I finished my lunch. The box proclaimed it was delicious General Tso’s Chicken with rice. I bought it at Save-A-Lot, a local generics store similar to Aldi’s. I’ll admit that it surprised me. It wasn’t terrible. I’d actually buy it again someday. Even though it was okay, in no way can it be compared to good General Tso’s from a Chinese restaurant. Crispy chicken, extremely spicy sauce, fluffy white rice, and bright green steamed broccoli is how it’s supposed to be done.

Now that wonderful spiritual leap. I have to ask how often we settle for just “okay” in our walk with Christ? Do we feel okay as long as our walk resembles at least a little the deep relationship we really should have with our Lord? Sometimes we prefer Microwave Christianity because it’s a thousand times simpler and cheaper than having the authentic item.

Real faith will always cost something.

Better Design

I really enjoy design work. I’m not saying I’m good at it, but I do like it. I’ve made some minor tweaks to this site’s design, and I’ve made a complete overhaul of my youth group’s website. Why not open it up in a new window and view some of the changes I describe below. Pursuit Youth Ministries Website.

I kept the same design ideas, but I eliminated a lot of pages that we had that were really pointless. I narrowed the pages which I think really freed up the site. This happens because I no longer have to fill up a wide space with useless filler. I designed some crisper headers for the top (different ones will show up occasionally). And, drumroll please, I completely eliminated the sidebar that we use to have. Basically, this was a waste of space that only proclaimed that we met on Tuesdays at 7. Also, only one section has true sub-pages that appear in the menu.

The site is much easier to navigate and I think more pleasing to the eye. I really tried to simplify the design as much as possible. I’m trying to incorporate some of the same idea into the overhaul of my church’s website that I have been working on for far too long.

I’d love some feedback on the youth site. Remember, it’s designed to be a somewhat static webpage. It is not intended to be updated on a daily basis.

Wrestling With God 2

An incredible passage of Scripture is found in Genesis 32. Jacob his heading back to meet his brother after years of being away. The brother that he schemed against and cheated. He’s rightfully nervous. He sends lavish gifts ahead of him to soften his brother’s heart. Then, in the midst of this story, we are told that Jacob was alone and a man came and wrestled with him all night. Later, Jacob recounts that he had seen God and face to face yet his life was spared. Jacob wrestled with God.

The crazy thing is that God allowed Jacob to wrestle with Him. God could have just blessed him. God could have just changed his name in another way. Yet, I think God wanted to see Jacob wrestle. By that I mean this, God wanted to know if Jacob wanted God more than anything. Was Jacob willing to pay a price to have all that God wanted for him?

It speaks to me because it feels like a lot of people simply want God’s blessing and aren’t willing to “wrestle” with Him to get it. Their Christian walk is practically devoid of God, yet they expect to have His blessing. God wants people that are willing to wrestle in prayer. God wants people that will wrestle with His Word. If you haven’t come across something in the Word that challenges you, convicts you, confuses you, or even angers you, maybe you’re not really wrestling with God.

Is it worth it? I believe so. It may be painful, it may be hard, and He might even throw our hip out of joint, but in the end we will find ourselves closer to God.

It Got Worse

I survived all day Wednesday and I thought I was going to survive this round of sickness. After church, I didn’t feel right but I chalked that up to still being tired from the previous days. Thursday morning proved that my thoughts were wrong. After spending six hours alternating between bed and kissing my toilet, I was finally able to move to my chair. The rest of the day was a combination of back pain, nausea, and a monster headache. Good day.

The Long Day Closes

It ended up being a rather long day. Little sleep mixed with trying to keep everything at our house running. The kids are doing better while Kelly is slowly recovering. The greatest thing right now is that the clock reads 9:37 PM and I know I will be asleep before 10:30. Hopefully that is. As long as I don’t wake up sick.

It's Going to Be a Long Night

As you begin reading this post, I ask that you check the time it was posted. As I write, my clock reads 2:20 AM. I stayed up a little later than usual tonight because I got into a groove working on my church’s website. I’ve had a static “under construction” page up for some time now while I have attempted to completely redesign it. I work best late at night and since the ideas were flowing, I kept working. It was no problem since my wife had long ago gone to bed with an upset stomach. Around one in the morning I knew I better stop for the night, so I shut everything down and headed for the bathroom. Here’s the brief schedule since that moment.

1. Kelly informed me that Havilah was vomiting.
2. I began setting up the Pack and Play so we could move Silas out of the room and clean her bed.
3. Went in to assist in cleaning Havilah (looks like another bath)
4. Kelly checked on Silas and discovered (oh joy) that he had vomited.
5. Both kids stripped and tossed in the tub so I could scrub the vomit off their bodies and out of their hair.
6. While thus proceeding, I heard my wife in the kitchen vomiting.
7. With cleaned kids, it was decided to put Silas back in his crib since it was still okay. Havilah will sleep next to mommy. Daddy will get load of laundry going and sleep on the couch.
8. As of this sentence, I’ve been back to the room three more times for vomit. Thankfully, in a trash can and not on the bed.

Now, I’m going to publish this and lay my head down. Maybe I’ll get some sleep. Good night everyone, and I hope your night was better than ours.

P.S. Before I clicked publish, I was back to the room for the fourth time. Not much left but painful dry heaves.

Return to Reality

I think the hardest thing about heading away on a retreat is the fact that you have to come back to reality. Life and the enemy are relentless in their combined purpose to strip away all the good that God accomplishes. I know some of my youth are already battling this with mixed success. To those of them that read this I have one thing to say. Don’t let go of what God did in your life. No matter what happens, no matter what others may say, and even if the power of that moment with God begins to fade a little in in your mind, don’t let go. I was there. I witnessed God doing some powerful things. Continue allowing him to work.

Maybe a message tailored more to my youth, but it holds true for all of us.

Note: Don’t forget the current book giveaway going on right now. Click here for more info.

Relentless Retreat

I got to spend an incredible weekend with my youth group. There’s something powerful about getting away from everything and having a time to be with each other and God. From what I’m hearing, God did some incredible things in some of our students lives. Experiencing God’s love, forgiving people that have hurt them, and realizing that God does care.

Planning a weekend retreat is stressful, tiring, and sometimes a downright pain. But seeing God do some great things makes it all worth it.


Note: Don’t forget the current book giveaway going on right now. Click here for more info.

Book Review - me, myself, & I AM

Truth right up front. I signed up to review this book but then I ran out of time. Planning a weekend retreat for youth takes a ton of time. That added to the fact that the book isn’t an ordinary book. It’s not one that you can do a quick speed read through. It’s a book of questions for you answer with God. I’ve perused it and it is very different from what you’d expect. My best explanation is that it is a journaling book, but maybe even a little more than that. When I have some time here soon I want to start working through it myself. It would be a great book for a person that journals regularly or for someone that wants to start.

With all that said, I’m going to wrap up my part with two things. First, I do have two free copies to give away. Leave a comment to this post and we will draw a winner on Friday, November 14. Second, I’m going to post the info from the publisher so you can get a better idea about the book.

A new experience of God comes one question at a time in this fun and provocative journal. Made up entirely of insightful, profound, and occasionally ridiculous questions, Me, Myself, and I AM invites you to open to any page, open yourself to God, and be the author of your own story.

Questions range from spiritually intriguing— You overhear God talking about you. What do hear him saying?

To thought-provoking— You are on a long car trip with a close friend who is not a Christian and the conversation turns to faith. What is your biggest fear about what your friend will ask or say?

To challenging— Do you believe that all of Jesus’s followers have a responsibility to tell others about him?

