the biggest year of our lives...and it's only july!

jolie sat content riding along in her brand new wagon as mommy pulled her along the street of our new neighborhood, judah could barely keep his eyes open (very typical!) as i cradled him in my arms, and carissa summed up life at the present with this statement: "2010 has been the biggest year of my life so far."

and that about says it all.

this has truly been an eventful year!  at the beginning of january our church moved into our new facility, and a few weeks later we lost our friend and pastor, kurt, very unexpectedly.  then we thought we were leaving for north carolina in february (with no job in sight), but our worship pastor resigned and we made the decision to stay and help for a few more months during the search process.  God then provided 2 jobs for us down in north carolina (leading worship at a small church and a shift supervisor position at starbucks).  then judah was born on june 4, and june 27 we said goodbye to our church family at rock point.

now we're embracing the adventure and this new chapter in our lives.  we left our little house on lincoln street in crawfordsville, indiana on june 30 driving the minivan as papa drove the rental truck filled with all our stuff.  and we arrived in wake forest, north carolina on july 1 to a welcoming group of friends from our new church ready to help us unpack the truck and provide us with a meal for the night (southern fried chicken...what a blessing!)  we enjoyed time with papa and dad sargent, and no sooner had they left then my parents arrived for a few days.  so we've had lots of help unpacking and setting up the new house (which carissa has already made feel like home)...and jolie's enjoyed all the attention from grandparents!  meanwhile, i started training at starbucks (which is a blast, but has felt a little like drinking from a fire hose), and this morning i led worship for the first time officially at our new church, union view baptist.  and in just a few weeks i'll begin my first classes in seminary.  whew...

what a blast!

following God's lead is so exciting.  ...crazy...but exciting!

and now i sit on a sunday afternoon and count all my amazing blessings...who are all sleeping soundly.  thank you, Jehovah-Jireh!

my little lion

ashamed it's taken me this long to post this exciting news, but i used all of last week to celebrate in relaxation (as much as possible)...but Judah is here!!!  he checked in right according to schedule on june 4 @ 2:00pm and weighed in @ 7lbs 8oz (and 20 and 1/2 inches long).  we went in for a scheduled c-section that friday which was sooo much easier (like it was really all that difficult for me!) than 26 hours of labor only to end up having a c-section (our experience with Jolie).  so the scheduled surgery was a nice, semi-relaxing change of pace...but i was still so pumped with adrenaline i probably brought comic relief to all the doctors and nurses around as i frantically paced back and forth waiting to be admitted to the operating room.  and in a matter of minutes upon arriving at the side of my heavily drugged wife...we heard his little cry.  well...it was more a scream...like a high-pitched screaming monkey...but it was wonderful!  and what a little miracle he is, and a huge answer to prayer!
he is a stud!  and he completely shocked us with his hair...a full head of dark brown hair...enough for a legit faux hawk (which he sported on his way home from the hospital!).  he's even got sideburns...trying to be like his daddy!  so much fun to hold him...he's so chill...just relaxed and peaceful...he's just awesome!  praise God!
just rereading this post makes me laugh...there's so much to say...but not the words to say it...

daddy's praising the LORD for you, Judah my scepter (Psalm 60:7)...my little lion!  i'm praying you become a mighty lion for the glory of God!

human doings or human beings?

this is a well-spoken and thoughtful reminder for those on the journey to become like Christ:

the pressure to accomplish snuffs out the pleasure of being God's child.

rejoicing in God's provision!

it's time to just thank Jehovah-Jireh for how He has faithfully provided for us.  i went down on the weekend of may 23 to wake forest, north carolina to scope out the area in preparation of our big move.  well, really i went down to candidate at a small church in franklinton (just a few miles north of wake forest) for a worship pastor position.  but i also took advantage of the opportunity to see the campus of southeastern baptist theological seminary and our little duplex that we'll call home for the next short season of life.  and on top of that i also spent a few hours applying for jobs around the area.

to sum up the weekend...the church was amazing!  i loved the people, really enjoyed leading worship, felt like i got fed from God's Word, bonded with the pastors, and sensed God's leading the whole time.  i think it will be a great fit...a place where we can immediately plug in and start serving!  so we're excited about that opportunity!!

and then a HUGE added blessing were my interviews with starbucks.  i walked in on friday (fresh off the plane) just to see if i could talk to the manager.  we talked for just a couple minutes and she asked if i had applied for the shift manager position and how much customer experience i had.  well, i had to be honest that i had none (and so no, i did not apply for the shift manager position assuming that i would need the entry level position to get my feet wet), but i told her what i do as a pastor and how some of that could be transferrable.  so she called up another store manager and set up interviews for sat. and sun., telling me that by just talking to me she wanted to see if i would be a good fit for the shift manager position!  needless to say, on tuesday (back in indiana) i got the call from mitch (the other store manager) offering me the job!

i can't tell you how awesome that is....we've been praying for months and months for God's direction and provision...and in one weekend He took care of it all.  He is absolutely incredible!!

and now...the week we've been waiting for has arrived...

mom s. is here, our room is ready, carlee is coming tomorrow...and judah is due friday!!!  God is good...

book #9: the tombs of anak

this is just a little blast from the past, and i'm only slightly embarrassed to be including this book on my list...about as embarrassed as i was to read a children's book on a plane from north carolina.  but i couldn't help myself...i loved this book as a kid.  it's one of the few books that i vividly remember my dad reading to me before bed, and i remember the thrill of emotions it evoked as we sat in the dim light and entered into a world that (for a kid) was pretty scary.  so thank you, Frank Peretti...again!  it wasn't quite the same or terrifying reading it the second time (now that my taste buds have grown up...and having delved into the mind of ted dekker), but i have to admit it was thoroughly enjoyable!

think indiana jones who still goes to sunday school (...i'm proud of you if you picked up on the movie line reference)!  The Cooper Kids Adventure Series recounts the exploits of jay and lila cooper who tag along with their archeologist dad, dr. jake cooper, and The Tombs of Anak was certainly the most thrilling of the original 4 volumes included in this series.  dr. cooper is the equivalent of the spiritually steady, almost grandfatherly mr. whittaker (adventures in odyssey...another blast from the past) who lives on the edge and fears no evil...not even ancient tombs or the eerie songs that emanate from the surrounding darkness.  he's the well-studied, quick-thinking, wise and experienced seeker of knowledge who's ready to spring into action the moment danger threatens to strike (especially his kids).  so throw in the Biblically inspired ancient ruins of Gath, the mystery surrounding the tombs, the strange local hill-dwellers, and the disappearance of a crew member and you've got a fascinating thrill ride for kids (...ok, ok...and for me).

peretti tries to base this mystery around another mystery that's briefly detailed in the early books of the Bible: the descendants of anak.  while i'm sure there are great liberties taken with his interpretation (and never wanting to be the plot spoiler to a good thriller), i enjoyed the ties into some of the strange genealogical records of the Bible.  and the message of the the tombs of anak is really a strong warning against greed and the love of power...enough to scare the desire right out of ya!  and the more i read, the more i would caution parents.  peretti has no problem writing thrillers with a touch of horror, and death is dealt with right out in the open.  so you may want to preview this one to make sure your little one's ready to handle the suspense and the issues that may arise.

but it was fun to take a stroll down memory lane...and only a little tricky to hide the "kids series" label from the other passengers on the plane.

book #8: the screwtape letters

C.S. Lewis is simply too fascinating and fun to ignore.  i hardly qualify as an expert on the great author and apologist, but i have been delighted for years by his beautiful way of capturing deep thought in simple words and pictures.  he eloquently and masterfully places complex philosophical ideas on the bottom shelf where they are attainable, practical and easily transferable to everyday conversation without laboring the mind to the point of boredom.  and it's often his starting point that sets him apart from other theologians.

