britton smith

the ongoing lesson

2011-12-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

I continue to be amazed at my parent's faith, endurance, and love for the Lord. My dad's lymphoma is back and is in the middle of treatment. It has been a difficult round of treatment but you can read about the journey here: http://nealandtrishsmith.blogspot.com/

inefficent planning

2011-07-22T14:56:00.000-04:00

At Moran Park we feel strongly that God is leading us to be involved in the neighborhood and serve those across the globe. He has led us as a church family on quite a ride determining what this will look like. It has been one of the most inefficient processes ever.

A few months ago, I had someone from the church share how God has been laying on her heart a passion for global missions. Since we are very young as a church, we haven’t had any involvement in global missions. Needless to say, I was excited. Not only did she have a passion but she wanted to help lead the church in getting involved in global missions. We didn’t have a location, an organization, or even an idea of an area where God wanted us to be involved. I didn’t want to waste the excitement and the leader that God had brought us so I started to come up with a plan and timeline. If we wanted to have a trip sent next summer we would need to get everything in order before then. I began going through a checklist in my head. Soon God revealed that wasn’t how he wanted us to go about this. He has been teaching us as a church family to trust him for each step. He often will show us one step and then when we take that step he will show us the next one.

This is what we began to do. As this individual and I both sensed this direction from the Lord we began to pray for the first step. It became clear that we were to invite the church to a time of prayer to ask God for our next step. The Holy Spirit seemed to lay orphans on both of our hearts but this was something we were going to need to pray for all together as a church community.

At the first prayer time there were about 20 people gathered together with different expectations and passions. We spent time in prayer asking God what our next step was. I brought up orphans as something specific to pray for, thinking it would be one thing among many. Before long, that is what God was laying on all our hearts in unison.

My plan going into the evening of prayer was to find out who was interested in global missions and who was interested in local involvement. My next step was to then form teams and begin planning regarding the direction God showed us. But He quickly rebuked me and said, “You asked for one step, I’m giving you only one step. Let me lead the next step.” We knew another prayer time was necessary for the next step.

The second time we prayed together there was about 20 people again, some repeats from the first prayer time and some new people. We prayed a little bit and began sharing what he had been laying on our hearts. People brought up some great organizations such as World Orphans and Angel Tree (through Prison Fellowship Ministries). It was clear God wasn't ready for us to jump into a program. God quickly revealed our pride and arrogance and led us into a time of repentance for those things. We corporately cried out to God for forgiveness and he then showed us our next step. The question that came up for our next step was, “Who are the orphans in our midst (the church) and how are we doing caring for them?” We felt like we needed to figure that out before we could care for orphans globally. He was also causing us to see orphans in a broader way than just technical orphans without parents. Who are in an orphan- like place? We left praising God for another step.

Last night we met for the third time to ask God what the next step was on this journey. We split up into groups of 3-4 and prayed together. We gathered all back together and shared what we prayed for and what God laying on our hearts. It was all over the map. As people were sharing I kept asking God, why are we all over the place? There is no unity. We still don’t know our next step! We knew we had to keep praying together and ask God what the next step was since we still didn’t know.

Amazingly, he began to give the same answer to the individuals gathered there. He was revealing to us that he wasn’t giving us our next step because we weren’t ready. One person prayed about God’s desire to prune us. Many people prayed in repentance to the Lord for arrogance, looking down on others, not being willing to give up whatever was required to care for the orphans in our midst, among other things. We were experiencing what Acts 3:19 describes as repentance that leads to refreshing from the Lord’s presence.

God didn’t give us a specific next step but he spoke when we asked him. He revealed things in us as individuals and as a church family that we need to deal with and repent of before we are ready for him to show us what is next. We again left praising God for showing himself to us. So, I guess he did show us our next step – it was just way different that we anticipated. This step is going to require us as individuals and as a church family to ask God to reveal anything in us the is preventing us from caring for orphans and taking the steps of repentance.

I will admit, this way of determining how we are going to get involved with global and local missions is frustrating to me at times because I just want to do something. This way of doing things is very inefficient. But I’m realizing more and more God isn’t after our efficiency with this. He is using this process to shape up, grow us, and transform us. We are being discipled in the process. God is preparing us as a church to be who he desires us to be. Pruning and refining is often a slow and difficult process. But it is a process that ultimately points to him and not to us and what we accomplish.

a brother's greatest honor

2011-07-11T17:01:00.002-04:00

On the July 4th weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to perform the wedding ceremony for my sister, Whitney. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. This was the most meaningful wedding I have ever officiated. No offense to any other bride but it was so special because Whitney is my only sister to go along with 3 brothers. Thankfully, they had some great photographers take some wondeful pictures to caputre the day.

Many people asked if I was going to cry during the ceremony. Of course I was going to cry - it was my sister! But it was so hot and I was dripping with sweat so I didn't have too much liquid left in the body to cry. Besides that, I found looking at Ty most of the ceremony helped me keep it together.

I don't think Whitney or Ty thought through how much power they were giving me. I was the last thing standing in the way of the two of them becoming husband and wife. My dad had already given her away and as she and Ty stood in front of me, I had the final say. But I couldn't have been more happy to see the two of them get married.

Whitney has always gotten whatever she wanted. I guess this is just part of being the only girl and the queen of the family. Growing up, us older two boys were so busy beating up on each other and the younger two were busy doing the same that Whitney just skated by in the middle getting whatever she wanted. And for whatever reason, we gave her what she wanted - most of the time. She has always been very particular and knew exactly what she wanted. On Sunday, Whitney got exactly what she wanted in a husband. Not only did she get what she wanted in a husband, but as an older brother and as a family, we all got what we wanted in a husband for Whitney. We couldn't have asked for better addition to the family.

The Smith family is not an easy one to get into, but Ty, we welcome you with open arms. Whitney, thanks for giving me a brother's greatest honor of performing his sister's wedding.

dad's story hits the press

2011-07-07T08:24:00.000-04:00

I've written a little bit about my dad's cancer journey this past year (which was right on the heels of my mom's bout with breast cancer). There was recently an article written in the South Bend Tribune about my dad's brother Karl being the donor for his bone marrow transplant and their journey together.

It's a great article. Take a read - "Bone marrow transplant prompts Bridgman men to tell their story."

You can keep up on their journey by reading their blog.

a mentor moving on

2011-06-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, the Senior Pastor at Ridge Point Community Church (where I work) announced that he has accepted the position of CEO for Prison Fellowship - the nation's largest prison ministry. You can read the press release for more information.

As the Senior Pastor, Jim is my boss, but he has been much more than that for me. He has been my mentor for six years and a friend for even longer. I've known Jim since I was very young. When he shared the news with me of him moving on from Ridge Point, I reminded him that it was his fault I was in ministry. During my senior year of college, when ministry became a possibility, I drove up to Holland to have a conversation with Jim about these wrestlings in my heart. I hoped he would talk me out of ministry but he did just the opposite - he offered me a job at Ridge Point.

He took a chance on me and gave me an incredible opportunity. Because of him, I have been given the opportunity to fully pursue the Lord in full time ministry and grow more and more into the pastor God has created me to be. I have learned all the things from him that they don't teach you in seminary (which is about 95% the things you really need to know).

He taught me more than the technicalities of how to do a wedding, funeral, or preach. He taught me how to love and care for people with the deep, compassionate love of Jesus. For that, I will be forever grateful.

I'm excited for this new season of life for Jim and am anxious to begin this new era of our friendship.

forgiveness

2011-05-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

Yes, I realize it has been awhile since I've posted anything. It's not due to a lack of things going on. Lots of things have been happening at church. God continues to move and do amazing things at Moran Park. Sunday, I got to witness one of those things.

