The Mouse

I was at work the other morning trying to get in the routine of getting my day started and something crazy happened. A mouse ran across my foot. Now it doesn’t matter how old you are, or what you are or aren’t afraid of, a stupid little mouse is still scary stuff. I most definitely jumped out of my chair when it happened and just realized it is a natural reaction to do so. Then I kept my peripheral vision opened the rest of the day just to make sure I didn’t see it again. Ha

I think what bothers me most about this incident is how freaked I was over a mouse. Why would I get so worked up over something that in all honestly really couldn’t hurt me? The sad thing is many of us do it all the time with a lot of other areas in our life. A situation will arise that we put all of our thoughts, life, and stress over until we make ourself sick. All in all, it is over something that more than likely is something way to small to be giving that much attention too. I think the biggest tragedy in this, is that it robs our time and affections for what does matter most. Our walk and relationship with God. So what have you been stressing over? Is it really worth it, or is it something you have been stressing over for so long it just comes natural for you to do so? Just realize how small it truly is in comparison to how big our God is.

Gravity

So I am back after taking some blog time off. I actually didn’t even read a lot of blogs while I was gone, but now I am back. People are celebrating all over the world. HA Something that has been on my heart recently is just the weight of things that people are dealing with. I think everyone that has been alive for a decent amount of time has been through some heavy stuff at one point or another. I for one know first hand what it is like to deal with deep issues, feeling completely helpless along the way. Whether it is something that was brought on by your own personal sin, someone else’s sin, or just the curse of living in a fallen world, it is not easy.

I think what bothers me, or maybe I should say the concern it gives me, is to see that people live defeated lives. If you look around in most churches today, people live life as a normal routine with no sense of urgency or change. I’m not saying this is the attitude of everyone, but it seems to have become more of an attitude for the church as a whole. When I was in high school I played basketball for a year and we were terrible. I think we only won a game or two out of twenty something. Looking back, I can always remember going into every game with the same attitude and perspective. Regardless if we were as good or better than the other team, we always played as if we had already lost the game. I hated that year of basketball only because I knew what to expect every game. Towards the end of the season, we were more excited about where we were going to eat on the way home than we were the game itself.

To me, in many churches, I see a similar thing taking place. So many people walk in and out of church each week and just “do” church. It seems like in one way or another they have been defeated and live like that’s the way it has to be. I hate to see people get more excited or worked up over the politics and programs of the church rather than what brought them their to begin with. The gospel. If someone has “gotten over” the gospel, they might not have had it to begin with. It’s not something that’s just a part of your life. It should consume your life. Until the gospel is central in our life there will always be something else that robs our joy. We’re not always gonna have good days, but even in the midst of our bad days, we can still hold on to the cross, and that’s way more exciting than fast food.

In His Eyes

I’ve been reading in my walk recently through a lot of the O.T. and Judges 7 never gets old to me. It blows me away to think about what Gideon had to be thinking when God first called him to lead, then told him to do it with only 300 people, and HE DID IT! That’s crazy! God just asks me to keep my heart His, and I fail all the time! Much less defeat an army of several hundred thousand with three hundred!!
Something that has jumped out at me recently has been in the books of the Kings and Chronicles. This gives us details of all the different Kings that led Israel and Judah at this time. Some were good and some were pure evil. The way the Bible distinguishes them is it says “He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” or “He did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” The phrase “in the eyes of the Lord” has really jumped out at me this week. It causes me to ask a question that frankly scares me from answering at times. Do I constantly strive to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord? Not do I always do, because I know I sin. But is it truly my HEARTS desire to do all that I can to make that my number one goal?!
So how do we do that? Simple.

• Read and live His Word.
• Stay in constant communion with Him.
• Confess to godly people and ask godly people for wisdom.
• Be aware of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

If we do these things to stay right in the eyes of the Lord, we can live a life with no more regrets. We will not make stupid mistakes morally, financially, ethically, socially, or spiritually. Think back over your life at the BIGGEST regret you have and I think we could all agree that is was something that wasn’t right in the eyes of the Lord. In fact, in many cases, it causes a huge reproach on the name of God and robs Him of His glory. Make it a question you wrestle with often. It is worth being a person after God’s own heart.

What if…

Every once in a while I have a “what if” moment and so I thought I would share some of those…

• WHAT IF we really believed Jesus when He says I am with you?
• WHAT IF we were persistent in our prayers to God, and actually trusted it would happen?
• WHAT IF we REALLY believed that Acts 2:41-47 wasn’t just a one time cool story, but could be a possibility today?
• WHAT IF we really believed that life with Jesus is better EVERYDAY, not just on Sundays?
• WHAT IF we really believed the church existed not just to “meet my needs,” but to CHANGE the world!
• WHAT IF we really believe that a teenager could change the world? (I Timothy 4:12)
• WHAT IF we really believed God wants to use the church to build His kingdom?
• WHAT IF we were willing to lay aside our personal wants or unwants for the sake of spreading the gospel?
• WHAT IF we cared and counseled our hurting church members, instead of crucify them?
• WHAT IF we sought to embrace God’s plan for our lives and church, instead of trying to convince Him to embrace ours?