like asking the question, i wonder what the demons talk about amongst themselves?

so instead of a rigorous and academic work on spiritual warfare The Screwtape Letters offers a refreshing, observant, and at times, eerie look into the mystery of the supernatural world.  it's a unique and unspoken plot that you follow as one demon (screwtape) writes letters to his nephew demon (wormwood) who's out on assignment and seems to need advice (whether wormwood would ever admit it or not)...a fascinating concept.  but i'd have to agree with lewis that it's probably a good thing the book didn't go on any longer than it did.  it was startlingly insightful but began to feel oppressive as i (unfortunately all-too-easily) twisted my brain to think like the enemy.  here's how lewis described writing this work:

"though i had never written anything more easily, i never wrote with less enjoyment.  the ease came, no doubt, from the fact that the device of diabolical letters, once you have thought of it, exploits itself spontaneously...though it was easy to twist one's mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long.  the strain produced a sort of spiritual cramp.  the work into which i had to project myself while spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch.  every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded.  it almost smothered me before i was done.  it would have smothered my readers if i had prolonged it."


there's also the caution to not place too much emphasis on the work of the devil.  as in all disciplines, the process of learning from screwtape comes in the balance.  don't neglect or underemphasize spiritual warfare, but do not swing to the opposite extreme and get carried away in demonic activity.

i would say the most enlightening aspect of this work was the frightening reminder of the subtle attack of the enemy.  "indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts..."  and it has taught me to be all the more vigilant in renewing my mind in His Word (Eph. 4:22-24) and daily putting on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) so that i can stand against the schemes of the devil.

the enemy is cunning.  but my God is greater!  and "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence" (2 Pet. 1:3).

The Contemporvant Service - What Can We Learn?

The Contemporvant Service - What Can We Learn?

definitely worth checking out...for a good chuckle and heart check!

a cigarette butt's a sweet sight!

no, i'm serious, it is!

walking out the doors of our church, i looked and saw a cigarette butt.  and it made me smile.  an assessment of the evidence seems to point to our celebrate recovery ministry that meets on tuesday nights, a ministry that incorporates scheduled "smoke breaks" as i understand it.

and i love it.

it means people are coming to lay their lives out for our church to see.  it means they're coming to hear the Truth.  it means their coming to Jesus.  and it means that He is working!

in fact, this sunday we're going to hear a testimony from a brother who's just become a believer...has kept his life clean from drugs for a couple months, heard the gospel through the CR ministry, trusted in Christ, invited everyone he could to come witness his baptism (in the creek in the pouring rain), has voraciously pursued getting involved at church, wants to grow, and is an incurably contagious follower of Christ!  love it!  (just heard this morning that his mom trusted in Christ for salvation last night!!)

so i hope we see many more cigarette butt's in front of our doors.

in fact, i'm gonna pray for it.  i don't want to butt against what God's doing!  Lord Jesus, keep drawing people to Yourself!

books #6 & 7: "the lost city of z" and "sherlock holmes and the hound of the baskervilles"

so, by the insistance of my wife i'm going to include The Lost City of Z in my list of 100 books by 2020...already reviewed it here.  i guess it's worth including...this reading list will most likely include a eclectic plethora of topics and genres....so why not!  now on to the next...

Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles was an instant favorite of mine as a child...well, at least the illustrated classics for kids version was!

ah...the illustrated classics for kids!  i'm indebted to whoever decided to make all these classics available to young readers, because i believe they were instrumental in developing my love for reading as well as giving me a broad layout of the land of classical literature (to which i'll also credit the old PBS show: wishbone!)  i remember first reading this particular book on family vacation, nestled into my captains seat in the back of our minivan.  it was my first encounter with sherlock, a hero who has evidently never lost his intrigue in my mind.  

i'll admit that i most likely felt inspired to revisit this old story after watching the recent hollywood adaption of sherlock, but, although i still thoroughly enjoyed the movie, i had to admit they've strayed pretty far from sir conan doyle's actual character.  baskervilles reveals the little nuances that makes sherlock one of the most beloved heroes in classic literature, but it also focuses a great deal on his counterpart, dr. watson.  there is a large section of the book where the reader is to believe that sherlock is completely absent and therefore must depend on dr. watson's point of view and assessment of the facts and circumstances.

it was interesting to me to see how the solving of the mystery removed all semblance of the supernatural. what made this particular mystery so intriguing at the start (the supposed presence of a supernatural hound) was tidily resolved by the collection of facts that could easily be explained scientifically (this twist was also present in the latest movie).  i can't help but assume that this was rooted in modern thinking (that everything could be explained by scientific fact using the scientific method), which played a huge role in liberal theology (the dismissal of the supernatural...and particularly the resurrection...because of the insistence that the scientific method was capable of explaining all life and phenomena).  so i enjoyed the mystery and the resolution, but couldn't help feeling that it was meant to numb my belief in the existence of miracles and the supernatural.

then again...in reading The Lost City of Z, david grann linked col. percy fawcett to sir arthur conan doyle, and even suggested that conan doyle, along with fawcett, delved into the occult.  i have not studied the life of sir arthur conan doyle, but it would be interesting to see if he was truly inundated by modern thought or if he had an unusual fascination with the supernatural.

at any rate, if you're looking for a classic mystery thriller...look no further!  head over to your local library and pick up your copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and maybe you too will find a new hero!

"deekoo deesus"

i was filled with joy last night as we were preparing to put jolie to bed.  we've been trying to stay disciplined in reading from her Bible before all the other rituals that go into the nightly routine, and the time that we spend looking through the beginner's Bible from zondervan has been a huge blessing to me.  we have many picture Bibles to choose from, but this one has become my favorite because of the huge emphasis on Jesus...lots of stories and parables that allow us to talk about Him over and over as we seek to impress on our little girl how much mommy & daddy love Jesus.  i also really appreciate that this version does not shy away from the cross, but handles it tastefully and allows us the opportunity to begin teaching our soon-to-be 2 year old the gospel!
so last night, she immediately started saying "deesus", as she handed me her Bible and crawled up on the couch to listen intently.  then we typically spend some time looking at pictures of pharaoh in the OT (due to her fascination with the song, "pharaoh, pharaoh...", to which she's also picking up the motions), and then we hit the NT and "deesus" is everywhere!  almost immediately after the manger she started saying, "coss"...which thrilled my heart to see her remembering, getting caught up in the drama, and wanting to read the account of his death on the cross as we moved joyfully into the resurrection!
then for the first time last night...jolie prayed!
we always pray together as a family before meals and before bed, and we've asked her on multiple occasions if she would like to pray, but she's always refused and differed to mommy or daddy.  but last night, after reading through the account of the Jesus' life and excitedly talking about Him, she willingly repeated a simple prayer.
"deekoo deesus"
(thank you Jesus)
that was it.  she didn't even finish with "amen" (which she often injects in the middle of daddy's lengthier prayers).  it was simple.  and yes, we spoon fed her the phrase.  but it was beautiful.  and it filled my heart with joy!
Lord, instill a love for Christ in the heart of my little girl.  Raise her up to know and love you, and use her for your glory!