To just plain fun— If your life before you became a Christian were a movie, its title would be: Animal House, As Good as It Gets, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, It’s a Wonderful Life.

Me, Myself, and I AM will entertain, inspire, and get you thinking about your spiritual life from brand new angles. Whether you use Me, Myself, and I AM as a reflective tool, a way to start conversations with friends and family, or as a spiritual time capsule to look back on years later, their own words will create a powerful journey of self-discovery.

Buy it at Amazon

Time Away

Heading away this weekend for a retreat with my youth. Looking forward to having some fun and having time with God.

Thoughts on Wednesday

No matter who gets elected on Tuesday, there will surely be at least three reactions. The first will be smug pride in the fact that a certain candidate won. The second will be dread fear that everything is going to now fall apart. Let me stop there a moment. Neither one of these reactions is fitting for a believer. Will we praise our victory while stomping on those that didn’t agree with us? Are we ever 100% certain our candidate is the best? It’s arrogant and if we’re not careful, our political views may taint our ability to minister to those around us. As for fear of the elected, doesn’t the Word declare that, “perfect loves casts out fear?” (1 John 4:18) Why should we fear when eternity has been completely secured for us by Jesus? I don’t think we need to fear.

I guess what it ultimately boils down to is that I’m a citizen of the kingdom of God first. Those that are a part of this kingdom know peace even amidst the turmoil of the world. That’s where the third reaction comes in. The one that I want to live. Acknowledgment of the winner, a commitment to pray for him, and continuing on with the mission Christ has laid before me. Maybe that sounds simplistic. It probably is, but it’s what I’m going to do my best to live. I guess I feel this way because I don’t believe the government can legislate righteousness no matter which party controls it. Faith can’t be forced. I’m not looking for the President to reach the hurting around me, that’s why God has placed me where I am. Congress will never introduce my neighbors to Christ, but perhaps I can. Government can be good, but we should never expect it to take the place of what God has called us to do.

Tomorrow I will vote for the one that I feel is the better of the two choices. Then, I will continue the mission.

Vacation

I am on vacation this week. If I feel like it, I might blog. However, I think I’m more interested in relaxing. Check back and we’ll all see.

Book Review - The Shape of Mercy

This book was read and reviewed by Kelly.

I have had the opportunity to read a new book that is coming out soon. It is The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner.  I was given a copy of the book to read and one to give away.  More details to come after the review. First, the book’s summary.

        Women of all ages will appreciate this highly-readable, layered, and fast-paced story about self-discovery at all stages of life. With rich undertones of intrigue and romance, this contemporary novel with a historical twist explores personal blinders and how upbringing and conditioning can shape people to judge others in ways that can lead to unhappy consequences.
        Lauren Durough is a college student who finds herself on the road to self-discovery as she is hired by octogenarian Abigail Boyles to transcribe the journals of Mercy Hayworth, a seventeenth-century victim of the Massachusetts witch trials. Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?
        Readers will identify with Lauren’s struggle to break away from society’s expectations and her attempt to strike out on her own while figuring out what parts of her own story to hold on to.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  The author does a great job of getting you hooked on the story. I enjoyed how the stories of the three women are interwoven and how Mercy's journal brings them all together.  The story is very well written and it does not end as you would expect which leaves you wanting to know more of what happens to the characters.

Lauren's struggles in the book are believable and most can easily relate to them.  It left me thinking about how my own upbringing has shaped the way I view the world.  Not that it is a bad thing, but it is important not to fall into a pattern of thinking that may cause you to think negatively.  I know that others will enjoy reading this book as much as I did.  

The contest will work pretty much the same as previous ones. Leave a comment and you are automatically entered to win. We will draw a winner this coming Saturday, October 18th.

If you don’t win, you can always buy the book here on Amazon.

The Winners

In case anyone desires to know our high tech way of picking a winner, here it goes. We wrote names on slips of paper. I shook them up. My wife reached in and picked out two without looking. That was about it. Anyway, thanks for the comments and don’t forget tomorrow’s book giveaway.

The winners of the “For Young Men Only” books were Nick and David. Yeah, I know they’re both in my youth group. Part of me even thought of rigging the election to make sure one of the books traveled beyond my church, but to play fair to all involved, we did it completely random.

So congratulations Nick and David.

Tonight

Don’t forget that tonight we will be drawing for the book giveaway. I’ll post the winners this evening after my youth service. Also, don’t forget that I will be posting Kelly’s review of another book on Wednesday. There is a giveaway with that one too.

Catching My Breath

I need to write a blog entry. I should write a blog entry. I even have a great thought for an entry. But, I’m tired. Blog entry will wait.

More Book Giveaways

I’m trying really hard to push my blog out to more people. Not that I have anything incredible to write, but for the giveaways. In the weeks ahead I will be reviewing several new books and giving away free copies of them. Next week will be a book written for young men. After that there will be a work of fiction reviewed by none other than my wife Kelly. If all goes well, other books will be following those.

So what am I asking? Please tell others about my little old blog here. I’d really like to see next weeks book for young men travel a little farther than my own youth guys.

What do you get? Uhh....not much really. Satisfaction from helping others? Maybe. Knowledge that you’re helping me get closer to achieving one of my life goals (500 blog visitors in one day)? Possibly. Okay, at least do it for the chance for a free book.

And just so it’s clear, I fully realize that the less people you tell the better your odds of winning. Show a little love though.

Look Him in the Eye

We had an incredibly powerful youth service tonight. I preached on John 8:1-11. It’s the passage on the woman caught in adultery. The whole message revolved around the idea that she was worthless in everyone’s eyes. The Pharisees thought she was worthless and would have gladly killed her if it meant finding fault with Christ. The man she was sleeping with thought she was worthless. Since he doesn’t appear anywhere in the Scriptures I’m assuming he didn’t care enough about her to stand up for her. Then the woman herself must have thought herself worthless as she stands ashamed with her sins exposed.

Yet, Christ looked at her and loved her. A person worthless to the world had value to the Lord. In his eyes, she was priceless.

I preached as best as I could then prayed over the youth. Then, we had the youth form a circle facing outward so they weren’t looking at each other. Then my youth workers and I went around the circle. We looked each youth directly in the eyes had told them how special they were. We told them just how much Christ loved them.

It was awesome. Some of the youth could barely maintain eye contact. Some were weeping. It worked out that all of us leaders were able to talk to every one of them. Each youth had three people look them in the eye and express how Jesus views them has priceless.

You could sense God’s presence and all we can hope is that it continues.

"Chara"

Spoke yesterday on “chara” or joy. Doing just a little light surface Greek studying brought me to the definition “calm delight.” So often I’ve viewed joy as being happiness on some sort of stimulant. A God induced hyper happiness that seemed impossible to maintain. The fact is that it’s not that at all. Instead, it’s that deep peaceful knowledge that God has all things under control and that one day all things will be made right. In the midst of ever changing circumstance joy can still abound. I like the idea of calm delight.

He Walks

My little boy decided to take his first steps today. It really seems like yesterday that he was born and now he’s beginning to walk. Time moves by a little too fast at times.

Life Slow Down

The past few days have seemed to fly by. Youth pepperoni sale at the same time a youth bake sale occurred. Not a good idea and it will be avoided in the future. Hectic schedule limited my time to write. I’m writing this tonight to get me back into the rhythm.

Just so people are aware, I’ll be having another book give away within a few weeks. To be honest, it’s not a book that interests me per se, but Kelly is reading it and will be writing the review.