The previous Sunday after the service, there was an argument that got out of hand and someone was head-butted. The details aren't important but what is important is the outcome. The guy who instigated the incident thought it was best to leave the church. I reminded him that wasn't what the church was about. It is about repenting when we make mistakes, receiving the forgiveness of the faith community and then moving on. This guy was amazed that I didn't just tell him to leave. He apologized to those involved privately, dropped all charges and apologized publicly on Sunday.

We have never done a public apology since I've been at Moran Park so I assured everyone we wouldn't be doing public apologies every time someone makes a mistake. This was a public incident and we felt a public apology was best. I also reminded the church that we never bring someone up front to shame them or humiliate them but to walk along side of them and celebrate their repentance with them.

He apologized and the church warmly embraced him. It is a joy for me to be at a place that so greatly values the unity of the church. We got to see what we've been studying in 1 Corinthians lived out in front of our eyes. It was a beautiful thing.

reading through the bible

2011-03-21T08:31:00.002-04:00

I've always had high ambitions of reading through the Bible from beginning to end. Many times I opened up the first pages of the Bible and started reading in Genesis but quickly became overwhelmed. I would either forget a few days of reading and then get frustrated I was already behind and then stop. I often would want to read a different book of the Bible that didn't correlate with where I was in the reading plan. I would read that book and then forget to go back to where I was or simply lose interest.

Until last week when I finished reading through the Bible from beginning to end thanks to the phone app - YouVersion. YouVersion is a free app for your smart phone or computer that not only lets you read the Bible but has over 50 different reading plans. Here are a few reasons why I think this app helped me actually read through the Bible this time.

Plan - I previous attempts I would get overwhelmed by how much of I the Bible I still had to read so I would just give up. The plans on this app give you a managable amount each day and you know if you are on track or not. Every day it lists the chapters you are to read and checks them off as you read them.
Easy to use - It was easy for me to read a chapter or two in between meetings, while I was feeding Eli, or just had a spare moment. Reading a few chapters throughout the day added up to completing the goal.
Goals - The app tracks your progess every day and gives you the percentage of your completed goal.
Catch Up Feature - Before if I got behind I would realize I had no chance of catching up so I would stop the reading plan. This app has a great feature of catching you up if you get behind or ahead.

While I'm glad I completed the task of reading through the Bible, at times if felt like I was rushing through just to keep up with the plan. I didn't feel like I had the time to stop and dig in or wrestle with things that I was reading out of fear of getting too far behind on the plan. This next time around I want to take more time to read through the Bible and give myself permission to stop and dig into things that catch my attention as I read.

I encourage everyone to check out this app. Even if you don't have a smart phone you can use on of their reading plans on their website.

immediate obedience

2011-03-01T11:27:00.000-05:00

I was at home yesterday reading alone while Eli was taking a nap. I felt God telling me to get out my guitar and play. This wasn't an audible voice just an internal prompting. It didn't make any sense to me. Why? I haven't played the guitar in years. I don't know any songs any more. It is even it tune? The more I questioned God's prompting, the more I felt he was telling me, "Are you going to be obedient or not? Why does it matter why I am telling you to do it?" I then tried to put it off until after I was done with my book. I was so close to finishing and didn't want to be interrupted. But God was telling me he didn't want my eventual obedience but my immediate obedience.

So I reluctantly got out my guitar, tuned it, found some songs online and attempted to play. I wish I could say I picked it back up naturally but I am NOT a natural musician. I didn't play long, primarily because the tips of my fingers were on fire, but I felt the joy of the Lord on me. I didn't have a huge spiritual moment where I saw God or anything but just this sense of God teaching me the joy of immediate obedience.

As I went back to my book, God pressed upon my heart specific things that were triggered in the book I was reading. A few times I was prompted to pray for specific things. Instead of pushing it off until later (which usually means never) I would put down my book and pray. As this pattern of reading and praying continued, it was like God was having a conversation with me. He would deal with particular sin in me, give me a picture of something, or just want me to spend time with him as I read.

Immediate obedience is difficult for me because often I feel like I am in the middle of something that I don't want to interrupt. But I don't want to miss out on particiapting in what God wants to do right now. I don't want to overlook what God is speaking to me about in the moment. I'm learning that obedience is difficult, but immediate obedience is even more of a struggle but with it comes great joy.

lessons in fatherhood

2011-02-16T21:08:00.000-05:00

Mondays are man-days at the Smith house. It is the day that Eli and I hang out while Michelle works. I have a few months of this under my belt and I have learned a few valuable things about fatherhood. Here are the top 5.

Children’s Books – you can read 5 children’s books and have only killed 10 minutes. This may make my kid smarter in the long run but it isn’t the best time killing activity. While he is young, I can at least read 5 different books. I dread the day I will have to read him the same book 5 times in a row. And yes, I will try to skip pages.
Changing Clothes – why is it Eli seems to go through more clothes on his day with me than when his mom is with him? Poop, pee, and spit up always seem to find their way on to his clothes. Michelle tries to convince me to use a burp cloth but that just seems like one more thing to wash.
80’s Music – nothing seems to make Eli smile like 80’s hits. It’s a decade of songs that brings him more joy than any other. Is he crying? Not when I start singing “Love Shack” or “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” He never enjoyed diaper changes more than when I sing “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” or “Paradise City.” As you can see he isn’t picky on the genre, just the decade. He’s not super thrilled with the new stuff – especially Justin Bieber.
Gag Reflex – I always knew I had a gag reflex but I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started changing Eli’s diapers. Michelle enjoys watching me change the bad ones as I dry heave and sometimes need to leave the room. I guess a perk on Mondays is that I can gag in privacy.
Cloth Diapers – Cloth diapers are great in theory. Yes, there are a lot of pros to them – cheaper in the long run, better for the environment, etc. But on Mondays when I’m rinsing out the poop, I find myself questioning the decision to use them.

chemo, transplant, and joy

2011-01-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

Today, my dad goes into the University of Chicago hospital for his cancer treatment. I haven’t shared much about his treatment thus far but he has undergone some chemo already. That chemo shrunk the tumor but didn’t get rid of all the cancer. The next step is for him to begin 5 days of chemo starting today and then will get a bone marrow transplant. He has lymphoma and therefore it has something to do with the blood. I don’t know all the medical stuff, I only made it through one year of pre-med in college and quickly got out of that. His brother, Karl was a match and is the donor. We don’t know how long my dad will be in the hospital but it will be at least a few weeks. You can read more of the details in my mom and dad’s own words:

People have been asking me a lot how I feel about this whole thing. Am I worried? Am I angry at God? What is going through your mind since you just celebrated a year since your mom finished up her treatment for breast cancer?

I would be lying if I said there wasn’t any fear. This is a big procedure. There are risks. But the thing that God has been teaching me throughout my mom and now my dad having cancer is that Jesus is my greatest joy. He alone is my greatest pursuit, treasure, and satisfaction. He has taught me not to say, “God you owe me healing for dad.” He owes me nothing. He is God. He has been teaching me not to find my satisfaction in anything but him. If everything gets taken away, I still get Jesus. That is my heart’s greatest comfort and joy.

I do believe God still does heal. I have been praying for that since my dad was diagnosed back in May. I will continue to pray and fast on my father’s behalf because God does care about what we face. He is not a God who is far off but a God who is in the midst of our suffering.

The doctors are optimistic but we will take this one day at a time. Trusting that God will give us what we need for each day as we need it. I have been reminded through this of our complete dependence upon Christ for everything. In the midst of our weakness, he is strong. May Jesus be praised and glorified through this next phase of the journey.

christmas party

2010-12-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

So I haven't blogged in months (that's what happens when you have a newborn) and what is the first thing I decide to blog about? A Christmas party. Yes, a Christmas party. Not just any Christmas party but the annual Christmas party Michelle and I go to where you have to dress up according to a particular theme. This year's theme was Christmas carols and songs.