my brain won't shut off

so much going through my heart and mind today:
1. i need a heart that is passionate for the lost.  i'm ashamed that i think of myself as so spiritually mature, and yet this simple, absolutely necessary characteristic is inexcusably missing from my life.  Lord, give me a passion for the lost!  Give me courage to intentionally be with those who don't know You, and share gospel!
2. i never want to get past the gospel.  again, i'm ashamed that my prideful self-righteousness has regularly ignored facing and rejoicing in the profoundly simple truth that i am a sinner in need of a Savior and that Savior is Jesus.  i know that i can never lose my salvation, and justification was an instantaneous, once-for-all moment...but i'm as much in need of God's grace today in my life as i was the moment i was saved.
3. i need to be assertive in finding an accountability bro in NC.  he needs to know where i've been, where i need to be, where i don't need to be, and where i am.  i need him.
4. we're praying that God would give us life-long friends to meet, grow with, and enjoy down in wake forest...friends that are passionately in love with Christ who will push us in our walk and encourage us in ministry
5. i'm praying for a job that i can enjoy that will allow me to enjoy time with my family
6. thinking about what the focus of my passion and ministry is...i believe i can sum it up like this: i want to teach guys God's Word.


i suppose being the verbal processor that i am i really need to sit down and talk to someone about all this stuff that's rumbling through my heart and mind.  but i just wanted to get some of this down in writing for my own benefit later.  and pray for my wife's patience as i process.  Lord, thank you for a loving, respectful, understanding, and patient wife!

book #5: it

i hate being that guy.

you know the guy i'm talking about?  he's the one you're always warned about: don't be that guy!  it usually hits you when you're listening to someone talk about him or write about him, saying things like, don't be the guy that does this or does that...  and for me, i'm usually self-righteous enough to think, yeah, i can't believe that guy!  i'm glad i'm not like him!  he just doesn't get it.  that guy's always messing it up!  and often i'll even stoop to the pharisaical (albeit subconscious) prayer, Lord, thanks for helping me not be that guy!  i don't ever want to be that guy!


well, i have a confession to make...the book it kicked my butt.  and it kicked it over and over again.  and i have another confession to make...i started this book with a very critical spirit.  it sounded like another over-simplistic, theologically-watered-down, results-driven, hyped-up leadership formula guaranteed to bring success to those ministries willing to bow at the feet of the corporate model rather than the Word of God.  i'm ashamed at my prideful, self-righteous heart.

now, back to my original confession.  the more i read the more i couldn't escape it: i was that guy.

almost every chapter in part 2, "what contributes to it?", revealed my personal lack of it.  the more i read the worse it got.  it seemed like every few pages craig groeschel would give an example of that guy or ministry that didn't have it or had lost it...and it was like i was looking in a mirror.

if i'm willing to be honest i have to admit that i struggle to:
see it clearly
know where it is not
enjoy it with others
be courageous enough to do anything for it
fail towards it
want others to have it
and share it


and so what reads like a simple ministry leadership or Christian living book has profoundly impacted me personally.  i hope.  and i'm thankful for it.  so i purpose to make it my prayer, as he suggests, for God to:
stretch me.
ruin me.
heal me.

and i highly recommend it.

book #4: disciplines of a godly man

"it is an immutable fact that we will never get anywhere in life without discipline - especially in spiritual matters...none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage. none of us are inherently righteous, none of us naturally seek God or are reflexively good.  therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything


no discipline, no discipleship!
no sweat, no sainthood!
no perspiration, no inspiration!
no pain, no gain!
no manliness, no maturity!" (p.224)

this comprehensive look at spiritual disciplines is definitely a must read for any guy that's serious about being sold out for Christ!  i will confess that it's taken me a while to finish the whole thing because i read a chapter a week (for the most part) for a weekly book study with some coaches at north montgomery high school...and i just today went back and finished the 4 chapters that i had missed.  but i purpose to come back and revisit this book in the future, because it is packed full of in-your-face, Biblical insight into how to truly become a God-honoring man.  i was first impressed by kent hughes' commentary on the book of ephesians, and this book has since sold me on his style of expositional teaching.  although each chapter dealt with a specific topic of discipline, he would most often simply exegete a passage of Scripture or a narrative from the Bible to pull out the Biblical principles that informs men of how God wants us to live specific to each facet of discipline.  each chapter carried a powerful message that was Biblically sound, insightful, practical, prophetic and urgent!

it covers the disciplines of: purity, marriage, fatherhood, friendship, mind, devotion, prayer, worship, integrity, tongue, work, church, leadership, giving, witness and ministry.  and the resources at the end of the book also include helpful tools that aid in the practical outworking of many of these disciplines.

this book will remain a constant tool in my development as a man of God and my ministry to others in search of living disciplined, Christ-honoring lives!  anyone needing and wanting help to become a man of God needs to read this book!

book #3: Thr3e

ironic.

book #3 on my 100 books to read by 2020 list (not including The Lost City of Z which my wife seems to think belongs on the list) is entitled Thr3e by Ted Dekker.

now let me just say that i have to work hard NOT to rely on fiction for my reading diet.  there's not often as much benefit in my mind as there is in engaging with authors thoughts unaided by story.  story can be a powerful tool however, and some of my favorite books are fictional (Safely Home by Randy Alcorn and Narnia for example).  i try my best to keep my reading list loaded with non-fictional works from authors that have proven to stimulate Christian thought and provide theological insight.  with that said, i also enjoy a few novels and thrillers just to make sure reading stays fun for me, and there is always something to learn...

[let this serve as a potential spoiler alert]
dekker is an interesting author.  this is only the second book i've read by him (the first being Skin), but both have been page-turners: fascinating stories with truly unforeseeable plot-twists that delve into mystery with a touch of horror...oh and he tries to make them theological.  that's where i kind of balk at his writing.  it is "christian".  but i can't say i'm thrilled with the theology he propounds.  Thr3e enters into the classic arena between good and evil, but it seems that dekker is ready to suggest a trichotomy where the real YOU is caught between the good YOU and the evil YOU almost as if the first YOU is an innocent bystander that simply has to make a choice between the other 2 (reminiscent of the depiction of a man with shoulder angels).  in fact, no where in this story is there drawn the distinction between the sin nature and the NEW nature of Spirit-indwelled believers.  it can be assumed from this book that ALL men are caught within this trichotomy he portrays through the main character.  and then there is no mention of the power of Christ that enables believers (when they yield to the Holy Spirit) to have victory over sin and defeat our sin nature (through the put off/put principle according to Eph. 4:22-24)...so he misses an opportunity to remind believers of the true power that is available to us in conquering sin.  i will say that he does a good job in some ways of portraying our propensity to sin and reminding us that all sin is just that: sin.  there is no hierarchy of sin (although there may be more consequences for some sins than others).

ultimately i am left with a fascinating story that kept me on the edge of my seat, but it comes up short in truly edifying my heart and mind with the Truth from the Word of God.

the heavens declare the glory of God

pure doxology is not only impacted by theology, it has no source but theology.  and as i've been compiling a referenced summary outline for our systematic theology course we're developing at church, song has been welling up inside me ready to burst out spontaneously and praise the greatness of our God.  of course, it takes communion with the LORD before that song takes flight.  and it came this morning as simply and quietly as that old chorus,

i love You, Lord
and i lift my voice
to worship You,
O my soul, rejoice!
take joy, my King
in what You hear
may it be a sweet, sweet sound
in Your ear.


yet even in that moment of contemplative praise i am humbled by the reality of my distracted heart.  oh, to fear the LORD and worship Him whole-heartedly, it is beyond my nature's ability.  only by the power of His Spirit living in me can i sincerely cry, i love You, Lord!