Watching the Moon

On Sunday night, we arrived home from church in the midst of the storm. We bundled our kids inside as fast as we could. Taco Bell after service is our tradition, so the stupid man that I am I headed back into the storm to get us some tacos. Just before I reached town the call came from my wife that our power had just gone out. Having discovered that Taco Bell was closed (no power can do that), I headed home. By candlelight, we got the kids ready for bed. After Silas was tucked in, Kelly, Havilah, and I went out on the porch. The wind had settled down. The moon was brighter than I can remember. With no lights on anywhere, the earth was awash in the glow of moonlight.

We grabbed a blanket and all snuggled together on our bench. We spent a long time just watching the moon and enjoying the clouds racing across the sky. In a daredevil move, we opened the fridge and swiped some cheese out. A little while later, we were munching grilled cheese sandwiches hot off the grill.

While I don’t want the frustration and trouble that comes with the power going off, there was something so wonderful about sitting in the stillness under God’s moon.

Power Is a Good Thing

One of my youth called us Tuesday night while they were on their way home to let us know that there were lights on in the apartment below us. Yes! The power company had been saying Saturday for our area. Smart strategy. Under promise so it seems that you over deliver. I don’t want to be too snarky though, since they really have had a lot of work cleaning up from this mess.

Tuesday night we tucked our kids into bed at Grammy and Papa’s, then Kelly and I headed home to scrub down the fridge and to make sure everything was good. One of the benefits of emptying the fridge was that it presented the ideal opportunity to give it a good clean. Must admit it looks good. It made it a late night by the time we got back to my parent’s house to sleep, but it was nice to have the house ready. Wednesday morning we packed up the kids and we moved back home. The old adage “be it ever so humble there’s no place like home” has new meaning for me.

Overall my family was very blessed. We were able to store our fridge and freezer contents at our church and only lost a few items, most of which were almost empty anyway. The ice cream still breaks my heart though. I’m very grateful though because there are still many in our area without power.

No Power

It is Tuesday afternoon and we have been without power since Sunday night. Thanks Hurricane Ike. Anyway, this blog will get the updates it deserves once we have the opportunity to move back home.

Missions Trip Is Go!

We just got word today that our missions trip to Mexico is going to happen. It really was a God ordained event that brought it about. My youth are pumped for something that is still over 10 months away. I’ve even got youth attempting to learn Spanish. To be honest, I’m even excited.

A Few Quiet Days

The blog has been quiet for a few days while I was away at a minister’s conference. Just wanted to enjoy it without feeling the pressure to get something online. Will be jumping back into some writing tomorrow.

Major Weight Loss

Another weigh day. I lost .4 pounds. Yeah, make sure that you read that little dot. This was a really bad week so I’m happy that my weight didn’t go up. Going to be heading to a ministers gathering this week so this next week will be tough. Got to keep it up though.

The blog has been a little quiet as I worked through a week long stint at substituting in addition to my responsibilities at the church. I’m really looking forward to heading out to the Forum next week. It’s good to have a few days to hang out with other ministers.

Major Weight Loss

Another weigh day. I lost .4 pounds. Yeah, make sure that you read that little dot. This was a really bad week so I’m happy that my weight didn’t go up. Going to be heading to a ministers gathering this week so this next week will be tough. Got to keep it up though.

The blog has been a little quiet as I worked through a week long stint at substituting in addition to my responsibilities at the church. I’m really looking forward to heading out to the Forum next week. It’s good to have a few days to hang out with other ministers.

Ask And It's Opened

Set a goal for my youth group to head out on an out of country missions trip within the next two years. It’s a big goal for us and I wasn’t sure if we could pull it off.

Enter God.

Two days a later a nearby pastor mentions they might be heading to Mexico next summer. If it works out we’re free to join with them. Praying hard that it works out because we want Mexico.

Here Comes Fall

I’m spending the week substitute teaching. Another long day in the classroom, but at least tonight kicks off our Fall semester of youth. Really praying that we hit the ground running to see some great things happen this year.

Training Day

I had a great day with my Servant Core student leadership team today. Did some training and then some dreaming about the future of our youth group. God’s doing some great things and I want to see them continue.

Anyway, today is Saturday and weigh day. My current weight is 231.4. That’s a 1.4 pound loss from last week. I was really looking forward to breaking that 230 mark, but it looks like I have to wait. Actually, I’m quite glad for the loss that I had. Had a bad day during the week, but overall I was good this week. Unfortunately today was bad and Monday won’t be great since it’s Labor Day. Gotta keep hitting it though.

The Substitute

I’m sitting in an extremely hot classroom substitute teaching today. That’s about it.

Quest For Health

According to my stats I have some new readers. Thanks for stopping by. On Saturdays I usually post my weight. Wacky I know. I lost 30 pounds last summer and then stopped. Over the course of the year I crept back up 10 lbs. Looking at the scale finally got me fired up to do it again. I have a long way to go but at least I feel mentally ready again. So, a week ago I started up again on my diet. I post the weight here for two reasons. First, it’s accountability. Nothing’s more embarrassing than having to post a huge weight gain. There’s been several times in the past where the thought of posting my weight kept me from blowing it one day. It may sound crazy, but it helps. Second, I talked with my youth once about being open and honest before God and others. My desire and need to lose weight is simply reality. I don’t want to hide that. I want to run and have fun with my children without getting tired so easily. So, long explanation for why I do this.

So, the weight for this week is 232.8. The digital scale keeps me from interpreting the number like my old dial scale allowed me. That’s a loss of 2.8 pounds which is healthy weight loss. So, there we have it.

One final note. If there is a Saturday where I don’t post, feel free to leave a comment or email me asking me why. Even that thought gives me motivation to make sure I keep hitting it hard.

Too Much Politics

We were watching the Olympics tonight and during the commercials a Presidential advertisement came on. My 2 1/2 year old little girl proudly exclaimed “I approve this message.” Whoa! The power of television and the power of annoying repetition.

Opportunity Update

Found out from a friend that has been in the area much longer than I that what I discovered was used for demolition derbies. They took place Sunday mornings which provides an obvious reason why I probably didn’t know about them. As far as he knew they were still going on, but I think the overgrowth testifies that at least for this year there hasn’t been any. Still an interesting location though that could be used for something crazy.

Opportunity?

I was scouting out the local park to see what it provided for an upcoming outreach when I felt the Spirit prompt me to check out the local fire station. It’s a small volunteer station. I knew where it was at, had glanced its way once some time in the past, and that was about it. It sits hidden on the edge of town.

I made a pass by and noticed what looked like some bleachers sitting behind it. That was interesting. Maybe they use them at certain events or training exercises. I decided to investigate. As I drew near, I discovered that the bleachers were permanent, and that they faced a small arena situated down below. There’s even a press box with loudspeakers. I really have no clue what the place is. My best guess is horses and maybe rodeo. It’s all overgrown and hasn’t been used for some time, but it got my mind rolling and my spirit wondering. What could God use a location like that for?

I’ve been praying for Divine appointments and doing my best to “chase the goose,” Now I’m seriously asking “Lord do have something for that old arena in our small town? Did you lead me there for a reason?” No answers yet, bet the journey will hopefully prove interesting.

Enter the Bat

Youth group was almost over when the screams came (from some of my young men no less). Bat! With a door open for air flow a bat found its way into our room. The next fifteen minutes were some of the funniest I’ve witnessed as my youth attempted to direct the bat back out the door. Tablecloths, pvc pipe, poles, and even a flag were used in the endeavor.