After looking through a list of Christmas songs and tossing around a few ideas, we finally decided on one. The song we chose - "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree"

I had the general idea of what I wanted to use for my costume but it became solidified when I went to the dollar store. I got a about 150 feet of garland and ornaments as well as a party hat that I covered with garland and a tree topper to be the top of the tree. Under the garland is a green skirt and turtleneck I got from Salvation Army. I cut a hole in the hem and pushed through some coaxial cable I had in the basement to make it hoop out. The garland is attached to the skirt with zip ties. Zip ties have a million uses. The garland wasn't attached to the shirt but wrapped around. The only downside was that it came a little loose up top as the night went on.

To top it all off I got a few battery operated light sets. I put the battery packs in my pocket and wrapped the lights around me.

Michelle decided to go with an 80s rocker theme as she "rocked around the Christmas tree." She had most of the clothes in her closet. I picked up the glasses, bracelets, and glow sticks from the dollar store. The guitar was mine from high school that's been sitting in the basement unused!

Everyone at the party votes for the winner each year. Each year we try to bring our A game but we lost by one vote. Win or lose, we have a blast each year deciding what to wear and then making our costumes. We are already looking forward to next year.

naming rights

2010-10-13T11:54:00.000-04:00

I never thought naming our son would be such a difficult task. My first thought was to sell the naming rights. Selling the naming rights might be a great way to pay for a stadium or college dorm but I think naming him Coca Cola Smith or Frito Lay Smith would give me bad parent status even if it would pay for his college tuition.

We decided to stick with normal kid names but with Smith we didn’t want something extremely common. This is dangerous territory because it is not like naming a pet where if you gave it a ridiculous name people expect it. While Butch, Captain, or Teddy may be great names for a dog…not so much for a son.

For months and months we discussed various possibilities. Michelle had some good suggestions but most of the time the discussion stopped because the only ideas I had were inspired by professional athletes and the 1990s hit, American Gladiators. For some reason Michelle didn’t like my suggestions of Nitro, Laser, Tank, or Storm.

When I got around to engaging in a serious discussion about what to name our son, it turned out to be a difficult process. Often times a name suggestion was eliminated right away because of someone from middle school one of us had a bad experience with. You don’t want to name your kid something that gives you flashbacks to those rough years of life.

What made if extra difficult was that because of the line of work I’m in, we know a number of families with children. With any option we had other than Champ or Shaquille, we knew of someone who had a young son with that name. At some point we had to just say, “Well, we know only a few people that have a child with that name.”

If it was a name that we didn’t have a bad association with and one that we maybe could agree on, I had to run through every potential nick name that could be spun off and everything that rhymes with it. That eliminated many more options. If a name made it past this stage, then it went into the initials vetting process. While my initials are B.S. (appropriate I know) we didn’t want to give our child bad initials such as P.M.S. or A.S.S. I don’t care how cool the name is, that’s just cruel!

Michelle and I narrowed the list down to 3-4 finalists but the game plan was to wait to see him until we decided on the name.

After he was born we had him in the room with us. I was holding him as Michelle was recovering from surgery. I looked at him and ruled out every other name and knew right away he looked like an Eli. When I took him over to Michelle, she agreed that he definitely was an Eli. Eli it was. The middle name we had picked out that went with Eli is Taylor – my middle name.

Eli means “high” or “ascended” mostly used in a priestly sense in the Bible (Eli the priest in 1 Samuel). Our prayer is that he serves in a priestly role to the Lord and represents Jesus well as he points others to him. This doesn’t mean he serves in an official priest/pastor role but understands that all followers of Jesus are priests who represent God to the world.

While the process was not an easy one, he is definitely an Eli and our hope is that God uses him for His glory.

seneca returns

2010-09-20T10:42:00.000-04:00

Last night Michelle was cleaning up in the kitchen from dinner. I usually do this but she offered since I cooked - a trade I will take every time! She looked up at the sink and saw someone coming to the house. She let me know someone was coming to the door but she didn't know who it was. I was expecting a door to door salesman and was getting to tell him my parents weren't home. As he came up to the window, he asked Michelle if I was home. Who was this asking for me?

I opened the front door and to my surprise it was someone I had met before. "Seneca, what's up man?" I said. He was shocked I remembered his name. The reason why he was surprised is because I had only met him once at that was back in the winter. about 7 or 8 months ago, when we had a ton of snow, he came over and asked if he could shovel the driveway to make a few bucks. It sounded better than me doing it so I agreed to this idea. When he was done I chatted with him for quite a while. I learned about his kids, him getting laid off, and his future plans. As he left I told him to come back again and I'd be happy to let him shovel my driveway. I sent him away with a dozen bran muffins that Michelle had just made since we had way too many for us to eat. I didn't see him again all winter.

Last night Seneca was once again at my front door. He is telling me about how he is headed down to Texas the next morning to go to school. He had a ride down there but he needed to gas money to get to where his ride was leaving from. I invited him in and he told me what he was going to be studying in school down in Amarillo as he lived with his cousin. He lost his house and has been living with different people for the past two months and was taking advantage of this new opportunity.

I gave him some money and got him something to drink. He asked Michelle and I what's been going on with us and was excited to hear about our upcoming birth. I asked where he was headed to next and when he told me his uncle's house I offered to give him a ride. He and I jumped into the car and I drove him to the north side of town. He had been on the south side of town for most of the day and he told me that he was planning on walking all the way across town.

In the car we began talking about Jesus. He shared with me about his church and how God had gotten a hold of his life and saved him. He sang for me a song he wrote about how he met Jesus. It was a very encouraging time together. When I dropped him off we got to pray together in the car before he headed out.

I was praying when Seneca was in my house asking what God was doing with this situation. How did He want me to respond? How was he going to use me? I hoped that I was able to encourage Seneca and that he was able to see God's goodness and love more fully. In the end God used Seneca to encourage me.

weekend in ludington, mi

2010-08-26T21:30:00.001-04:00

The other weekend Michelle and I celebrated our four year anniversary. I know everyone says that it is hard to believe they have been married as long as they have but it really is difficult to believe four years have gone by since we said some vows and exchanged some rings. This is our last anniversary pre-kids so we were definitely getting out of town while we still had the freedom.

Michelle heard about a bed and breakfast so she made reservations at The Cartier Mansion for a very reasonable $99 a night. The five room bed and breakfast is a mansion built in 1905 and has had very few owners so is in its original condition. We walked in the front door and were greeted with the typical "If you are looking for the high school prom you are in the wrong place" look. When the women who greeted us saw that our names were actually on the reservation list she went to get the key to our room as we looked around. She took us up to our room and told us when breakfast was. The room was small but we expected that because the price was the cheapest of all the rooms. It had a quaint bed and breakfast feel (not that I really know what that means since this was our first B&B experience) with a nice, modern bathroom.

I had picked out all the places we were going to be eating at and made some reservations ahead of time at a few restaurants. Our first night we were headed to the Jamesport Brewing Co. I am a fan of microbreweries so I was really looking forward to trying out some of their brews. We had some time to kill before our reservation so we enjoyed some tea from the guest services station. At the guest services station they had single serving french press coffee, loose leaf tea, DVDs, and popcorn. The coffee and teas were fantastic! At Jamesport, we were seated right away (nice move on the reservation). The atmosphere wasn't anything special. Very simple. Our server didn't explain anything about the beers and wasn't overly friendly. The food was average as I had a burger and Michelle opted for a pear, brie, and turkey salad. However, I didn't go for the food, I went for the beer. I got a beer sampler and enjoyed most of what they had. My favorite was their Scottish Strong Ale that had great flavor.