been thinking also of the role creation plays in revealing the majesty of God.  psalm 19:1-2 says, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.  day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.  to those of us who see God, we see and appreciate the beauty of His creation.  but do we really appreciate science and the role that it plays in discovering the world around us which can aid our doxology?  or is science the enemy of Truth?
unfortunately it seems that science has often been pitted against religion, often because religion has felt threatened (not by science's discoveries but by scientists' interpretations of those discoveries...it's important to distinguish between the arguments and the true source of the arguments). and even more unfortunately, religion at times historically has acted on that sense of threat with brutal retaliation.  this is not general or universal as some would have us believe (*cough...dan brown...*cough), but their have been incidents that have developed this stereotype and led trigger-happy religious figures and scientists to furiously load their intellectual weapons and stand twitching at any sudden movement the other makes.  as a result it is often the tactic of secular scientists to discredit faith as a crutch for those not willing to face facts, and for religious leaders to either water down doctrine to fit current trends in popular thinking or to dismiss scientific discoveries as malicious hoaxes from atheistic attackers of faith.  (disclaimer: i am only making personal observations from the lay of the land as i see the battle rage between science and religion).
what saddens me though is why the Church is so hesitant to reconcile what we know to be general revelation (romans 1:19-20) with special revelation (2 tim. 3:16-17; deut. 29:29; john 1:14).  it seems to me that many church leaders even in the evangelical (and by that i mean those who truly hold to sola Scriptura and sola fide) and conservative circles that i run in shy away from general revelation all together, almost as if we're afraid of what we'll find there.  it seems there is a growing fear that if we truly peer into the natural world with the scientific method we (those of us who by faith believe in God and the authority of His Word) will not like what we see.  when nothing could be further from the Truth!

the heavens declare the glory of God.  it's as if we read that, but don't truly believe it.  is it a true statement?  a resounding and solidly reasonable, YES!!!

romans 1 makes it especially clear that "natural revelation yields a natural theology or a natural knowledge of God.  God's wrath is present, not because men fail to receive his natural revelation, but because, after receiving this knowledge, mankind fails to act appropriately.  they refuse to honor God or be grateful to him.  they suppress the truth of God" (What is Reformed Theology, R.C. Sproul, p.15).  romans 1:29 says that they literally "did not see fit to acknowledge God."  it is a choice men make to suppress the truth that has been revealed, and whether they will acknowledge it or not, it is true revelation that leaves them without excuse.
it's helpful for me to think about it in terms of 1st and 2nd things (a main concept in C.S. Lewis' writings).  when you put 1st things (God) first, you can then undersand and appreciate 2nd things (in this case, nature and man).  but when you put 2nd things first, you miss them both entirely.
those that claim an interpretation of scientific facts as the evidence against believing in God are not making discoveries that disprove Him, they are making a choice to reject Him.

it is not that they don't see nature, it is that they cannot hear what it is screaming to them!  and because we have been given divine revelation in the form of His Word we can clearly hear and appreciate the message that creation is singing.  and i'll add that we (as those who hold forth the Word of Life) have the responsibility to pass on a love for general revelation (His creation) and a hunger to explore the Brilliance it points to.  don't miss the message: the heavens declare the glory of God!!!

not one of the 100...

finally finished another book i'd been working on for awhile.  i had too many going on at the same time, and this one had to take a backseat to other priorities.  in fact, i don't even think i can include this in my list of 100 books i'll read by 2020...only because that goal really developed around the idea of being encouraged, challenged, and stimulated in my walk with Christ.  this was not really as directly linked to that goal as much as it was a subject of interest.
The Lost City of Z is a journalist's adventure to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of colonel percy harrison fawcett in 1925.  fawcett was an explorer who eventually became obsessed with the dream of discovering the city of el dorado (which he referred to simply as "z") deep in the heart of the amazon jungle.  david grann has done a masterful job of compiling the facts surrounding the lore and legend of both the mythical city of el dorado and the famous mystery that is percy fawcett's last expedition. the book is a compelling blend of investigative journalism, biography, history, anthropology, sociology, and at times it reads like a mystery novel.  a fascinating read if you feel like exploring the wild jungles (which then were merely blank spots on a map), escaping hostile tribesmen, persevering through the attacks of hordes of deadly insects, uncovering ancient artifacts, and pursuing the illusive mystery of el dorado.  it also provides interesting commentary on life, society, science and morals in the early twentieth century for all those history lovers.
it also looks like it's set to become a movie in 2012...should be interesting to see how they transform and adept this material to the silver-screen.

book #2: the winners manual

for the past 2 years i have had the privilege of leading the crawfordsville high school boy's basketball team through a book study over the course of their season.  it's been a tremendous honor, and has really been a lot of fun for me.  i love to read.  i love to teach.  and i don't get many opportunities to spend consistently outside of church-world...so this has been the perfect blend that has allowed me to enjoy a unique outreach that i hope and believe God has used.  i have been able to build a solid, trusting relationship with the coach, and this year he allowed me to choose the book from which we would read & discuss.  so with my desire to spread truth in the sport's world, i couldn't help but be drawn to Jim Tressel's The Winners Manual.  not only did this book emphasize strong moral character, but it also helped spread the Buckeye love!  ("O-H...")

this book is a representation of a system that coach tressel applies to his football program.  every buckeye on the team goes through the student-athlete's version of The Winners Manual.  of course, theirs includes team values, regulations, practice information, guidelines for handling media, etc.  it's all designed to pass on the heart of what buckeye football is all about: truly becoming winners (and not just on the football field).  so coach has boiled the team's Winners Manual down to the basics that can be applied to any walk of life.
the best part of the book was the emphasis on organizing your life by separating your purpose from your goals, which is really the crux of the system which he calls "The Block O of Life".  this is available for download so it can be personalized on thewinnersmanual.com.  you allow your purpose to define who you are, then you develop goals based on your purpose in life and the circumstances you are currently called to.  it emphasized as well that success is in the journey.  just because you may not hoist a trophy does not mean you have not been successful.  similarly, just because all of your goals have not been realized does not make you a loser.  but it seeks to provide vision, organization and accountability so that you can develop holistically into the person that God has created you to be.
then there is a section he calls the "Big 10 Fundamentals", which are character traits and disciplines that help make you into a winner.  they are easy to understand, simple to apply, and powerful when taken seriously.  the majority of our discussions over this book focused on one fundamental at a time and how it could be applied personally and to the team as a whole.  great discussion stuff!  coach is also fond of impacting quotes, so this book is a gold mine of thoughts and quotes that are designed to make each fundamental memorable and meaningful.  he does a good job of relating each fundamental to everyday life as well as the football field.  we get to see what really goes on in the locker room and on the field, but he brings his experience and wisdom to a level that is challenging to all.

my only drawback from this book is the disappointment i felt reading the epilogue.  coach sets it up nicely to really preach the gospel, but it's hard to share the gospel without mentioning Jesus.  he begins his book in the prologue with a question he faced as a kid @ FCA (fellowship of christian athletes) camp: "if the game of life ended tonight, would you be a winner?"  i was impressed with his boldness up front and impacted by his emphasis throughout the book on putting life into perspective.  however, when he returns to that question in the epilogue he utterly fails to point to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and therefore puts a disappointing finishing touch to what becomes just another self-help book.  granted, i loved this read and found much of it to be helpful, but it could only serve as a spring-board for me to then share the truth with the unsaved.

if i ever again have the opportunity to lead an athletic program through a book study, this will be at the top of my list!  and although i cannot whole-heartedly embrace coach tressel's theology (especially after hearing him speak a couple years ago), i am very thankful for an upright & bold coach with a strong moral compass leading my buckeyes!  this was a fun read for me, and got me all the more excited for another season!  GO BUCKS!!!