The final culmination came when the bat flew into the tiny foyer leading outside. One of my young men practically dove into the foyer to face the beast while my wife shut the doors leading back into our room. Yeah, our main concern was to get rid of the bat.

Anyway, the bat flew away severely traumatized and my youth got a memory they’ll never forget.

Horse & Wagon

As I was finishing up my previous post, I heard the familiar clop clop of horses out my office window. My church is definitely in a rural area, but it’s not Amish country. Yet, as I looked out a large wagon with two horses pulling it marched down the road. I remember seeing them last week too. They weren’t Amish so I really don’t know what they were doing. Maybe they found a way around high gas prices.

The best part was the horses across the street. Yes, once again this is a rural church. Seven horses in the field realized that something strange was happening because they all gathered in a group and just stared at the horses pulling the wagon. After the wagon passed, the horses gave chase as far as the fence would allow them.

When following Christ, we should expect the unexpected. Just didn’t think it would be something like this.

Free Book Opportunity!

I am a really big fan of Mark’s book “In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day” and daily enjoy reading the thoughts he posts on his blog, so I jumped at the opportunity to review his new book here. Also, I received an extra copy that I can give away for free. More details after my review.

Most of us have no idea where we’re going most of the time. Perfect.

“Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit–An Geadh-Glas, or ‘the Wild Goose.’ The name hints at mystery. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger, an air of unpredictability surround Him. And while the name may sound a little sacrilegious, I cannot think of a better description of what it’s like to follow the Spirit through life. I think the Celtic Christians were on to something….

Most of us will have no idea where we are going most of the time. And I know that is unsettling. But circumstantial uncertainty also goes by another name: Adventure.” --from the introduction.

The premise for the book is that Christianity was always meant to be an adventure as we are led by the Holy Spirit. Every day is to hold the opportunity for the unexpected. Yet, often we try to tame the Holy Spirit. We seek to have Him approve our safe choices instead of allowing Him to lead us into the unknown. No wonder that many Christians are bored with their faith. I like the way Mark puts it. We are basically trying so hard to live safe lives that it makes our guardian angels yawn.

The remedy for this incorrect way of living life? Identifying the cages that we allow ourselves to be imprisoned in and stepping out of them. These six cages are the cage of responsibility, the cage of routine, the cage of assumptions, the cage of guilt, the cage of failure, and the cage of fear. Mark tackles each one by diving into the lives of some well known individuals from the Bible.

I thought the book was an incredible read. The highest praise that I can give it is that it challenged me. Challenged me to examine if I’m playing it safe, or chasing the Holy Spirit. Challenged me to step out into the adventure. Challenged me to change.

It is a book that I’m planning on slowing down and prayerfully rereading. I really encourage everyone to pick up a copy and read it.

If you want, you can visit the website for the book to read a sample chapter or learn more about Mark. While you’re there you can download “10 Steps to Setting Life Goals” which is not only a good read but something to pray about. The site is www.chasethegoose.com.

If you go to the above website there’s a link to order the book. However, I usually use www.amazon.com for buying books and it’s available there starting August 19th.

As I said in the opening, I have a free copy of the book to give away. Here’s how it works. Post a comment to this blog entry. On Monday August 18th, I will randomly select one of the commenters to receive the book. If you are reading this post in Facebook, make sure to go to www.focusedjourney.com and post your comment there.

The Power of Unplanning

Going into youth last we already knew that it would a smaller group. I had a message prepared, worship music prepared, and a new game ready to go. As we sitting around the welcome table talking before youth, I went ahead and decided just to unplan the evening. We got in a circle and just began talking Bible. Some crazy questions at times, but genuine interest in what God’s Word had to say. An hour flew by before I even realized it.

Planning is good. I live by calendars and to do lists. However, sometimes we need to be willing to unplan and just allow spiritual life to happen.

My Life

Spent some time today trying to dream up a new and stupid game for youth group. I had success. Yes, that’s the life of a youth pastor.

Ode to Taco Bell

Our local taco bell has a Sunday special. Crunchy tacos are only 49¢. It makes for an extremely cheap meal for our entire family and a great family tradition. On Sundays we eat lunch late and then wait until after the evening service to go to Taco Bell. We’ve been doing it for years now. It sounds crazy, but it’s becoming something that our family shares together. Usually I drop my wife off so she can get our little boy ready for bed, and then my daughter and I drive on to the Bell. We talk and laugh together while I constantly reassure her that we’ll buy her a burrito since she doesn’t like tacos (we always buy her a soft taco but she doesn’t know). Then, we return home and share a few minutes together eating before bed.

Sometimes even the simple things of life can be something that binds a family together. Why not look for something crazy to do with your family this week. Then do it next week. And the week after. Keep doing it until it’s something your family looks forward to, laughs about, but ultimately enjoys.

Let The Dam Break

Had another powerful service this morning. Pastor spoke on Zechariah 4:6.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”

More and more it seems a lot of people I know are feeling that God is really getting ready to do something powerful. Not just in our church, but in a lot of churches. The limiting factor really seems to be us. We are the dam that is holding back that power. It’s time to humble our hearts and allow God to have his rightful place. No longer should we make God a part of our lives. God must become our lives.

Not always easy in a culture that provides us with a million and one things to take our attention off the Father.

I'm Home

I’m still unpacking, but my blog has arrived home. This really does look a lot better than the www.homepage.mac.com/mpaulwright that I had before. It’s late, but make sure to keep checking back in the days ahead for the free book giveway that I mentioned on the closing blog at the old site. The book is going to Mark Batterson’s “Wild Goose Chase.”

Also, if you’re feeling kind, drop me a comment welcoming to the neighborhood. Yeah, more shameless plugs.

The Voice of CJM

I’m fairly confident that many of my readers know who Cornell Jordan is. If you don’t, a one sentence introduction is in order. Cornell is an incredible youth evangelist that blows it away every time he speaks. Go to my links page for more info. Anyway, I consider it a privilege to call him one of my friends.

By next week, Cornell will be selling an audio version of the devotional he has written. If you listen real close, you might hear two voices that are just a little familiar to me. Crazy as it sounds, Cornell asked my wife and I to do the audio. It was a one week turnaround that was needed and we pulled it off. Not the highest quality for sure, but it actually sounds pretty good for being completely recorded and edited on my Mac. For the next round (there will be more) we’ll be upgrading to a better mic than the one built into my laptop.

It’s crazy what God will sometimes bring into your life.

In a Heartbeat

I was sitting outside with a bunch of my youth tonight waiting for my wife to return from dropping off my kids. The phone rang. My little boy had twisted out of his car seat and fallen onto the concrete driveway. The driveway won, but my little champion is tough. He’s doing really well and was laughing up a storm with his sister on the drive back to the church.

This small accident though confirmed in my mind just how fragile life really is and how everything can change in a moment’s notice. Knowing this, it is so vital that we live our lives in the light of eternity. In the financial realm we’re advised to diversify. In the spiritual realm, I’m putting everything I have into one basket. I’m clinging to Jesus. That way, no matter what happens in this world, I know the future is secure.

Motives

Prov. 16:2 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.

I came across this verse a couple of weeks ago in my devotions and it has just been hammering me ever since. I sadly realize how much stock I put in my own opinion. How easily I paint over my faults and failures with a stroke of “I know I’m doing what’s right.” How often do we loudly proclaim our actions are of the purest intent, when deep down inside they really might be suspect?

I love my Lord and I know he loves me. Yet, I will still give an account of my life before him. Will things like my works which I consider pure and holy, be burned up because my motives were wrong? Do I want to reach my neighbor out of love or so I can have a good illustration and something to blog about?