What if…

Five Random Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Me…

So I haven’t blogged in a couple weeks and there are a ton of things that God is doing in my life that I would like to share at some point, but didn’t know where to start. So, I decided to go in a totally different direction and give you five random facts about me that most of you have never known. So lets get started…

#1. I like some country music.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to go buy a huge belt buckle and some tight wranglers, but every once in a while I like to twang it out a little bit. I guess I am reminded of this since I am writing this while watching some of the CMA Music Festival. I actually don’t like a lot of country and country artists, but I have been to a couple Kenny Chesney concerts and I must say, it was good times. Plus it doesn’t help when you grow up in the south and it is everywhere. Did I mention I also have Taylor Swift on my ipod? No shame… I told you this would be random.

#2. I’m a techno junkie.

I love technology. I always keep up with the latest TV’s and cell phones and make sure I know what the best is. Why do I do this? I have no idea, it just always amazes me what technology can do and how it constantly changes. My bro-in-law asked me last week if I wanted to go with him to get his new TV… that’s like asking me if I want to go to Disney World as a kid. Uh…YEAH! So I went and helped him pick out one of the latest and greatest TV’s. It is so fun. I know I’m a geek. Oh, and I got a new cell phone a few weeks ago. So what’s your vice?

#3. I’ve met quite a few famous people.

So, I know a lot of people can say they have met famous people but for me it has always been very random and in random places. Here are some I have met: Peyton and Archie Manning – I was working at a hotel in Missouri in college and they stayed there and asked me if I could take them a back way through the kitchen to get to their room, since there were tons of people trying to get their autograph. I helped them, and got their autograph. John Elway – met him at a high school basketball tourney that his daughter was playing in. Talked to him for a few minutes and got a cool pic. Here are a few more without details: Enrique Iglesias (hotel lobby), Horace Grant (bball camp), Casting Crowns (airport), Toby Mac (airport), Captain Kangaroo (remember that kids show?), Lane Kiffin (UT), Bruce Pearl (UT), John Mcain (airport, in 2001), John Ashcroft (former Attorney General), Chris Lofton (UT), Eric Berry (UT), Heath Shuler (UT), Mike Ditka (airport), Hootie and the Blowfish (airport). As you can see, I meet a lot of people in the airport. I think there are a couple more but I can’t remember right now… Who have you met?

#4. I’ve broken a few bones.

So this is about as random as it gets. I have broken a few bones growing up. When I was 2 I tried to kick a soccer ball and missed it, flew up in the air and came down wrong on my leg. I had to have a pin in my leg and was in a body cast for several weeks. I’m just glad I was so young I don’t remember it. When I was 11 I broke my arm from trying to play Tarzan on a tire swing. I got about 20 feet in the air and jumped to another rope in which I missed and fell to the ground and snapped my arm. I’ve also broken a toe and a finger… not as cool I know. Have you broken any bones?

#5. I love Erin Andrews.

So back to #3, the one person I would love to meet, would have to be Erin Andrews. I already love sports, especially college sports. So when you mix a classy, sideline reporter with that, you have love instantly. Besides that, I am sure she loves Jesus.

So I know this was completely random, but I thought you might like to know… So what’s so random about you?

I Hope

So I have been going through some personal study on II Corinthians and came across Chapter 5 today. If you haven’t read it lately then do! It really jumped out at me today. I love when the Holy Spirit does this for me. The more I read today, the more passionate and convicted I got. So I started reading even more blogs and commentaries on this passage and came across a very powerful, yet personal plea out of II Corinthians 5 from Pastor Perry Noble. Here are some of his hopes that I have added too and also made my own. I wanna be out of my mind as II Corinthians 5:13 states.

#1 – I hope that I will NEVER allow fear to trump my faith…and that I will always be willing to take huge leaps of faith–even when things may not make sense.  (II Corinthians 5:7)

#2 – I hope that I will NEVER live for the applause of men and thus negate the applause of heaven!  I desperately want to please Jesus with every decision that I make…and I hope that is always my goal.  Pleasing people has never amounted to anything significant that changed the world.  (II Corinthians 5:9)

#3 – I hope that God will continue to enlarge my view of Him…and that as I continue to see how awesome, Holy and Powerful He really is, that the fear of Him rather than fear of man will compell me to do exactly what He has called me to do.  (II Corinthians 5:11)

#4 – I hope that I will never be considered “normal!”  Hell is more crowded because of the churches desire for “normal, average and safe!”  (II Corinthians 5:13)

#5 – I hope I will always allow the love of Christ to control me, it is only through His death that I have died and am now very much alive… because of His love. (II Corinthians 5:14)

#6 – I hope that I will not try to make Christ a part of my life…but that I will constantly realize that HE IS MY LIFE…and that He doesn’t desire to be ranked in my top five…but He desires to be FIRST!!!  (II Corinthians 5:15)

#7 – I hope that I will not look at people as mere human beings…everyone has a soul…everyone will spend eternity somewhere.  (II Corinthians 5:16)

#8 – I hope that I will always surround myself with people who have experienced II Corinthians 5:17!!!