book #1: orthodoxy

this is my first book toward accomplishing my 2020 vision!  and this review has been a long time coming.  i certainly won't pretend to be an expert at reviewing others' material, and especially when it comes to the works of G.K. Chesterton.  really i feel thoroughly inadequate to even attempt to review his masterpiece, Orthodoxy, so my thoughts here will remain personal and brief.  
admittedly, i've already begun to forget what i've read because i finished the book a couple of months ago, and although it's only a short book, it took me more than a few weeks to read.  i could usually only keep my mind engaged long enough to wrestle through one chapter at a time (which meant that i had to renew it from the library and then finally had to resign myself to finishing the Kindle version on my iPod).  that's how i found every chapter: each like an adventure all to itself.  after a page or two into each of the beginning chapters i was left wondering how in the world the man had lost his train of thought, how in the world his current thought tied to the last, how in the world this proved his argument, and how in the world he would bring this one full circle.  but i was delightfully rewarded each time for persevering (or should i say, suffering) through to the end of the chapter.  in fact, sometimes it wasn't until the last paragraph that i would finally feel relief that i had just discovered the jewel we had labored to discover.  and each jewel was a treasure unto itself.  i couldn't help just taking a break and feeling like i had to discuss the exhilarating insight i had just received.  so here i would like to thank my wife for persevering (no, truly this time, suffering) through this verbal processor's vain attempts at rehashing chesterton's philosophical construction.  i know i certainly could not do justice to the beauty of his reasoning.  
as each chapter was collected i beheld an awesome treasure.  beautiful and breathtaking in it's fresh light, but more awesome for its simplicity.  it was refreshing to find that as chesterton would take a philosophical spin that would supposedly topple the evangelical foundation he would instead land firmly and assuredly right where he had begun.  he talked of the truth he was taught as a boy, and in his grown-up sophisticated thinking, he found that he could have simply trusted those Bible stories told to the simple minded.  he says of this work that "it recounts my elephantine adventures in pursuit of the obvious."  he had struck out on the endeavoring of declaring orthodoxy and instead discovered an orthodoxy he had already been taught!  
"i am the man who with the utmost daring discovered what had been discovered before...I freely confess all the idiotic ambitions of the end of the nineteenth century.  i did, like all other solemn little boys, try to be in advance of the age.  like them i tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth.  and i found that i was eighteen hundred years behind it...i have kept my truths: but i have discovered, not that they were not truths, but simply that they were not mind.  when i fancied that i stood alone i was really in the ridiculous position of being backed up by all Christendom...i did try to be original; but i only succeeded in inventing all by myself an inferior copy of the existing traditions of civilized religion...i did try to found a heresy of my own; and when i had put the last touches to it, i discovered that it was orthodoxy."

i found them fitting words for myself.  i will confess i have found myself tempted at times to be swayed by the seduction of the new and original.  this book has reminded me that the lessons i learned on the flannelgraph in Sunday School are just as fresh and alive today as the first time i experienced them, and they can be trusted.  the Truth revealed in God's Word will never be irrelevant or eradicated.  it has and always will stand the test of time.  and my soul would do well to feast upon the satisfying bread of the Bible.

isaiah 55:1-2, 
"come, all you who are thirsty,
 come to the waters;
and you who have no mone,
 com, buy and eat!
come, buy wine and milk
 without money and without cost.
why spend money on what it not bread,
 and your labor on what does not satisfy?
listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
 and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."

on the way to a wedding...

so my little brother is getting married tomorrow. crazy! he's now an official marine, tomorrow he'll become a husband, in just a few months he'll be serving in afghanistan, and i'm praying that the LORD uses all of this to continue to make Him into a strong man of God who leads his family well. still hard to believe that this is happening, but it's also an exciting season of life for our fam!

God is good all the time. and it's these celebratory events that remind me how much i have to be thankful for...especially my family. God has given me such a beautiful family!! my pretty, pretty girl, jolie. i love watching the light in her eyes...i love listening to her jump up and down in her crib as she waits for me to finish this blog and come rescue her. yesterday i enjoyed a little "tea time" with her...she's just so fun to play with! and then there's the kicks and nudges of my son. only 2 months till judah's born! can't wait...

then there is my baby. my joy. my best friend. my lover. i don't know what i'd do without her. my beautiful wife, carissa.

i have 3 huge reasons to be thankful today! plus the fact that i get to spend the day with them today...albeit in the car...but on the way to ohio (the motherland, and another reason to be thankful) to share in the joy of a wedding!

so i'd better get packing.

thank You, LORD!

- Posted from my iPod

passover and such

I have just a few hours to get a post in before the week is up. it's just been that kind of week...wait, no...it's been that kind of month! I've had something big & unique to my schedule to prepare for every weekend of the month of march. first it was preaching, then performing a wedding, then tonight was leading a passover seder at church, then this next weekend is my brother's wedding! then you throw in a funeral i had to do at the end of february, a big st. patrick's day dinner, and an onslaught of other pastoral duties...and becomes apparent that I need a vacation. I know that's life. life is busy! but I can honestly say that it's been abnormally hectic as of late. but I'm saving up my vacation days for the birth of my son...can't wait!!

anyway, tonight's messianic passover seder at church was awesome! I love having the opportunity to relive the traditions and grow in my appreciation and love for my Savior! plus it was fun to be able to share it all with my church family. I'm really going to miss them! my grammie reminds me often of how good this church has been to us...but she doesn't need to tell me...we are so thankful for this season of our lives and the impact this church has had upon us. God is good! and we'll cherish our memories from this place!

k, gotta go watch a movie with my wife!!! I love her...

- Posted from my iPod

oh well...

well, i guess i failed in my attempt to blog at least once a week.  i was working on my review of orthodoxy by chesterton last week, but still have yet to finish it.  i was a little preoccupied by preparing to preach, and about wednesday i started to feel a little under the weather...so i made sure to rest up for those couple days leading up to the LORD's day to be ready to communicate God's Word unhindered.  i love having the opportunity to preach, and i praise God that He chooses to use cracked vessels like me to communicate His Truth.  you can listen to the message on joshua & jericho here.  but i'll warn you that our church's website will be moving soon...hopefully.

other than that i feel the need to add a pic from the weekend of my beautiful girls.  the weather finally started to feel a little more reasonable for march...so we headed out to the park for a family picnic.  still chilly...but well worth it!  there's not much that i love more than taking walks with my fam...they are my joy!

joy in the journey

it's been a very busy week...2 funerals, extra meetings, trying to work ahead on my sermon for next week...just plain busy. although I long ago resigned myself to the fact that that's just the way life works, there are days/weeks/seasons when life truly is busier than normal. and since we are short-staffed @ church and desperately trying to catch up, my schedule has been crazy! pastor terry has referred to our situation as "survival mode"...and that pretty much sums it all up.

I have been enjoying this season though...as there is always lots to do, there is also always lots more to be thankful for! the best part has been the harvest of souls...we have seen around 40 people trust Christ for salvation in the last 2 months! that is truly exciting and plenty of reason to keep rejoicing!

we have also enjoyed good family time. last saturday Carissa and I built a tent for Jolie out of pvc pipe and bedsheets...lots of fun! and I can't believe all the words she is saying...she brings so much laughter and so many smiles into our home! and it's been exciting to watch, even tonight, as Carissa's belly rocks from Judah's kicks and punches...can't believe we're only about 3 months away from holding him! and we're also looking forward to seeing family soon. chris and veronica are getting married in a month...wow! and then Carissa & Jolie are planning a trip out to massachusetts over spring break. i'm glad they are going, but I wish I could go too...but I gotta save up my vacation time for Judah's arrival!

and I haven't even mentioned that we're still planning on moving to NC at the end of june...one of these days we'll plop down on the couch, look at each other, sigh, and ask, "how did we get through all that?". and the answer of course will be: "God." which may sound cliche, but we are accutely aware that we are utterly dependent on Him.

so we lay our heads down each night exhausted but thankful that we can trust in a sovereign God. and we rejoice each day. because, as I was reminded by michael card today, there is a joy in the journey!