Saturday we woke up and headed downstairs for breakfast. There was a quaint dining area where we sat at a table with another couple. They served a great Eggs Benedict with potatoes and fresh fruit. It was awesome! The inn keepers/owners are a husband and wife from California who moved there 5 years ago when they bought the place. The woman will make friends with anyone and the husband was very laid back but gave us some good suggestions of things to do. We then hit downtown Ludington for some shopping which lasted about 30 min. There isn't much in Ludington and I wouldn't suggest going there for shopping. We were there to relax so we went to the public beach to hang out and read. On the way down we saw some kind of art show going on in a large park so we stopped but after seeing no art and lots of cheesy crafts we ditched after about 2 minutes.

The Ludington city beach is awesome! You park right next to the beach so the walk is very short. There is a ton on beachfront so the beach is never crowded (well at least not once when we where there). Best of all...it's free! When lunch rolled around we were in the mood for pizza. We were given the suggestion of an Italian restaurant downtown for some pizza on Facebook when I asked for recommendations before we left. The pizza was average but the atmosphere was very plain and boring. Michelle and I are atmosphere people so it didn't do the trick for us. Again, we weren't impressed with Ludington customer service as we walked in the door and were told to sit "somewhere over there."

After lunch we went back to the room to take a nap and then headed to The Blu Moon for a drink. We thought it was a coffee shop so we were planning on getting coffee but it is a restaurant and bar. The atmosphere was great. Very eclectic! The bartender made Michelle a nice foofy drink since babies and alcohol don't mix. We would have eaten dinner there had we not had reservations at another place that had high reviews from the locals. The food we saw others eating looked wonderful. If we go back to Ludington we will try the food at The Blu Moon next time.

After the Blu Moon we had more time to kill before our reservations so we went to a coffee shop to actually get coffee this time. We went to Redolencia which had a great atmosphere. There was a variety of styles of furniture and art. For you in Holland, it is like a more homey Lemonjello's. The one downside to this place is that they only do french press coffee which tastes great but you have to wait awhile and it is more coffee than most people need. The frozen drinks only come in one flavor too which are huge and of course cost a lot. But the atmosphere offset this downside and provided a great place for us to read and talk.

We were supposed to go to dinner but we weren't hungery at all so I called PM Steamers and asked them to move back our reservations. We were glad we did because outside the coffee shop a band playing world fusion music jamed for awhile. We sat outside and enjoyed this great music until it was time to go to PM Steamers.

PM Steamers is discribed by our innkeepers as well as the employees of the B&B as the best and nicest restaurant in town. We shared the cherry salmon since we still weren't hungry. It was awesome. Lots of great flavors. The customer service was fantastic. People smiled, often asked how we were doing, and were overall pleasant. I always try to tell people when they are doing great at their job so I told our server that her and the rest of the PM Steamer staff had the best customer service we had experienced all weekend in Ludington. She was grateful for our comments and opened right up. She asked why we were in town and when we told her it was for our anniversary she brought out a free piece of chocolate cake for us to enjoy!

After a great day, we headed back to the hotel room. It was then we discovered another reason why we were glad we moved back our reservations. Outside at the bed and breakfast, they have a tent set up and a redone carriage house for parties. There was a party going on. Not just any party - Ludington High School's 15 year reunion! The music was blasting and I of course was entertained so I went outside for a few minutes but after seeing a bunch of middle aged intoxicated people trying to rekindle the flames from high school, I went back inside. Michelle and I ended up putting in a movie and cranking up the volume to cover the bad mix of music from the 80s and today. At 11:15 things finally quieted down and we went to bed.

Sunday morning we went downstairs to another great breakfast! A quiche with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms. We packed up our stuff and then headed to the Ludington State Park. This state park is huge! There are many hiking trails and it looked like some great camp sites if you are interested in camping. We walked the 2 mile hike up to the Big Sable light house. For $2 a person you can get a tour and go all the way to the top. Be sure to bring cash as they have a $10 minimum for credit cards. We didn't have cash but they took pity upon the pregnant woman and ran our card anyway. The view was great and worth the hike. We then walked back to our car and headed out of Ludington. Next time we will spend more time at the state park.

On the way home we stopped through Pentwater. It is another small lakeside town about 20 minutes south of Ludington. I had a few people tell me to stop at the Brown Bear for the best burger I will ever have. The burgers come in 3 sizes - wimpy (1/4 lb), cub (1/2 lb), and big bear (1 lb). I opted for the cub while Michelle got the wimpy. The burger was very good and I will agree one of the best I've ever had. Definitely worth the stop. From them were headed back home after a great weekend away!

prayer at moran park

2010-08-24T11:36:00.000-04:00

My time as the pastor at Moran Park continues to be a learning experience. God is doing some incredible things. The other week I was getting ready Sunday morning to preach. I was feeling a lot of distraction and couldn't get my thoughts together. When the service started and we began singing, I kept feeling this sense of distraction among the people there. I wrote it off and kept singing.

When I got up and began to preach I felt an even stronger sense that something was going on and prayed to myself as I started talking. All of a sudden the mic cut out. I quickly changed mics and continued talking for another minute or two. Then the mic cut out again. It was like God was trying to get my attention calmly and then had to cut out the mics twice becuase I wasn't getting it. I shared that I didn't think I was supposed to be preaching that morning. My first thought was, "Oh crap, but now what are we going to do?" I explained to the faith community that I was going to pray and then invited anyone who wanted to come up front to pray to do so in the microphone.

As I was praying, I thought there was no way anyone would come up front and actually pray in front of everyone else. To my suprise, when I finished praying there were 5 people in line to pray. The doubts in my mind kept coming as I thought, "Oh no, I just gave an open mic to random people that i don't even know." Despite my fears, the prayers were beautiful. Powerful, raw prayers of a variety of struggles and praise came from the mouths of those who shared. When the line got down to one or two people, a few more individuals would get up to pray. This went on for 45 minutes. If I would have waited, it probably could have continued all afternoon.

I was going to be teaching on faith - how we are to go to God for more faith as he is the one who gives it, but that was demonstrated by those who came up to pray. I was going to talk about how we need to be open and honest with our doubts and struggles so we can encourage one another towards deeper faith, but that was demonstrated too.

God showed up in a powerful way and demonstrated what I was going to be teaching on. It was unbelievable. We have new people at Moran Park every week so I made a comment at the end, "If you are new to Moran Park, I'm not sure what to tell you. I guess you never know what to expect here or how God will work."

God continues to teach me here to trust him, to listen to him, and to let him take control. Pretty amazing things tend to happen when we do.

grace on credit

2010-08-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

When you go to buy something these days, you are almost always given the option of buying it on credit. You can buy a house, a car, a boat, or furniture on credit. If you can put it on a credit card, you can buy anything on credit. When you buy something on credit, you get the product up front but then you have to make regular payments to the creditor. These payments are usually a set amount for a certain period of time until the balance of the debt is paid off. If you fail to make a payment, or can only make part of the payment, you are hit with fees and eventually the repo man shows up to take away the car, boat, or whatever the item is.

I recently realized how often we view God's grace and forgiveness this way. The good news of Jesus is that we can never be good enough and we don't deserve his love because we are so messed up and do things that go against his desires but he loves us anyway. Because we couldn't pay the penalty for our sin, God sent his son, Jesus, to make the payment.

Usually when people decide to follow Jesus and accept his grace, they understand this. However, I have found that often times we live like we were given salvation and the forgiveness of our sin on credit. I often see people who live with the mentality that they now have to make payments on this forgiveness of sin by acting a certain way or doing certain things. They live in constant fear that they haven't made a big enough payment and that God, the repo man, will come and repossess their salvation.

This is not living in the freedom of the gospel. We have been freed from trying to earn our salvation. We now live in a way that pleases God because he has transformed our heart and given us a desire to love and serve him. We live in a way that reflects his love for us and the world out of gratitude not out of fear. God has freely given those who accept his gift of forgiveness and allows us to have a relationship with him. There is nothing we did to earn it and nothing we can do to "make payments on it." God will not take away his gift. This gift is so great, we could never make big enough payments. Living in a way that way suggests that we have received God's grace on credit completely discounts the good news of the gospel of Jesus.