#9 – I hope that I WILL NOT IGNORE the CLEAR call from God to do what I can to make sure EVERYONE hears the GOOD NEWS!  (II Corinthians 5:18-20.)

#10 – I hope that I never stop being in awe of what I read in II Corinthians 5:21 – HE’S THAT AWESOME!

I hope you tear up like I do when I read this chapter. IT means the world to me. Literally.

My Type Of Wedding

So I got an email the other day that had a link to a wedding YouTube video that took place about a month or so ago in St. Paul, MN. Now, 18 million people and the Today Show have jumped all over this. I gotta say, it wasn’t the funniest video I have ever seen, but it definitely was one of those videos that caused you to smile the whole time watching it. So, I thought you might want to smile today. Enjoy…

If I ever get married, that’s how I am going to do my wedding. What do you think?

Still Holding On

I walked past a guy today in Walmart with a fanny pack… Yeah that was my reaction too. It first took me back a little and caused me to ask the ever growing popular question. “Are those things still popular?” Which quickly caused me to answer: popular? Yes. Cool? No. All these questions were going on in my head by the way. The funny thing is, it brought back a lot of memories. I remember going on vacation to Disney as a kid and every parent had one of these. I can’t say I remember mine having them, although it could have been possible that my mom did. My dad on the other hand…no. I just remember a phase when it was the coolest invention ever. I was never thrilled with them, although I did get sucked into the “trendy” phase of them. Today though was different. I saw this man wearing it, and not that I am knocking him, but really, how did this ever catch on? More importantly, how is it still holding on?

I think the answer is simple. People don’t let go. Like remember that weird phase when it was really cool to wear socks with sandals? Where did that come from? I have to admit I did it. I mean why not? Everyone was doing it. Now we all have to suffer the consequences and see old family pictures with those hideous socks and sandals. Seriously, You know what’s worse than those pictures? Seeing people wear it today thinking it is still OK. It’s not OK. If you haven’t heard, I’ll just go ahead and make that official. I think something that is going to be in the same category 10 years from now are Crocs. Really? How did these catch on? I guess the same way as the wonderful fanny packs and sandal socks. Can we maybe for just a second evaluate some other things in our life that causes us to get caught up in a trend? I know for me I have to constantly be reminded of the important things. I love what Paul says in Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

That’s the heart I want to have for sure.

Can we at least agree fanny packs are rubbish?

Who loves Him more?

Luke 7 has captured my study all week, Particularly verses 36-50. It is such a rich passage that I learn so much each time I read it. I think the underlying theme that is evident in these verses is loving more through a deep forgiveness. Here is a woman that gets it. Jesus is eating dinner in a house full of religious, moral, obedient, law abiding, tithing, Bible reading, good people. Now we have the luxury of knowing the heart of these men and how they are, as Jesus describes later, a “brood of vipers.” I think if we were there at this time we would feel different. I mean on the surface level, these were just good men. Why would we not look up to them and even side with them? Especially if a prostitute walks into the front door to an uninvited dinner party. But she didn’t care, she had to meet the forgiver of sin, the Savior, the only person in the world that could help her, and she knew it. So who cares if they had her arrested, or even stoned to death (which they could have done), this was about Jesus. He had forgiveness, and she needed it. She had worship, and she couldn’t help but offer it. Wow. She just walked straight to Jesus and began crying, washing, and worshipping. Maybe we should take some lessons. I think one of my favorite verses in this passage is in verse 39 when the Pharisee Simon “said to himself,” “If he really was.” Jesus then basically calls him out. It always cracks me up how Jesus just sat there and listened to this mans thoughts and saw the judgmental and unforgiving spirit. Then He sets him straight. He goes straight after the gospel and the amazing story of forgiveness and how it transcends everything. Even turning a prostitute into one of the most amazing worshippers that Bible ever mentions. Why? Because that’s what limitless love and forgiveness does.

Wait on the Lord

Psalm 27 was huge for me today. I love that passage. I memorized it in college and it has many times been a source of encouragement for me. This week has been a good week in my walk and wrestle with the Lord. We have had some moments. Sometimes things happen that bring up painful memories or dark times in our life. There are ways we can handle these moments for good or bad. Often times I know it’s easy to choose the selfish way out and respond in a way that my flesh would love to do. Other times, when we realize Whose we are and how we were created then we know it’s best to wait. My question is why does waiting seem so hard and many times seem wrong? I think it’s because the very opposite of waiting is moving and trying to work out every situation our self instead of allowing God to do the deep work that is necessary for growth. It’s easy to believe that what we want is the right thing and so often it is wrong, or not the right time. I read a quote from a great speaker and author J.I. Packer today and he states this: “And still He seeks the fellowship of His people, and sends them both joy and sorrow, to detach their hands from the things of this world, to attach those hands to Himself.” Do we ever stop to think that maybe the waiting and even some sorrow may be God wanting to do a deeper work in us than we ever thought possible? I know I keep a grip on things at times that can easily become pride or idolatry, and God needs to keep detaching my hands.

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us. – David Crowder

So ends my month long blogging sabbatical. I am diligently praying for my friends going to Romania. Know you are loved.