- Posted from my iPod

judah's 24 week ultrasound

there's my little boy.  and what a joy he is already to us!  it was incredible to watch him move around, try to suck his thumb, try to suck his arm, cover his face with his hands, bounce with his hiccups, punch mommy's belly...wow.  he's a miracle!  and my heart is filled with love!  thank You, Lord, for the gift of my son!

progress on my reading goal

i finished my 1st book towards accomplishing my 2020 vision of reading 100 books in the next 10 years. i feel a little behind, but i've got 4 other books that are mostly read...just need to finish them (story of my life). i've also determined not to open the cover of another before i'm done with the 4 already started. noble goal, but we'll see...

the review is coming, but my 1st book finished is: "orthodoxy" by g.k. chesterton. incredible read!

carissa, my love...

what a joy my wife is to me.

usually when valentine's day approaches i feel a little anxious and rushed trying to figure out something to do for carissa that will tell her i love her. this year i waited until the 11th hour...in between services sunday morning! and nothing says 'i love you' quite like a mcdonalds breakfast! it wasn't much. really i don't have a fascinating story to brag about...like sky-diving with a sign that says 'i love you', or buying a really fancy piece of jewelry, or writing a love song...but we had time this weekend to just...be with each other.

and as i take time to just look @ her and take her in...i fall in love all over again. she is breathtaking! she is my beauty. and just talking to her fills my heart with warmth, comfort and continual mystery. i love that. she is my friend. and she is my joy. what a gift she is to me!

carissa, my love, you are my valentine!

rest

rest. sometimes it's hard for me to get rest, and then sometimes when i'm resting it's hard to know if i've really rested. know what i mean?

i've had a couple days here to stay home and not have to go anywhere or really do anything. i look forward to days like these, but sometimes it's a struggle to feel satisfied when it doesn't seem like i've accomplished much. but maybe that's the point of rest...

really, the past 2 days have been a wonderful time of hanging out with my girls...sleeping in, making breakfast together, playing whatever Jolie wants, reading, talking, and just enjoying my family! growing in my relationships with Carissa & Jolie...now that's accomplishing something! and that is satisfying. maybe rest is relational. and the only accomplishment in rest is just that: rest.

thank You, Lord, for the gift of rest!

- Posted from my iPod

i got my answer.

well, we're staying here in crawfordsville until the end of june. i've been asking the Lord constantly for direction and provision, and i got my answer for now. not what i was expecting...but it was His answer. so we are here to help Rock Point church as best as we can through this transition.

really, it's been a blessing. we love it here, and we love the people. and thinking about having judah here (beginning of june) around our friends and church family is awesome...as well as the benefit of not having to find a new doctor to deliver. so, although this wasn't what we were planning, the Lord has been taking care of us, and we're excited to be sticking around for a little while longer.

yesterday was spent organizing and prioritizing. i want to be effective with my time...and really, i know it will fly by. and then today we've been hit with yet another snow storm...postponing events and meetings for another day. oh well. the snow is beautiful. and God is good.

stunned by sovereignty

the past couple months have just been a whirlwind. so much has and is happening, but i guess that's just life. there haven't been too many times where life really slows down for me, but in all the craziness lately the issue of God's sovereignty keeps coming up. i feel like i've had to explore it and explain it to more people in the last couple weeks than i have in my whole ministry experience (which is just 4 months shy of 4 years). obviously questions revolving around the issue of sovereignty arise out of circumstances that are tough to understand and explain. why are these things happening? why does God allow this? what's His purpose in this?

but i have to admit that, even though we have faced some challenging circumstances that still leave me a bit puzzled, i'm more assured of God's sovereignty than ever before.

i've been reminded of the 2 different forms of "God's will": His planative will & His decretive will. His planative will is His overall plan. God has A plan...not a plan B or plan C. He is in control. nothing surprises Him or catches Him off guard. He is omnipotent and omniscient, and He is infinite. unfortunately i am finite and limited in my understanding...which means i am incapable of knowing & understanding His planative will. but i don't need to.

i need to know His decretive will. and the best part is, i CAN know His decretive will! His decretive will is His decrees or His commands. those He has clearly spelled out for me in His authoritative and sufficient Word.

so, i don't have to know "WHY?". because i know "WHO!"

i know God. i know Him through His Word...His revelation. which is an act of love. i have a relationship with Him. and it's through Christ...proof of His love.

understanding the balance between God's sovereignty and man's free will is an age-old theological & philosophical battle ground littered with the thoughts and lives of godly men who have gone before me. though the two positions seem polarizing and incongruent, i believe they do not cancel each other out. because i believe that in God's sovereign will He has decreed man's free will. and somehow in His infinite purpose those 2 truths are not in conflict.

loved A.W. Tozer's work on this subject in chapter 22 of The Knowledge of the Holy. his illustration of the ocean liner with a predetermined course filled with passengers free to roam about the ship as they pleased was helpful in my mind. although even that illustration is hinged upon the unforeseen (for us) knowledge of God's planative will...whether that ocean liner really will reach its predetermined destination or not. so it's not a sufficient picture. but we're trying to wrap our minds around an infinite God which is in itself contradictory to say.

so as i've been writing curriculum, responding to theological questions, researching and reading i've been encouraged that this quest to understand God's will and sovereignty is not in vain because it leads me back to a quiet starting point: trust. that is the issue. will i question WHO He is? questioning God is the oldest trick in the book (genesis 3), which leads to not trusting and rebellion. so do i question Him? or will i trust Him and seek to live my life in obedience to His decretive will for His ultimate glory?

oh to have faith like a child.

anticipating robin hood

i have to admit my excitement here...ridley scott and russell crowe are teaming up again (previous projects: gladiator, a good year, and american gangster) to bring us a retelling of ROBIN HOOD! (currently set to arrive in theaters on may 14, 2010) i cannot always endorse scott's movies, but i can't help admitting that gladiator is one of my all-time favorite movies (if not my top choice for fav movie). what he and crowe were able to capture of the glory of the roman empire in gladiator was spectacular and inspiring! and it sounds like his intentions are to attempt to harness that same grandeur for the historical kingdom of england in this new film.

i'm aware that another installment in the robin hood films genre is unnecessary. but i believe the duo of scott and crowe can accomplish for robin hood lore what christopher nolan and christian bale have successfully added to the legend of batman. which means, robin hood has the potential to break into my top favorite movies of all-time!

there, that's plenty of hype for me...now i just hope they deliver!

sin of the tongue

made a really stupid comment last night in our deacons meeting. it was in the context of joking around, and it was just untimely and inappropriate under the circumstances. one of those moments where you just blurt something out before really thinking about it, and then you realize...wow, that was really dumb. ever have one of those moments?

well, it just revealed to me my lack of self-control with my words. and when i rid myself of vague and fancy terminology to explain and diminish my actions, it boils down to one word: sin. i've sought forgiveness from the LORD and from those in the meeting last night for my words. it may not have seemed like a big deal to some...but it's a gross sin to spout off without restraint revealing the carelessness of my heart.

i often come back to proverbs 10:19 which simply says, "when words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." LORD, i want to be a prov. 10:19 man! i had to admit to myself this morning that i'm unfortunately not very good with humor. i love to laugh, and i love to joke around...but too often my humor ends up with my foot in my mouth...or worse, hurting someone. how i long to be able to joke around and have a good time with people in a way that is truly pleasing to the LORD. i want Him to be chuckling with me...not forced to prick my heart because of sin with my careless tongue.