Just something to pray about.

Water Wars

Had a blast today heading out with a bunch of my youth for several hours of water balloons, swimming, and then roasting hot dogs. In my opinion this was the best event so far in this week of events. Just hanging out in a pool playing stupid games was refreshing. Won’t deny the fact that being in the water sure felt good on my back. Of course, the water allows you to move a lot without realizing it and my back is letting me know that tonight. Still, incredible fun.

I’m a strong believer that any group, whether it be children, youth, or adults, need time to just be together to laugh and have fun. It’s been one of my heart cries recently for my youth group. I want the Lord to draw us together. Jesus prayed that there would be unity among believers. May it be so.

The Week Begins

Tomorrow our youth event called “The Week” begins. It’s sort of our welcome to youth and last blast before school event. Band camps and other school events force us to have it at the end of July. Basically, it’s four events scattered throughout the week. It’s a lot of work and planning, but it’s usually a great time. However, there’s nothing quite like Friday afternoon when the last event ends.

Software Review - Yep

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a review, so here we go. I’m a big fan of going paperless as much as possible. Papers take up space, need a place to be stored, and always seems to be at the wrong place when you need them. Small headaches but still a headache. However, paperless pdf files pose their own set of challenges. You have to work from scratch creating folders to hold these files, you have to remember to place the pdf files into the proper location, and the worst, sometimes you wind up with pdf’s scattered all over you hard drive.

Enter Yep. Yep is great little piece of software designed to store pdf’s. Basically, it’s a one stop location all the pdf files on your computer. You can place the files directly into Yep, or, allow Yep to scan your entire drive for files. Yep will leave them in their location, but still show it in the browser.

The browser is where all the magic happens. Pdf files are shown in the middle window. A list of tags is in the left window. The window on the right changes with whatever happens to be clicked. When you work with a file, you have the ability to tag it. This is extremely powerful way to organize. Let me illustrate it.

I currently receive all my bank and credit card statements electronically as pdf’s. I drop them into Yep, tag them with a few keyword tags. Words like “Statements” and “Chase.” Previously, I set up some smart folders. Smart folders update themselves on the fly by looking for certain characteristics that you set up. I have a smart folder designed to look for any file that has the tags “Chase”, Statements”, “Checking”, and “2008.” So when I tag my bank statement with these keywords, it is automatically filed into that smart folder. I can either go to the folder to look at my statements or just start clicking on tags in the left column. Both ways get me very quickly to my statements. I have smart folders that search for such tags as “Manuals” and “Bills.”

I was a little dubious when I first got this software, but it has proven itself again and again. It’s the one thing that has made me a lot more comfortable moving more and more towards having completely paperless statements for all my bills.

Check it out at Ironic Software. Yeah, it’s only for Macs.

Vacation Wrap Up

I can honestly say this has been the worst vacation of my life. An entire week spent recuperating from a back injury, and the process isn’t even completed yet. Just so things are updated, I am moving much better. Getting out of a chair and off the couch are no longer a battle between desire and pain. Yes, to get off the couch I had to roll onto the floor and land on my knees. After that, I would slowly use my hands to walk up the wall. Feels really good just to stand normally. I still have some knots in my back that are causing some pain, but usually only after I stand for awhile. So I’m moving around a lot better, I just can’t do it for long periods of time.

I’ve been talking about how I wanted to relax on my vacation, and this forced me to do it to the extreme. I was able to read a novel just for the pleasure of reading. I was able to clean up and organize a ton of family recipes on my computer. And, today, I was able to leave my children with their grandparents and take my wife out to lunch at a great little Hungarian cafe. By the time we got home my back drove me to my chair, but it was worth it to have some time just to talk with my wife.

It’s hard to realize my vacation is over when it feels like it never began, but so goes life.

Vacation Day 5

Still on vacation. Still in pain. Moving better, but it’s coming slowly.

Vacation?

My vacation started two days ago on Thursday. A week to relax, spend time with my family, and have some fun. My first project was to help my parents clean out their shed. No problem. My lower back started hurting right afterward. Sore from the work. It’s been sore before. By that night I could barely get off the chair. Friday I had to make a trip and I could barely walk. Then, looking in the mirror, I realized from the waist up my body was crooked. Strange sight. Thankfully, I found a chiropractor that was open on Saturdays. Several adjustments later and I think I’m starting to get better. I can walk better and rise from a chair easier. There’s inflammation and that is still causing problems. Hopefully it will die down soon. So, here I am on vacation and I’ve been pretty much relegated to sitting in my chair or lying on the couch.

A Sugar Coated Gospel

I’m coming to the conclusion that all people want is a sugar coated gospel. Anything with a sugar coating is bound to taste better. People want the easy stuff, but don’t want to be confronted with the hard passages of truth in God’s Word. Just last night in youth I mentioned 2 Timothy 3:12. It says,

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Not a pleasant thought, but it’s in the Word of God. It’s a hard truth and people sitting in churches need to know it. Things are not going to get better in this world. Utopia isn’t around the corner. Trials and tribulations are going to increase in these last days and God’s people need to expect that bad things are going to happen on an ever increasing scale. A little pessimistic you may ask? No, I’m a Bible realist with an eternal optimism.

No more sugar coating. We need those Christians that have been Christians for years with no growth to begin to mature in their faith. It’s time to move past the sugar coated gospel.

Wendy Goes Camp X

The coolest thing. I was watching some television tonight with my family when the Wendy’s commercial for their 99¢ chicken sandwich came on. I was barely paying attention until I realized that Wendy flashed the Camp X sign. Camp X baby.

In case you would like to see it, here’s the link to the YouTube page with the full commercial.

Camp X 2008 Final

Another Camp X has come and flown by faster than you can imagine. For those that have no clue what Camp X, I probably should have explained it earlier. Camp X is a week long camp put on by the Ohio District for students from 8th to 12th grade. The camp offered three tracks this year, discipleship, outreach, and ministry. The camp is always incredible as the student that come usually have a heart for God and want to grow and be challenged. Without a doubt that happened.

Powerful week, but I’ll be honest, hugging my wife and kids Friday when I got home was pretty good too.

If anyone from Camp X is stopping by here I say hello. If you’re looking for Hans, you’ll find a link on the appropriately named links page.

Camp X 2008 Day 3

Another day of Camp X goodness. Cornell preached a powerful sermon on having total surrender to God. Not just surrendering certain things totally, but being completely and utterly surrendered to God in every facet of our lives. Strong words that echoed through my spirit. God s really calling for his people to surrender and be holy.

It seems to be the message that God wants to get across to us.

Camp X 2008 Day 1

The first day of Camp X has once again drifted into the past. It’s one incredibly long hot day that seems to go by in a moment. It’s been great seeing the students that have chosen to walk the discipleship road with this us this week. Familiar faces (yeah I recognize you, but I have no clue about your name) and a bunch of new ones. The ludicrous thing is that the support staff wear name tags. Students? No name tags. None. It’s hard enough to remember one name let alone almost forty. I’m actually happy that I know all the names of the people that I’m working with. This is actually the first year I think.

Anyway, good services and some great sessions. God hits hard. He hits me even harder when I speak the word. Taught tonight about holiness as a lifestyle. We desperately need to be a holy people. We need to use God given wisdom when selecting entertainment choices. There’s too much at stake. Went well, especially since my hour and a half time slot was shortened to thirty minutes. I went over as long as I could, but I definitely needed more time. I wanted to have a little more interaction on the movie reviews. Oh well. I still think God gave us al something to think about and prayerfully, something to begin working out in our lives.