It's been paid for...all of it.

this summer at moran park

2010-07-27T09:36:00.000-04:00

It has been a fun summer at Moran Park. God continues to bring people here who are passionate about getting involved in the neighborhood and who want to actively live out the gospel and demonstrate his love. My temptation is to program it all. You can measure and control programs. But I am realizing how they have such a limited and often short term effect. It has been much slower but more effective to see people step up and mentor people and to live a lifestyle of serving the neighborhood not just one time events.

This summer we have been teaching through 11 of the biggest questions people submitted. These questions include:

How could a loving God allow children to suffer?
Will God forgive me if I lie on purpose?
What happens oafter I die?
Will the world end in 2012?
How old is the Earth?
Why is there so much violence in the Middle East?
Can I be gay and be a Christian

Needless to say my brain hurts each week and they have been huge topics to try to address adequately on Sunday morning. Will all of these topics I have been reminded how it all goes back to the gospel. These have everything to do with the death, resurrection, and return of Jesus. This is not only our hope as followers of Jesus but affect and influence how we see and interact with the world as well.

It's hard to believe that the summer is well on its way to being over. It has been fun to get more involved in the neighborhood. This Saturday we are hosting a neighborhood park clean up day at 8:30am. Hope to see you out there. Looking fowarding to meeting more of the neighbors.

baby and baptism

2010-07-15T22:02:00.000-04:00

It always amazes me how fast summer goes. Winter seems to drag on. By the time February comes around I would rather swallow tooth picks soaked in Icy Hot than see any more snow. Summer in Michigan is always a reminder of why I live here. The downside is that is always goes so fast.

This summer seems to be going even faster since we are expecting a baby in October. There has been so much to do from getting the nursery ready to coming up with a name for our son. This is a big task thinking he will be called this name for the rest of his life. Michelle hasn't been very pleased with my suggestions yet which include - Nitro, Laser, Deuce, Ace, and Tank.

The other week I had the opportunity of performing my cousin's wedding in Madison, Wisconsin and then we had an extended family vacation in northern Wisconsin. The highlight of the week was my grandad, dad, and myself being part of baptizing my brother Collin in the lake.

The family gathered at the end of the dock and we had a little time where Collin and one of my other cousin's were baptized. It was a very special moment for us. A definite highlight of the summer so far.

life

2010-06-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

I realize it has been weeks since I've posted anything on the blog. It isn't for a lack of things going on. Maybe that's been the problem...so many things going on and I'm not exactly sure what to say about them. For starters Michelle and I are expecting a baby in October and we just found out this past week it is a boy. The predominate response when we tell people it is a boy is something like, "Payback time!" We, of course, are hoping he takes after his mother!

We've been going to childbirth classes the past few weeks and it has been quite an experience. They get a little long so I try to throw some humor around to lighten things up. The beauty of it is that no one gets my humor. Most people in the class are very conservative and don't appreciate the comments I make. This of course only makes Michelle laugh harder because of how awkward I make things with my jokes that no one appreciates.

My dad was recently diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Unreal, I know considering my mom just finished a year of treatment for breast cancer. Their blog: http://nealandtrishsmith.blogspot.com is no longer just about my mom's updates but now about both of their health updates. I've really been wrestling with this new trial our family faces. It is interesting to see how people respond to this news. Many people respond in a way that implies that God owes my parents something because they are good people. We have been reminded that God owes us nothing. Out of his love and compassion gave us the gift of salvation. Often times I think we follow Jesus just because he gives us something we want (money, success, a job, health, etc.) He does bless us with things but my faith is not based on those things. The point of the gospel is that I get Jesus. If everything else is taken away, my joy would be complete because I still have Jesus. We have been reminded of that many times these past few months. My dad begins treatment soon and this phase of the journey will bring many new lessons and refining of our faith.

These are a few things that have been going on the past few weeks, not to mention my brother coming home from a year in the Dominican Republic, doing a funeral for a four month old, and personal wrestling of what God is doing in my heart.

It's been an interesting time but God continues to shape me and for that I am grateful.

orthodox heretic: a review

2010-05-18T10:03:00.000-04:00

Last night I finished three different books. That is one of the perks of not being able to focus only on one book at a time. One of the books I finished last night was The Orthodox Heretic by Peter Rollins. The book was recently recommended to me and my first Peter Rollins experience.

This short book is made up of many thoughtful parables. Rollins writes these parables in a way that really cause you to think. Some of them involve Jesus and others do not but all are written to make a theological point. The ones I enjoyed the most were ones that were based on a Biblical parable or story but with a different ending to provoke thought.

I found these modern parables helpful in challenging what I had previously understood and deepening the heart of the gospel. You may not agree with everything Rollins writes in this book, but I recommend it if you are looking for something to challenge your thinking and see Jesus in a new light, pick it up.

low riding

2010-04-29T18:27:00.003-04:00

Last night I spent some time with a guy who is working with Denver Community Church (I'm still in Denver this week). His name is Sam and he took me cruising in his low rider. Needless to say he is very proud of his 1964 Impala.

I was a little out of my league when Sam met me, called me homey, and took me out cruising. Sam was gracious and taught me the difference between hydraulic and air bag suspension (not the things that protect you in a crash). Simply put hydraulics is where fluid causes the car to go up and down while air bags uses air.

He took me first to a homeless coffee shop where he spends a lot of time hanging out and with where I ran into a guy I went to college with who was volunteering there. After my free cup of coffee we cruised around for awhile and he told me, "This is not a very green car (as Denver is very eco-minded) but it is freaking sweet." (As he drops it into neutral and revs the engine.)

We got hungry so he parked the car and we headed to a local Mexican Restaurant. He parked in a no parking zone but he told me they can't tow it if they can't get under it - as he proceeded to drop the car almost to the ground. We spent a few hours talking about the gospel, who Jesus is, and what it all means.

He is a Hispanic guy who is trying to live out the gospel in the context he grew up in. He is trying to figure out how to demonstrate the gospel of Jesus in midst of these guys he builds low riders with. He was very interested in what I was doing at Moran Park and what I had learned about trying to live out the gospel in my neighborhood. It was a very encouraging time for me and learned a lot from Sam. I can also now say I have been low riding.

denver

2010-04-27T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm out in Denver this week visiting a friend and follow pastor, Michael Hidalgo. Michael was one of the teaching pastors at Ridge Point when I first started there and is now the lead pastor at Denver Community Church (DCC).

My purpose for coming to visit is to learn from what they are doing in their neighborhood. DCC, like Moran Park is focused on being actively involved in the neighborhood in which they are located. Michael has been out in Denver for a few years and has been part of leading his faith community to demonstrating the love of God to their city in a variety of ways. Since I am just starting out at Moran Park, I have many things I can learn from DCC and how they have become and active presence in their neighborhood.

After my first day of meeting with their staff, my head is spinning a bit but am very excited about how I can begin doing some things at Moran Park to live out the gospel in our neighborhood.

questions

2010-04-21T10:10:00.000-04:00

In a few weeks, I will be walking at my graduation ceremony for seminary. It's hard to believe I have been out for a few months already. As I reflect back on seminary it was overall a good experience. I did learn some things and met some great people. One thing that I hope seminaries can improve on is creating a culture where students feel free to ask questions. I had many theological questions that I didn't feel free to ask in a classroom setting because the assumption was that you should already know that basic stuff. Students never asked about anything basic but only asked complex questions. The problem was often I was still wrestling with things I've heard my whole life and wondering what they actually meant for everyday life.