blessings @ the friendship kitchen

had an incredible weekend! saturday morning was our flock's turn to serve at the "friendship kitchen" (our local soup kitchen). i can't tell you how fun it was to see the body of Christ at work! some had prepared food, some were serving, some were doing dishes, some were just talking with people...each using their gifts and serving as a collective body to minister to people! praise God!

i was personally blessed by all the people i was able to talk to. you know, sometimes you reach out to people and try to give a listening ear and it's hard not to just feel sorry for them. it's also hard for me to see potential in their lives. what a horrible thought...i'm completely ashamed of it! i wish i had better faith and vision. and i wish i could see God's perspective. my criteria that i usually look for in people to see their potential for effective ministry is so worldly. forgive me, LORD! they are people. and they have stories. sometimes those stories are tragic. sometimes you can visually see the trail of sinful habits and consequences they have/are living with. i have a story. and it's no different. i am a recipient of the grace of God! LORD, teach me to share that hope in your grace. let me be a trophy of grace! keep my heart close to You, daily reminded of your mercy and grace!

i was touched by their stories. because they're human like mine...they're not just "the poor people". they are people. and some of them are hurting, and they need God to work in their lives. maybe He was using me. some of them are being used of God to minister to others! LORD, give me the clarity to see how You are working. that you don't just work through the sophisticated and the seemingly-have-it-all-together, middle class Christians. You work through broken vessels...trophies of Your grace!

then i was touched in our flock meeting last night by the excitement from all our flock members because of the chance to serve together. it was encouraging to see how each of us are wired and gifted differently by God, and how He can use us as we serve together.

so i hope we were a blessing to those we served @ the friendship kitchen...because i was certainly blessed by them and by our flock. thank You, LORD!

just the motivation i needed!

feeling a little tired this morning and needed some motivation to get my mind in gear and keep my seat in my seat. working on the curriculum for our "systematic theology" course for B.I.L.T. (Bible institute for leadership training) @ our church. well, i got my motivation. don't know why i keep getting drawn to book reviews on The Shack, but this morning's was from dr. mohler @ southern. i pay attention to his stuff because he speaks with a bold, clear, Biblical voice on issues involving Christ's Church and our culture. and his review of this pulp-fiction/theology book was inspiring! seriously, take a couple minutes and read it: albertmohler.com

he argues that the overwhelming response of so many Christians embracing The Shack may reveal that "theological discernment is now a lost art among American evangelicals." obviously there are theological questions that The Shack raises (and should raise the alarm in our minds and hearts as believers in Biblical theology). his conclusion: "our real task is to reacquaint evangelicals with the Bible's teachings on these very questions and to foster a doctrinal rearmament of Christian believers."

that's my task today, and gets me excited to develop this curriculum...and excited to pursue further education in theology studies. what an important endeavor. my generation must rise to the occasion and grab the torch from those who have gone before us holding fast to the truth of God's Word and boldly proclaiming Biblical theology! we must continue to teach Christ's Church that we are called to be discerning. and as dr. mohler so wisely put it, "discernment cannot survive without doctrine."

pastor to parents meeting

had a great opportunity to talk to some of our parents at church about how to help their children handle death. great to see parents who really care and want to encourage their kids through difficult times in life!

started with the reality of spiritual warfare, and our enemy who is the father of lies. he wants us to think UNtruth, which leads to worries and fears and ultimately not trusting in God. we combat worry and fear with TRUTH! and Philippians 4:4-9 tells us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving...then think about truth. not the "what if's" or "what might's", but "what IS". what is true!

and what is true is that God is in control and He is good (read Psalm 135:6 and then 119:68...awesome!) and those 2 truths are never in conflict with one another. incredible to think about and trust in.

truth is what our church needs. truth is what our families need. truth is what i need. Your Word is wonderful LORD! help me strap on my belt of truth and use the sword of the Spirit!

kurt's legacy: love God, love people.

i don't know how many times i've started this post this week and just wasn't able to keep my mind engaged long enough to finish it. it's been a roller-coaster week. almost like we crammed a month into the span of 6 days. i feel older. and a little tired. but i also sense that God has impressed on my heart a simple lesson:

love God. love people.

that's what pastor kurt taught me. he was my pastor, my teammate, my friend, and my brother, and he went home to be with the LORD unexpectedly on monday morning. it set in motion a host of crazy emotions and events this week that have been life-shaping. just thinking about the lives that his life touched...wow! even in passing from death to life he was touching others' lives! words can't express what he meant to our church family, and what he meant to people personally because he just genuinely cared about them.

probably the most important lesson i've ever learned about ministry: it's about loving God and loving people.

i'll never forget that lesson, buddy! thank you! can't wait to see you again!

praise God for the hope and peace and joy and grace and healing and comfort (etc., etc.) that we have in HIM!! my heart is full. i sing with joy to the LORD! and i'm anticipating His work in and through this experience.

thank you, GOD!

a week winding down...

Had a great morning speaking at the Men of HABITS breakfast @ church. Spoke on "remodling closets" (not hiding any sin in the dark closets of your heart & life). Hope it's impactful for men to commit their whole loves to Christ and walk in the light!

Can't believe it, but tomorrow is 1 month from our target date to move to NC! Wow! So much still to do! Biggest hurdle is finding a job...still praying hard for that one. And we've been enjoying these last days of hanging out with friends. It's bitter-sweet to think about leaving good friends and building all new relationships. You don't realize how close you become...but we're praising God for all these friendships and how He's blessed this season of our lives!

I know this post is a little choppy, but that's how this week has been. Tomorrow is "commitment Sunday". We're all bring our own rock to church, and we'll be challenged to recommit our lives to God and to His body. Looking forward to a powerful challenge and experience as we worship the LORD together!


- Posted from my iPod

psalm 136:1-4

give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever.


i just can't get over the sovereignty and love of a good God. absolutely blown away...

it's official...we're having a....

BOY!!! praise God! i'm so excited and so scared out of my mind. it only took them about 4 seconds after they started the ultrasound to find him...and we heard those words, "it's a boy!" all that joy and excitement hit...and then all of sudden i had this crazy thought, i've never had one of those...what am i gonna do?

good to know God's in control.

so we're rejoicing and trusting in Him. o God, keep our little man strong and healthy, and raise him up to be a godly man that You can use mightily for Your kingdom!

our little "Judah" is on his way!

CHRIST IS ALL

powerful prayer i've been reading and contemplating from "valley of vision" p.18:

Christ is All

o Lover to the uttermost,
may i read the meltings of Thy heart to me
in the manger of Thy birth,
in the garden of Thy agony,
in the cross of Thy suffering,
in the tomb of Thy resurrection,
in the heaven of Thy intercession.
bold in this thought i defy my adversary,
tread down his temptations
resist his schemings
renounce the world,
am valiant for truth
deepen in me a sense of my holy relationship to Thee,
as spiritual bridegroom,
as Jehovah's fellow,
as sinner's friend.
i think of Thy glory and my vileness,
Thy majesty and my meanness,
Thy beauty and my deformity,
Thy purity and my faith,
Thy righteousness and my iniquity.
Thou has loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may i love Thee as i am loved;
Thou has given Thyself for me,
may i give myself to Thee;
Thou hast died for me,
may i live to Thee
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.
may i never dally with the world and its allurements,
but walk by Thy side,
listen to Thy voice,
be clothed with Thy graces,
and adorned with Thy righteousness.

a month out...and trusting

we're a week and a half into 2010. crazy to think about how time flies. and there's so much going on. dad's been with us for almost a week now and will soon be returning to massachusetts...tuesday we find out if our baby's a boy or a girl (depending on a few factors)...and we're just over a month away from our target date for moving to north carolina! that's the one that gets me the most. i really can't believe it! and for the first time i'm starting to feel a little scared.