Healing

My student that has been battling cancer for over a year now was healed on our trip. The biopsy he’s had since returning revealed no cancer. He’ll be on crutches for several weeks until he heals from the biopsy, but no cancer. God is working.

Get Ready

Get ready. Tomorrow I should have the green light to share the most incredible thing that happened on our missions trip. We’re talking miracle. Stay tuned.

Children

My devotions today had me in Deuteronomy 6:1-9. It hit me hard when I considered the Lord’s words to impress his commands upon the hearts of our children. Continuing, we are to talk about the Lord’s commands with our children at home, when traveling, when we wake, and we go to sleep. Pretty much all the time. What am I doing to make God a part of my children’s lives? What am I doing to give them the best opportunity to accept and follow God all the days of their life?

I am very grateful for one thing. My children are young. I have time to intentionally bring God more into their lives.

Anyone out there got any good ideas for making God a greater part of young children’s lives without shoving God down their throats in a way that chokes them? If you do, leave a comment.

Hearing the Call

Just another thought from the missions trip. While we were in Toledo, some of the pastors prayed some pretty incredible things over some of my youth. Now, before any one gets excited, we instructed our youth to pray about what the pastors felt God leading them to say. If God really wants it to happen, he will begin speaking it to the hearts of the youth. The amazing thing, for many of the youth the pastors were praying as if each individual youth’s life was laid open before them. They were praying some specific things that made Kelly and my eyes almost pop out. Dead on accurate. And really, why not? The Holy Spirit is with us and guiding us.

Why all the preface? One of our youth was told that God was calling them to the ministry. It’s one that I believe God has been doing some great things in. Then, later that day, someone else told that youth that they really felt that they would wind up in China some day to save a girl. Maybe missions, maybe adoption, but being used by God. We’ve strongly instructed that youth to pray and wait for God to make it real, but I can really see it in them.

Another one of my youth was told that they were going to be bold. Later that day, the same youth was told that they were going to be the second greatest preacher that the person had ever heard.

What’s it mean? I think God hasn’t given up on this generation. God is still working and calling people to be his own.

We’ll all keep praying and seeking the Lord. I’m excited to see what might happen.

The Diet

It’s been a long time since I recorded about my diet. Well, I sort of quit before Novemeber, but I just picked it up again. Good news, my recorded low on this blog was 230. As you can see, my weight as of yesterday is 231.4. At least I haven’t gained it all back. That would be a little depressing. I’m hitting hard though. First major goal is to hit below 220. Then, down below 200. The saddest part? I had the flu about two months ago and when it was over I was around 223. So close. Anyway, I’ll get there.

Oh, we bought a new digital scale. No more “interpreting” the dial to make yourself feel better.

UPDATE: Looking back, I saw a tiny entry that said 228. Oops.

I'm Back

To say it’s been awhile since I wrote is an understatement. I do have an excuse though. I was busy. Poor excuse I know, but it’s all I’ve got. In my defense, I did spend last week away on a missions trip with my youth. The week before that was largely spent in preparation for the trip, and let’s not forget that I also preached the day before we left. Time was spent getting ready frt that. So, my reason for being lazy in my writing is the fact that I was busy. Now, on to better things.

The missions trip was incredible. Hands down I think it was a lot better than last year. Once again we ventured to Solid Rock Ministries in Toledo. Our schedule for the week was divided among many things. We helped someone that desperately needed help move to a new house, we sorted and passed out clothes, we helped in a Vacation Bible School, we fed children, we talked with people, we went door to door, we helped a pastor of another church clean and scrub his building in preparation for what he believes God is going to do, we carried tables, speakers, chairs, and used them to minister to people at a block party.

I plan on writing some more details over the next few days. But, I want to at least give a quick overview. Several of my youth had the opportunity to lead someone to the Lord. One of our young ladies led a lady (not a child) at the block party to Jesus. One of my youth believes he was healed of cancer (I’m agreeing with him, but more importantly his spirit was healed). One of my young men said that he had been suffering from depression and that after we prayed it was gone. I believe at least two of my students are being called into the ministry. They need to wrestle with the Lord about it, but it really appears that way.

So enough for now. I’ll shoot for more in depth as the week continues.

Oh, there are a bunch of photos and even videos over at our youth website. Why not check them out.

Goodbye Depression

I wanted to relate some if the powerful things that happened in the lives of my youth on the missions trip here. Hopefully, I’ll be getting them to write out what God did for them so I can post those on the youth site. So, until that I’ll try to keep my testimonies here anonymous.

One of my youth struggled a little during the week. A lot a time heading off alone and not always diving into the work. On Friday during the fire tunnel prayer time, this youth declared that they had been depressed and that God had taken it away. I thought it was great, but you never can tell on things like that. Well, the student’s mom told us that since we’ve been back her youth is completely different at home. Respectful, doing what is asked, and simply pleasing to be around. A major change that both her and her husband noticed.

To me that’s awesome. May it continue.

God loves to minister to and bless His people, but even more so when his people are willing to head out and serve others.

Thanks to the Lady

Spending the morning at Caribou Coffee. Gas prices are making me limit my visits to every other week or so, but today I have the pleasure of drinking coffee and reading. Working through Andy Stanley's "Communicating For a Change." Good read so far. Nothing like a book that forces self-examination and makes you question your current methods. Anyway, I just wanted to relate that there are still kind people in this world. I have a Caribou gift card that I refill periodically and use to get my coffee. Today, I ordered my coffee and after swiping my gift card, I was informed I owed 65¢. I don't carry cash and sheepishly pulled out my debit card to pay for that large amount of money. A lady behind me slapped down a five and told the worker to just take it out of that. So, thanks to that lady for covering part of my coffee.

Of course, now that I think about it, maybe she just didn't want to wait for the time it would take for them to run my card. Anyway, she saved me some change which I can put to other good use like lunch.

One Idea & Repitition

Last night, I sat in the church basement with "The Brotherhood." No, it's not some crazy version of a board meeting. The brotherhood is the high school age guys in our youth group. Not all of them, but a few at least. We relax, play pool, and try to get into God's Word. Usually, I have a lesson that we loosely work our way through. This time though, I allowed it to be free question and discussion. Always an interesting time. Questions about why we do certain things in church like raising our hands to is it required to pray over our food before we eat. The coolest part was when one of my guys repeated the main point from the previous night's sermon. I included it yesterday. "Every choice is an opportunity to please God." I made the conscience effort on Tuesday to repeat that phrase at least a dozen or more times. I had the youth repeat it with me. I even yelled it as some youth were leaving for home. It was my main point and I wanted them to remember it. So it was really great when one of my guys repeated it and shared that it was burned into his brain and he kept hearing it all day at school. Of course, my desire is that they actually start putting it into practice, but at least I branded it onto their brains a little.

This was my attempt to do something a little different in one of my messages. So far so good.

Choices

Just wanted to pass along the main point of my message from last night's youth group.

"Every choice is an opportunity to please God."

Being Innovative

Our youth just finished up a pepperoni roll sale. I walked away really amazed at how much money could be made by selling some simple food. As I was pouring over the numbers in preparation for placing the order, one of our young ladies stood out. She sold thirty more than the next closest seller, and that next one was really a tag team of two sisters. Here's how it happened. Everyone basically sold to their families and the people in the church. A few had parents that took in order from into work. All fine ways of selling. This young lady though, took it upon herself to go to various businesses in her community and sold to the workers. From what I understood, her method of selling was to tell them that she would deliver them on the set day for lunch. People have to eat lunch. Why not drop a couple bucks if it means that you don't have to worry about bringing lunch that day. She was creative and the sales showed it. How are we doing being creative? Are we examining our teaching, preaching, serving, giving, and a host of other things to see if there just might be a better way? Maybe it's time to try something new again. My goal, in the next couple weeks, is to do something completely different in youth. It might work or it might not, but at least we will try.