I'm thankful for having a group of friends where I can ask questions that at times seem very basic and elementary. The gospel of Jesus seems is so simple at times yet the implications are so complex and consuming. I have to fight the temptation of being prideful in thinking, "I can't ask that question, it is so basic and people will think I am an idiot. I'm a pastor and have been to seminary, after all, and should know this." I realized that if I had been struggling for an outlet to ask questions about faith others must be as well.

I encourage you to get a few people that you feel comfortable with asking the questions that are really on your heart. I think you will find that they have similar questions as well but are just fearful of asking them for fear of looking dumb. That is one reason why I love hanging out with individuals who aren't following Jesus or who are new in following Jesus. They don't have the fear of asking basic questions. We added some new believers to our small group and it was one of the greatest things because they began asking basic questions that others were afraid to ask. It really caused our group to grow.

What questions do you have about faith that you don't have an outlet to ask them? If you do have an oulet for asking questions about the Bible and the implications of theology what are they? What questions do you have that you wish the church would teach on? Your comments on this are appreciated.

life at moran park

2010-04-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

I have had many people ask me what life is like at Ridge Point's Moran Park campus where I am the campus pastor. To be honest it is one of the most ecelectic groups I've ever been part of. There are a number of people who come to through 70x7 Life Recovery. They are in recovery for a variety of things and some people are trying to get back on their feet after spending time in prison. But by no means it Moran Park a "recovery church." We have a lot of young couples, some single people, some middle age and I hope to see some more elderly folks.

Some people have come from the main campus while others have no idea where the main campus is. We have a growing deaf population as part of our faith community who have been so gracious in teaching me new signs each week. People come from different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds...it has been a blessing to see one body form out of a varied group of people. My heart has always been to make all people feel welcome. All through school, I wanted the new people to feel included and integrated into the community. I hate seeing people feeling excluded or left out. Moran Park has been a place where all seem to feel welcome.

I'm not entirely sure why people keep coming back each week. I think some of it has to do with our intentionality for serving our neighborhood. I think a lot of it has to do with Moran Park being a honest and authentic place. The best way for me to describe it is to tell you a story from a few weeks ago. The offering basket was going around and someone threw in a $2 winning lottery ticket. That's all he had and he gave it. We have an intermission time for about 10 minutes after we sing where people get more free coffee and cookies and some even sneak in a quick smoke.

I've learned a lot so far at Moran Park and plan on posting about some of my journey here as I go along.

books i won't read

2010-03-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

I have somehow gotten on the mailing list of a few Christian bookstores. I often will get a catalog from these different Christian book stores trying to get me to buy their books and lure me into their stores. To be honest, Christian book stores give me the heebie-jeebies. They sell some good things, but all the "holy hardware" drives me nuts.

What makes me crazier than anything else is some of the books that are sold. While there are some great books about who God is and some reading that causes me to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel, there is one kind of book I won't read. The kind of Christian book I won't read is a book that has the author on the cover. Of course, the exception to the rule is a biography or autobiography, where it is about the life of the person on the cover.

If the book is about following Jesus, what is being communicated by having the author on the cover? As a pastor, the worst thing someone could do is elevate me. My hope is that when I teach, Jesus is elevated and made greater, not me. The picture on the cover communicates that they are selling the author and their ideas, making them the focus rather than Jesus. These books tend to be self-help books. They focus on you and how you can have a better life. Not only can you have a better life, the person on the cover is the one who is going to give it to you.

I know there are many of you who are fans of these kinds of books. I don't mean to sound harsh. If they cause you to have a deeper love for Jesus, great. However, I would ask you to think about who the book is focusing on. You? The author and their ideas? I encourage you to spend your time reading about who Jesus is, and not only that, but getting to know him better. If you have a better life, but it doesn't involve a deeper relationship with Jesus, have you really gained anything?

refinished dresser

2010-03-25T21:47:00.005-04:00

Michelle has decided to do some decorating in the guest bedroom. We've had some mix and match things in there and she wants to paint and add more of an antique look to the room. Some of the things she got have the distressed finish to it. So I decided to refinish the dresser in the guest room to make it fit with the new "style."

I haven't spent a lot of time refinishing furniture. I did refinish our our kitchen table when we moved into our house. Let's just say it needed it after being in a college house with 8 guys. So last week, I decided to put my high school shop class skills to work and refinished the dresser.

I took the dresser outside and took the finish off with Formby's Paint & Poly Remover and then sanded it. I then painted it with a flat black paint. I used a roller on the larger flat surfaces such as the sides, top, and the front of the drawers and the brush on the rest.

I then started the distressing. I didn't really know what I was doing so I just started using sandpaper on the edges. I started with just a little bit and then sanded more as I got more comfortable. The point of the distressed look it not to make it look like the edges and corners have sanded but to make it look like it has received years of wear and tear.

I roughed up most of the corners and then just used some creativity to decide what to sand. The light, natural wood stands out well against the dark paint. Since the paint is a flat finish it scratches easily. Which I accidentally scratched it a bit when I was sanding the edges. I decided to put a clear coat on it to protect the wood. I didn't want something super shiny so I got a Valspar coat for faux finish. Next time I would do it with a regular polyurethane. What I used was difficult to work with and which it doesn't dry very shiny, it was hard to make sure it was a smooth finish. On the can it said to roll it on with a short nap woven roller. I did this but the fuzz from the roller got into the finish - it caused me to have to redo some if it. I ended up just using a brush.

We got new hardware which makes a huge difference. We might be changing the top drawer knobs. They look a little too modern. Here is the finished product after we moved it back inside to the guest room. Hopefully it will fit with the new decor.

speed reading journey continues

2010-03-11T21:06:00.001-05:00

This past week I finished the 10th day of the speed reading book I got. There are 10 different days (lessons) in the book. I didn't do it 10 days in a row since I learned early on it was going to be more beneficial to practice the techniques before moving on to the next lesson. Some of the techniques taught in the book didn't work very well for me but others really improved my reading speed.

The first half of the book was more beneficial for me than the last half of the book. The last half of the book focused on reading through business memos and the newspaper faster as well as working through your "to read" pile. It didn't apply to my situation as much but had some good tips. The first half gave more practical tips on how to train your eyes and brain to read faster.

I am now anywhere from 600-800 words per minute, up from 400 words per minute on my first reading test. My speed depends on what I'm reading and how focused I'm feeling. My comprehension is about 80%. The comprehension tests are a little confusing because the answers can be yes, no, or "n" for not covered in the material. The way it is worded I found my myself anwering false when it isn't included in the reading because of the wording. So my comprehension may be higher.

The author of the book even made a comment on my last post about my speed reading progress! She gave me some encouraging words as I continue my journey in speed reading. Overall, I found the book very helpful. It definately has increased my words per minute. Hopefully, I will continue to increase my reading speed as I practice the techniques.

reading a whole book

2010-03-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

The other night I couldn't sleep. So I came out to the living room as I often do when I can't sleep. Instead of turning on the TV which usually lulls me to sleep, I deciding to read the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is one of my favorite books of the Bible but it has been awhile since I read the whole book in one sitting.

As I read Hebrews that night in one sitting, I realized how much more I picked up on the imagery and the themes of the book. These are things that I don't pick up as clearly when I just read a few verses or chapters. While I understand we often don't have the time to sit down and read an entire book of the Bible, I encourage you to make time to do so. If you don't have a lot of time, read a shorter book like Galatians, Ephesians, or Philippians.

Another benefit of reading the entire book of the Bible is that it helps prevent me from taking a verse out of context and meaning what I want it to mean. It causes me to see a particular verse in light of the themes that the author brings out in the entire book which leads to a more accurate interpretation.