Lord, i really need a job! i want to trust You. You are Jehovah-Jireh. please provide for my family. may we bring You glory through this adventure in trusting You!

the delightful spirit of sherlock holmes

enjoying time with my father-in-law this week. he's staying with us for a week for a little vacation and grandpa time. i had been hoping to lose a little after-Christmas weight, but i'm afraid that little dream is post-poned until after dad's departure...he's been very generous in wanting to eat out a little more than our usual schedule!

but tonight was a special treat: a movie night. and not just our typical redbox run (with whom i'm currently waging a war over a scratched dvd, a frozen machine and a pair of rejected requests...another story for another time), no, dad took us to the movies to see the new sherlock holmes flick. and i feel like it's worth reviewing.

first, the personal context. i was completely torn between excitement over the idea of a sherlock holmes movie and appalled at the seemingly blasphemous trailer i had seen weeks ago. i wasn't even sure that i really wanted to see it. you see, one of my favorite books as a kid was the children's illustrated classic's version of "sherlock holmes and the hound of the baskervilles". i vividly remember consuming it for the first time on family vacation, and i was instantly hooked on sir arthur conan doyle's master of mystery. so i was intrigued but very hesitant to get too excited over the thought of a new interpretation of a childhood hero. especially after the trailer portrayed robert downey jr.'s version of sherlock as some sort of turn-of-the-twentieth century james bond. and as we entered the cinema, i almost suggested seeing something else.

i'm glad we didn't.

as we emerged from watching i told carissa that i was pleasantly surprised, which prompted an earned "told ya you'd like it". she had been right. i loved it! and it's still growing on me. i'll definitely be waiting for the dvd release to watch it again.

downey jr.'s sherlock was the perfect blend of arrogance, wit, humor, intrigue and brilliance i remember, and the team chemistry and friendly banter with jude law's dr. watson was even more endearing (if it's not too bold to say) than conan doyle's duo. a few of the fight scenes (which i had skeptically assumed would ruin the spirit of the character) actually served to enhance the character and lore of sherlock holmes. the scenes would pause just before holmes would physically attack an enemy, and then predict, in slow-mo, each move while listening to his logical contemplation and planning. brain over...er, uh...with brawn. a good touch to action. and it was full of witty dialogue and timely humor which made it enjoyable to follow even with some pretty gross and disturbing images (the director or story writer seemed to have a thing with death). there were a few times i had to make sure my wife's eyes were blocked to prevent any nightmares...and i took a strategic and extremely necessary restroom run (after succumbing to the theater's ploy to upgrade my medium sized soda to a large for just 25 cents more) to avoid watching a completely inappropriate and unnecessary sexually suggestive scene (which we knew was coming from previews and planned accordingly). i hate it when they throw that in there.

the story was still the same mystery format. just when you thought the case was nearing an end a new twist would seemingly blindside the famous detective, but deep down you never doubt his master plan in solving the mystery and saving the day. so other than a few disturbing and inappropriate images, the movie was overall an incredible flick. my hero is still intact, and i can't get over how much i actually enjoyed watching downey jr. portray him. the best part of it all...i believe they got the spirit of sherlock holmes right.

and we just had a fun-filled evening together. thanks dad!

naming 'baby j'

next week we will hopefully and officially find out if our new baby is a boy or a girl. so exciting! i praise God for LIFE! and i praise God for the privilege of being a dad...a great joy! but as we wait to find out, we've already been thinking of names.

we're settled for a boy on the name, Judah. just a strong name with great significance. although we're working on a middle name still (carissa won't let me call him Judah Maximus...bummer). but we're thinking of something that starts with "L" maybe? at least that's the direction we're thinking right now...mainly because those are my initials (and then i can proudly pass along any possessions marked 'JLH').

and for a girl, we keep coming back to the name, Jacey [pronounced 'jay-see']. but we're again struggling to identify the right middle name to go with it. we love that name for a girl because of its uniqueness (and yet not too weird), and that it can fit both the 'cute' and 'beautiful' criteria...much like Jolie has for our first beautiful little red-head. and again similar to Jolie Alanna, we would like a middle name that makes it roll off the tongue, and gives it a touch of elegance.

what a joy it is to anticipate the birth of another baby! and it's a blast to sit around and dream up just the right name.

Lord, may this little one ultimately bring glory to Your name!

the first sunday of dedication

awesome first sunday in the new facility! and a surprisingly smooth soft-launch...we really didn't have any hiccups worth recognizing. and from what i'm told, for a first sunday in a new building that's an incredible feat. praise God! and a big thanks to (and for) all the people whose service made that possible!

it was tremendously impacting to me to have the service so focused on the Word of God. we had one of our older members bring the Bible into the auditorium as the congregation stood out of respect...wow! thank You for Your Word, Lord! and then our only remaining charter member, lucille ronk, read the last few verses of revelation out loud (finishing our read-through of the whole Bible to dedicate the new facility). impacting.

reminded me of when i fell in love with God's Word. it started for me at an early age in a solid Bible-preaching church...but really started to take deep root in my heart during my year at Word of Life Bible institute. that's when i experienced the Word of God changing me the clearest, and i had no doubt that i wanted to spend the rest of my life studying Its truths and sharing them with others.

so i'm excited to make this the year of the Bible. it's a resolution of mine for this year: to read through the whole Bible with my wife. Lord, do it again...continue to use your Word to change me...i want to be holy and pleasing to You!

rock point's first weekend

busy saturday...it's the day before our first sunday in the new facility. we have a 3 hour worship practice scheduled, but judging by our wednesday rehearsal, i'd say it's entirely possible for this practice to stretch even longer. got to get accustomed to a new sound system, new lights, new room, etc. but it should be exciting!

then @ 4pm we're asking our people to come by the new building for a PRAYER WALK! we want to bathe this new ministry tool in prayer asking God to specifically use each session for His glory! this is a big weeked in the life of our church...getting into a brand new facility and officially changing our name to Rock Point Baptist Church. i praise God for the chance to be a part of it!

some ask me why i personally get excited since carissa and i are heading back to school very soon (hopefully as early as february) and we really won't be around to enjoy all the change, but they don't seem to understand what's going on. this is a God-thing. not a comfort-thing. this facility has been built for the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom...and that i get excited about. it was not built for my own pleasure or comfort, which makes it easier to hold with an open hand. this is about Christ's Church (emphasis on the capitalization), not just one local church...so the whole body of Christ can rejoice at the work of God!

and this is a weekend for celebration! GLORY TO GOD!!

- Posted from my iPod

rose bowl champs!!!

made the choice to just enjoy the game whatever the outcome (as opposed to fretting, worrying and silently begging God to be on our side...as sacreligious as that is), but my buckeyes made it easy to enjoy! pryor was a beast. definitely reveling in the moment...and yet i can't help but anticipate the future after that performance!! great way to kick off the decade!

and wow...that sounds good: rose bowl champs!

- Posted from my iPod

O-H...

just enjoying listening to the rose bowl. after 3 consecutive BCS losses i have little expectations today. which is actually a nice change of pace. of course i believe my buckeyes will win...and i'm hoping. but i'm not hoping in desperation. some might say that's an actual sign of disbelief, but it's simply a decision.

i'm deciding to just enjoy the game. we're playing well. pryor's playing well. we're leading at half 16-10. so at least we've shown up to play, which makes a fan proud.

now it's time to sit back and enjoy the second half...waiting to hear it: "ohio state wins!!!"

go bucks!