Peaceful Friday

This has been an insane week. From Monday on we have had something going on every night. Tonight and tomorrow are no different. At least, for a moment, I am sitting in a quiet place of peace. My wife and children are at the store and I'm sitting in my house waiting for them to return the car to me. It's quiet. Well, relatively quiet I guess. The birds outside are chirping away. Cars are driving by. So, it's not really quiet, but it does feel very peaceful. With the events of the past week I appreciate this moment from God.

The Empty Room Blog

The blog has been silent for about two weeks. Some major things were happening in our lives that were a little unpleasant for us. The title of this post lets those who know what's going on exactly what I'm talking about. Beyond that, I won't discuss the situation itself. It's been very hard though. Yet, we're still alive and moving forward. Looking to get back in the rhythm of things real soon. For now though, that's about it.

Hurting Teens

If there is one common denominator between a lot of the youth that I have contact with is pain. The students in my youth group are hurting. Their friends are hurting. Broken friendships, broken homes, uncaring parents, and the pain of sin are a heavy weight that many can't seem to shake. Is this just a guess on my part? No. I know this because within the past month or so I've had more students wanting to talk to me or Kelly than ever before. I've had more students than I can remember bursting into tears as they do talk with me. Even stranger, I've found myself more compelled than ever to hug and hug and hug. If you know me at all you realize that I'm not really a huggy person. Not my personality. Yet, it's as if the Lord is directing me to hug and love these students in a tangible way. I hug with caution as we do live in a litigious society, yet I think students are craving this. They want to know that someone cares. Now a hug can't solve all of a student's problems, but hopefully it can at least let them know that there is a safe place where they are cared for and loved. Not just in the arms of a youth worker, but in the arms of the Lord.

Extra Note: Just so it is clear, I use extreme caution when hugging any of our female students. I will not hug them unless there are others around and preferably, if possible, I let my wife be the one that hugs them. It's a balancing act that involves knowing each student's past as best as we can and trying to make the best decision on a moment's notice. Still, hurting teens need to know they're loved. Comments or thoughts on this subject appreciated.

A Crack in the Wall

This past Sunday we had some incredible services. I think a lot of people had the feeling that we are beginning to see the breakthrough that we desperately need. The walls that have been holding many down may be getting ready to crumble and fall. Much more prayer is needed, but I think we have been encouraged to keep pressing in.

Quote of the Day

"Tragically, in most churches, the pain of change is greater than the pain of ineffectiveness." -Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger.

Going to be chewing on this one for awhile.

My Name is Matthew, and I'm a Mac Addict

I realized yesterday that I had an addiction. I was working on my laptop with the television on. A commercial came on for a school of trades. I was typing and not really paying attention. I glanced over, and I stopped in my tracks. They were offering some sort of course of study for a Mac Hinist. What on earth is a Mac Hiinist? I know computers, especially my beloved Mac, extremely well. For a split second my mind raced and I tried to solve this cryptic computer related occupation.

Thankfully, the pitchman explained that anyone could become a qualified MacHinist. That's a machinist. Yes, my computer has even changed the way I read.

Help me!

Another Monday

Mondays are just blah. Since I didn't know the definition of the word blah, I thought I would look it up and let you all see for yourself.

Blah - used to refer to something that is boring or without meaningful content.

Doesn't that just seem to describe Mondays to you?

Speed

Yesterday was the day. We were finally able to move from dial up internet to high speed. How on earth did we ever live without it? That said, this blog should be able to receive more attention since I will be able to upload it whenever I want.

Going Home

I was sitting at my desk yesterday when I got the call from a local funeral director. One of our older members in the church had passed away. He had been a man of strong faith and love for his Lord. Due to illness he just wasn't able to make it out anymore. Age takes it toll on all of us. Death is sad. It weighs on the heart. Yet, this man has found his reward. His time on earth while long by our standards, was really just a miniscule drop when compared to the eternal life that he has now found himself. Life forever with the Lord. Enjoy it friend. Some day I'll see you there.

Software Review - Budget

My number one software choice that I would recommend to anyone is Budget from Snowmint Creative Solutions. Not something I’m proud to admit, but before I found this software my financials were a mess. I used Quicken as a computer checkbook program, but it never helped us have enough money for our various bills. It had budget capabilities, but I never could wrap my head around how to set it up. I look back now and I am eternally grateful to God that He kept us afloat. I honestly have no clue how we made it. Thankfully, we found this software. It is a budget program that I can understand.

The concept is simple and has been around forever. They even promote it as the way your grandparents handled budgets. When a paycheck is cashed, the money is broken out and placed in envelopes that represent the various bills that you will have. Poor explanation, but a little money every week is placed in the envelope so that there will be enough when the next bill comes. Budget just takes this envelope concept and places it on the computer. When I record a pay, it automatically disperses my paycheck into the various bill envelopes that we have.

I put it this way, we went living from paycheck to paycheck to actually building some extra money over the course of the year. It really has been incredible. Okay, I think you get the idea.

Out of all the programs I love, this one has made the greatest impact in my life. Now to be fair, I use it on my Mac. However, they do make a version fro Windows too. So, if you are still trapped on that platform you can use it.

The link is following. The software has a trial period so that you can play around with and get a feel for it. It’s a great time of the year to start getting your finances in order.

www.snowmintcs.com

The Focused Journey

This blog of mine is a lot of things. I call it Focused Journey because it is a blog about the journey we are all on towards eternity. It's focused because I believe in only one way to the Father, that is through Christ Jesus. However, it's also about the journey itself. Life isn't about simply making it to eternity, it's about realizing eternity is already at work in us. It's about life and the things that are a part of it. That's why I'm going to start adding things that seem to have nothing to do with faith, but are a part of the journey. Anyone that knows me knows that I love Apple computers. So I decided to start adding some entries concerning Apple. Be on the lookout for not only thoughts on faith, but reviews of Apple products and software that I think make the journey more enjoyable. That and anything else that I can think of.

Are We Listening

Today is Saturday and my day off. I like my day off. I have time with my family, a nap isn't something to be ashamed of or avoided, and I can relax. One way we relax is to throw on some old television shoes (season DVD's are a great thing). I had on an Andy Griffith show and there was a line were Andy comments on the only way he can get his son's attention his to take out a commercial on the radio. This is in response to Opie walking down the sidewalk listening to a baseball game on his radio. I laughed at the fact that things haven't changed. From radios to Walkmans and from CD's to iPods we have a thousand things to keep our ears occupied.

With so much noise it's hard to listen to God. The most important thing we need to hear is drowned out by a multitude of other noises. The thing is, we choose to allow those other noises to crowd God out. No one every has ever forcibly made me listen to my iPod. It's my choice. As Jesus took time away from the crowds, maybe we need to take time away from our crowds. I like the thought. I need a look at my calendar, but I think some days of chosen quiet are in order.

Simple Church

After attending a small discussion led by Konan Stephens and Gary Fowler concerning the book Simple Church, I have actually started the book. It is a challenging read. It confronts us with the realization that maybe we're not making disciples like Christ has told us. Even as an associate pastor mainly focusing on youth, I have to ask myself if what we are doing is really making disciples of Christ. I know well the heartbreak of watching youth head out into the world and abandoning their faith. Don't want to see that. Yeah, I can't control them, but I want to make it hard for them to walk away. Anyway, I'm about half way through the book and getting spiritually hit in the gut again and again. Hopefully, I'll have more thoughts later.