Give it a try, I think you'll find some things stick out that you wouldn't notice reading only part of the book.

old books for a few bucks

2010-03-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

I hate clutter. Just ask Michelle, it's a weird pet peeve of mine. So the way I get rid of clutter is by getting rid of old stuff. We were recently going through some old books we had in the office that haven't been touched in years - mostly books from college. I love books so this is difficult for me to do. But if I didn't think I would ever read it again or use it as a resource, it was gone. To make a few bucks we sold quite a few of them on Half.com. We ended up making about $75 so far. If you are thinking of doing it, let me share with you some tips we learned.

Make sure it's worth it - First search on Half.com to see how much your book is selling for. If it is less than a few dollars, it just isn't worth it. Remember you will have to pay for something to ship it in and that will eat up most of your profit if you are only getting a dollar or two for the book. Also, how many trips do you want to make to the post office? Those lines are rarely short! Most of the books we had weren't worth selling so we donated them to the local thrift store (you can get a tax write off for this so get a receipt).
Price to sell - While I do most of my book buying on Amazon.com I found you can get more money for your books at Half.com and their commission is less. You will need to choose the condition of your book and write a short description about the book (does it have highlighting, underlining, condition of the cover, etc.). You can sometimes get more money for better condition books but I didn't want these books sitting around my house for awhile. So no matter what the condition was, I made sure my selling price was the cheapest. By doing so half of the books I listed were sold in the first 2 weeks (the other half seem to have very little demand).
Save on shipping - Half.com (as well as Amazon.com) will give you a shipping allowance and then take out a commission as well. To make the most money, I will cut out cardboard that I have around the house that is just bigger than the cover of the book. I put it on the front cover and one on the back, wrap it in brown paper (from a grocery bag) and then tape it all up with shipping tape. It is very sturdy and doesn't cost anything since it is just scraps around the house. If you buy a bubble mailer envelope they cost about $1.50. They are easier to use but again, it all depends on how much you sell a book for and if that is worth it. Also, make sure you ship your book "Media Mail" through USPS. It is cheaper than first class but takes longer to get there. You can only send books and other media through this class of shipping but it is way cheaper. Just tell the person at the counter you want to send it Media Mail.

Good luck selling your old books!

baptisms at moran park

2010-02-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

This weekend we had our first ever baptisms at Ridge Point Moran Park. We had people publicly declaring their faith in Jesus at Ridge Point's main campus the previous weekend which we do every few months. I've been the campus pastor at Moran Park for about 2 months now and this was probably the best weekend I've had yet.

Six people were baptized in the huge tub. Moran Park is in an old Baptist church so there is a huge baptistry under the stage. We removed the covering and filled up the tub (which took 3 hours). These six people all had their stories of faith read and it amazes me the variety of backgrounds these people came from. One person grew up in the church but had been living for the world, one woman grew up Buddhist, and a few people are coming out of a lifestyle of addiction.

I was reminded this weekend that no one is beyond God's grasp. Some of these people baptized were so far from God just a year ago. They have experienced a huge amount of God's grace and have turned toward him. This weekend was a very memorable one at Moran Park!

i got my book

2010-02-18T16:41:00.004-05:00

I got the speed reading book in the mail last week - 10 Days to Faster Reading by Abby Marks-Beale. I opened it up and went around the office showing off my new book. It's no surprise that those I showed the book to weren't as excited about it and I was and thought I was a nerd.

I just finished "Day 4" out of 10 and have already seen an incredible increase in my reading speed. Each day the author gives you another technique to try out. What I appreciate is that she gives you many options to see what works for you. I read the first two chapters back to back because I figured the faster I got through the book, the faster I would be a speed reader. What I soon realized, is that it is important to practice the techniques given in each chapter. I've seen more success when I've practice the techniques reading another book in between each chapter. I've been going through a new chapter every day or two.

The end of each chapter gives a short reading to see how fast you can read it and what your comprehension is. My first test was 400 words per minute with about 70% comprehension. Day two, I focused on speed and saw that shoot up to 600 WPM, but the comprehension dropped to 60%. As I've continued to practice and learn new techniques I'm up to over 600 WPM and 80% comprehension.

So far I would say the book is a success. It has taught me to focus on key words, read at a constant pace, and how to widen my peripheral vision. I'll keep you posted as I continue with the book.

speed reading

2010-02-06T15:05:00.004-05:00

I just ordered a speed reading book from Amazon. I do a lot of reading for work and for fun and have decided to learn how to speed read. If I would have learned how to do before I started grad school, I might have read all the things I was supposed to.

I will keep you posted on how the course goes. It is a 10-day course that guarantees results! I'm hoping it will help me get through the stacks of books I have waiting in my "To Read" pile. A friend of mine is in the middle of it right now and he has seen incredible results. Hopefully that will be same for me. Check back for updates on my progress!

mexico

2010-02-06T14:31:00.002-05:00

I recently finished my final seminary requirement to Chiapas, Mexico with 10 other students and two leaders. I wasn't really looking forward to going - probably because I was told I HAD to go, but the trip turned out to be a great trip with some wonderful opportunities.

The area we spent the majority of our time was in various Indian villages. These are people that have descended from the Mayan Indians. We found ourselves in the house of a family that was selling a variety of blankets, shawls, shirts, and other things they had woven. The trip leaders had taken the group there last year and had begun a conversation about Jesus and the Bible. They really wanted a Bible in their tribal language so the trip leaders told them a place to go and get one.

When we were at their house the girl, who was about 18, brought out her Bible. I asked (through our trip leader who spoke the language) what her favorite part of the Bible was that she had read. She proceeded to tell me that they weren't able to get a Bible in their own language. They could only find a Bible in Spanish and her brother was the only one in the family who understood a little bit of Spanish. She said they gathered together every night and her brother read some of the Bible in Spanish to them and explained the little bit that he knew. Even they they didn't understand what was being read, they still had a hunger for the Bible. They wanted to know what it said. So our trip leaders were able to point them to a place where hopefully this time they could find a Bible in their language. I was just blown away by their desire to read and understand the Bible. I was convicted by how many Bibles I have at home and in my office and how my desire to understand what's in the Bible doesn't compare to that.

The girl's mother got into a conversation with one of our trip leaders about Jesus. This is a big deal because the woman is a shaman (witch doctor). She was very sick and asked us to pray to our God, who she heard heals people. We gathered around her and as we were about to pray she asked if we would also pray for her son who is an alcoholic and was trying to stop drinking and for her daughter who was going through some things as well. We all prayed out loud in English and our trip leaders prayed in their tribal language. The family was very encouraged. The woman wasn't instantaneous healed but it is evident that God is working in their lives, drawing them into a relationship with him.

This is just one example from the trip of how I was reminded how powerful God is.

so long seminary

2009-12-21T09:55:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that I'm finally done with seminary. When you go to grad school for 4 1/2 years, you're never really sure it is going to end. It feels good to be done and I wish I could say I felt smarter. It has been an interesting journey and have learned a lot. Seminary taught me some academic things but I feel like 90% of what shaped me and what I will remember have come through my work at Ridge Point Community Church and conversations and discussions outside of class.

As much as I was tired of it, I will miss it. There were some great people there and there were some good classes that challenged my thoughts and understanding. My last official requirement before I can graduate is a 10 day cross cultural immersion trip to Mexico. I spent 3 years trying to talk my way out of going saying that I've had a lot of cross cultural experiences in my past. At the end of the day, I still need to go on a seminary sanctioned trip. I guess Mexico in January isn't a bad thing! After this trip I will be officially done and will walk at the graduation ceremony in May.

God has really softened my heart through this 4 1/2 years. I came in thinking I knew everything and tried to convince the institution they were doing everything all wrong. I've learned to appreciate their perspective while I don't always agree with it. It has taught me to sift through the bad and pick out the good. At the end of it, I'm walking away realizing I'm not a big deal and that I have plenty to learn.

Now that I'm done with seminary I will transition to full time at Ridge Point. I'm a month in to being the campus pastor at our Moran Park campus. That has brought a lot of excitement and challenges. I'm looking forward to this new phase of life...without writing papers and studying for exams.