PS Yeah, changing the look of the site again. Eventually I'll hit on just what I want.

Resisting God

I experienced the sadness of the Spirit moving in our services yesterday. Yes, it's sad to me when the Spirit wants to move and minister to people and they simply refuse. During a great altar time the Spirit directed pastor to ask for some young people to come forward. God wanted to minister to them. Pastor never called anyone by name, he simply stated that he knew God wanted to minister to several of them. Eventually one came up which is great. But there were were several more that needed to come up. The Spirit was making it very clear. Yet, whoever they were they refused.

Why is it that some would prefer the darkness of the pit instead of walking into the healing power of the living Lord? It saddens my heart to think of the incredible victories that could have taken place in their lives if they would have humbled themselves and came. Think about it. The God of everything was taking a moment to specifically call them out so he could minister to them and he was refused. How long can we refuse God's love before He allows us to have our way?

We need a breakthrough and we continue to pray for it. Thankfully, God remains patient and loving.

Almost Over

Just about over the flu. Spent Friday, Saturday, and Monday on my couch. Made Sunday services but probably just spread the flu on. Took it slow yesterday and today hoping to finally conquer it. Still have the cough and congestion. The lightheadedness thankfully seems to be gone. Just a little update.

Sickness

I have a cold. Monday and Tuesday were light nausea while Wednesday and today are the full sinus and chest cold. I feel rotten. Miserable. The kind of day just to stay home and rest on the couch. Unfortunately, my nephew is sick too. This means my sister needs a substitute at school and it's a chance to make a little extra cash. So here I am. Sitting behind a desk with a room full of students dreaming of the moment when I can head home and lay down for a few minutes.

The Day After

The day after Sunday usually is a hard day for ministers. It's the day where you review your success and failures of the day before. It's also the day that the enemy loves sneak up to your ear and whisper sweet lies. Lies about how worthless you are and how you're not making a difference. For me that day is Wednesday since my youth meet on Tuesday night.

As I write this, I could write a long list of the problems and struggles my students are going through. Deep painful problems. Problems with no simple solutions. It weighs heavy on my heart. I know the enemy delights in using pain to pull people down into the pit. There's always someone in our lives going through a trial, but right now the number in my little youth group exceeds what I can count on both hands.

For those that actually read this, please take a moment to pray. I know it's the same for students everywhere, but these are my students. These are the ones that I pray for and agonize over. They are my burden and I humbly ask you to share it with me even if for a moment.

There are some lions that need to die and I want to see some students rise up in Christ and slay the lion of their pit. (Yeah, a small reference to the book).

Ugghh!

Last night I had the pleasure of having my friend Cornell Jordan speak in my youth group. Cornell always tears it up and last night was no different. He spoke on having clean hands before the Lord. Good stuff. Challenging stuff. He loves physical illustrations and the close of the message was three basins for the youth to come up and wash their hands in. A red one for having sin in your life, a black one for something in your life you need to get rid of, and a white one for those that knew they were right with God but just wanted to renew and refresh their walk.

I love how God brings people into our lives. A few years ago I didn't know Cornell at all. I met him when a fellow youth pastor asked me to help with something called Camp X. He was working with the discipleship track and asked me to come. I hesitated, but eventually said yes. However, I wasn't able to attend the last planning meeting. I basically just showed up not knowing what to expect. What I found was that the discipleship track was led by this crazy guy called Cornell. Yeah, first impressions are weird. I soon learned that the "crazy" I saw was really intense passion for the Lord and helping other know the Lord. I've worked three camps with him now, have had him speak in my youth multiple times, and have had him as my youth Fall retreat speaker. I count him as one of my friends.

Cornell is currently ministering as a youth evangelist (although he can just has easily knock the socks off adults). Yeah, this is a promo for him and no, he didn't ask me to so this. Check him out.

www.cornelljordan.org

Lion Chaser #3 - It's Finished

I was trying to write a chapter review after each chapter. Yet, I discovered that I was intentionally not reading the book in an effort to catch up here. With the uploading problem I'd probably never catch up. So, I made the decision just to plunge forward. I wanted to finish so I did. The book was really good. Mark Batterson makes some very interesting conclusions about how we live our lives in what I basically call fear. Just for time sake, I've put the Lion Chaser Manifesto below. Mark posted this on his blog the beginning of this year. Worth looking over again. Adios.

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze new trails. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.

Chase the lion.

Wait

This past week I read Psalm 27 in my devotions. I was struck by verse 14. "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." I think the hardest thing about waiting for God is...uh, well, the waiting. We know that God has all power and can do something, but it is so difficult to watch nothing happen for so long. I think the Lord knows just how human we are. That's why he encourages to stay strong and take heart while we wait. Answers are coming. The healings we have desperately been seeking are coming. The answer to prayers that have stretched through many years are coming. Let's stay strong and wait.

For any one reading this, trust me, I'm writing this just as much for myself as it is for you.

The Curse of Dial Up

Any visitor to my blog knows that it doesn't get updated frequently. Not my fault. I still live in the world of dial up internet. I use to be able to upload my site over it. It took a long time, but it worked. Some time in the past two months or so I discovered I could no longer upload the site. I think some software upgrades on my end didn't like trying to upload all the changes that I was making. After much trying, I've finally just come to the conclusion that I can no longer upload the website over my internet. That limits me to uploading to the site on Thursdays when I spend some time at Caribou Coffee with their Wi-Fi. So my dilemma is simple. Do I write blog entries throughout the week and then upload them all at once on Thursday? What about the weeks where I just can't get to Caribou? Still trying to figure out what I'm going to do.

Thanks to a financial blessing that helped eliminate some debt, my wife and I had some money freed up every month. We were seriously discussing the possibility of jumping up to high speed internet. I would love it not only for this blog but for my youth ministry. It was looking like it was going to happen. The money was there every month with plenty left over to help in other areas of our life. This of course is all the build up to the collapse. A letter from my landlord with a rent increase dashed any dreams I had to the ground. There's still money freed up, but I'm practical enough (and maybe even wise enough) to see that it needs to go to other places. So I'm stuck in the realm of the super slow.

I'll try to get stuff uploaded from time to time. I'm farther in the book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." Will try to post some more thoughts and reflections soon. Good book.

That's it. Adios.

Indifference

One of the saddest things I see as a youth pastor are youth that once loved the Lord grow indifferent. It's not that they totally reject God, they just really don't care anymore. Yeah, they still show up. They can still talk about God. Yet, you watch them and see that there's simply nothing there. No substance behind the talk. This problem isn't limited to youth either. It cuts out your heart though watching it happen. There's not much you can even say because again, they just don't care.

Not much more to say. It is weighing heavy on me though.

Joy Isn't Dependent Upon the Buckeyes

I'm writing this with approximately ten minutes left in the third quarter. The score is currently 24 to 10. Not looking good for my Buckeyes. But, thankfully my life isn't built upon football. I really enjoy watching it and the Bucks are my favorite team, but it doesn't consume me. That's why in a few minutes I will go to bed with the game still on. I'll go to sleep without knowing the outcome (well, sadly I think I know the outcome already). My life has more importance than a game.

Great, as I write this OSU just gave up another touchdown. Stupid Buckeyes. They couldn't play their way out of a wet paper...oh yeah, it's just a game. Looks like I'll be saying that for another year.