While it took me a shade under a decade to finish - so long seminary!

monks and beers

2009-11-12T15:55:00.004-05:00

Last night I went to Butch's with a few buddies for a beer. They always have such an interesting selection of beer. Last night was no exception. I looked at the board and saw a beer called "Koningshoeven Quadrupel - Dutch Monk Beer" I of course was intrigued so I ordered a glass.

I got the story of the brewery from the bartender. He said the beer is brewed by Trappist Monks. There are seven Trappist breweries worldwide and only one in the Netherlands. The beer is brewed by the monks themselves.

The beer was delicious. It is served in a snifter. I should have known it was going to be expensive - those monks brew a classy beer. If you are going to order it, be prepared to spend $8 a glass.

I decided that if things at Ridge Point don't work out maybe I can convince Michelle to let me be a monk in the Netherlands for awhile. It sounds like a good gig to me. You live in a monastery and brew beer...sounds like a dream.

egg in a hole

2009-11-11T08:56:00.009-05:00

Growing up my dad had a few specialty foods he made. One of my favorites was what he called an "egg in a hole." If you've never had one - you butter both sides of a piece of bread, cut a hole out and put it on a griddle or a pan. When the bread begins to brown just a little, you put an egg in the middle. When the bread browns more and the egg white on the bottom is cooked you flip it over. It cooks for a bit more until the other side of the egg gets cooks and then you eat.

It is fantastic with some season salt and pepper on one side while it is cooking. You get an egg over-easy (0r over-medium if you would like - just put the egg in sooner) with toast all in one.

This has been a specialty that I have continued to make for Michelle and myself. This week I was making them and thought it was time for me to take it up a notch. As much as I love egg in a holes I felt like it was time to get more creative. I made the two for myself as normal - with just a hole in the center. But the first one I made for Michelle was not a normal one, it was a heart shape - very romantic I know.

It went over well and got the creativity flowing. The second one I made for Michelle was risky. I decided to make an "M" in the middle for her name. Thoughts of failure overtook my mind - "What if the yolk breaks?" "What if it doesn't fit into the space I cut?" Sweat began to bead on my forehead. I cracked the egg and put into the center of the M cut out on the bread - a success. I presented the creation to Michelle and of course she was impressed. I mean look at the beauty of it.

The downside now is that the bar has been raised. I don't know if it will be satisfactory anymore to just have a regular hole in the bread.

indianapolis

2009-10-05T15:44:00.006-04:00

Last weekend Michelle and I went down to Indianapolis, Indiana for a wedding of a friend from college. Going to school at Taylor University, we went down to Indianapolis once in awhile but I didn't remember how great that city is! The church and the reception were right on Monument Circle in the heart of the city. Our hotel was right around the corner from the circle so we walked everywhere.

We got to see some other friends from college who were there for the wedding as well. I always enjoy when the guys split off and get caught up. Before the wedding the guys spent some time watching football, eating Buffalo Wild Wings, and standing in awe at Lucas Oil Stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play.

I knew the state of Indiana worshipped the Colts but it is even worse than I imagined. A building on the circle downtown flashes "Go Colts" at night. Everywhere you looked people were wearing Colts gear. Granted there was a home game when we were leaving Sunday morning so maybe there it was worse than normal but all everywhere you looked there is Colts paraphernalia.

If you are looking for a place to get away for the weekend, I recommend Indianapolis. A small city with a big city feel.

labor day

2009-09-09T08:51:00.015-04:00

This past weekend, Michelle and I headed down to my parent's house for Labor Day. This was the 25th family reunion that my parents have hosted. Every Labor Day weekend, my Mom's extended side of the family flocks to the booming metropolis of Bridgman for the reunion. The number of people vary from year to year, but this year, we had about 35 people.

The schedule for the weekend remains relatively unchanged from year to year. It includes the beach, lots of food, my great uncles telling bad Swedish jokes, and a campfire. But the one thing that stands out year to year is Sunday morning when we hold our own church service. We sing together, share what God has been doing, and participate in Communion together. I led the time of sharing and talked about how I worship God for who He is and what He has done, not because He owes me something in return. I talked about my Mom's battle with cancer and how it has shaped this view. Our church service together ended with a spontaneous time of us gathering around my Mom and praying for her healing.

This summer began and ended with prayer for healing for my Mom. It was on Memorial Day when the family was gathered together that she told us she had cancer. We prayed together for her on that day marking the beginning of summer and the beginning of her journey with cancer. We prayed for her this past weekend, marking the end of summer as the family was together again.

How often do we pray once for something and then call it good? My Mom's battle with cancer has been and will continue to be a journey. We have prayed often for her healing. She wasn't healed the first time we prayed with her, but that doesn't mean we stop praying for her. We often pray repeatedly for God to open individuals hearts to the Gospel. When it doesn't happen right away, we keep praying. Why don't we do that with healing?

Until my Mom is healed from her cancer, my family will pray for her healing when we get together again.

a good teacher

2009-08-06T15:15:00.008-04:00

Last week, I met with a young man who wanted to talk about Jesus. He had some barriers to following Jesus and wanted to address some questions he had. I, of course, was thrilled to meet with him, as these are some of my favorite conversations.

He kept coming back to the fact that Jesus was a good teacher. He really liked a lot of the things Jesus taught in regards to love and compassion. He shared that he has been reading a lot of spiritual teachers such as Muhammad, The Buddha, among others.

I agreed with this young man that Jesus was a fantastic teacher. The ability he had to engage a variety of audiences and speak truth in the face of opposition was incredible. I then told him that while, in fact, he was a good teacher, that is not the core of who Jesus is and why He came. He didn't come to give us a list of moral rules to follow to make us better or make us feel better. He came because it is through His death on the cross that we are able to have a reconciled relationship to God. Our reason for following His teachings flows out of that...out of an understanding of who He is and what He has done.

I don't think that seeing Jesus as a good moral teacher is a bad place to start. It is great if it gets someone reading and trying out Jesus' teachings. When we see WHAT Jesus taught and not just how He taught, it points to a deeper understanding of who He is...not just a moral teacher, but the Savior of the World. I want to help this young man make a transition from knowing the teachings of Jesus to knowing Jesus.

I was reminded that many times, we who follow Jesus live as though Jesus was simply a good teacher and nothing more. We live as though He taught morality just like every other spiritual or religious teacher.

Jesus was a different kind of teacher because He taught that morality wasn't going to earn right standing before God. With other religious teachers, you are moral so you can earn favor with God (or some higher power) and so God can owe you something - such as salvation or good things happening to you. Jesus taught that the only thing that was going to save us was not our deeds but His death on the cross in our place. He taught us to live a certain way within this understanding so that all we do would point to Him and His greatness. He is much more than another religious teacher.

week of weddings

2009-07-27T11:20:00.005-04:00

I do quite a few weddings during the summer, but last week was a busy one for weddings. I performed a wedding on Thursday night and Saturday night. The wedding on Saturday night was for a high school friend which was a great time but the one I want to share about was the wedding I did on Thursday night.

I got an email from our wedding coordinator at church earlier in the week saying that a couple from Indiana is coming up to the area on vacation and wants to get married while they are here. She wondered if I was available to do it. We have a requirement that for a Ridge Point pastor to do a wedding, the couple must do premarital counseling. So I called and chatted with the groom, Jeff, who was a great guy. He talked to me about their premarital counseling and a little bit about them (since I'd never met them).

I had them come in the next day so I could meet them and talk through their ceremony. The first decision we had to make was where to do the ceremony. They were staying down in Saugatuck and got the marriage license for that county. Good thing Michelle and I had dinner there the other week and I remembered seeing a gazebo in a park next to the water. I recommended that place for the wedding. They thought it was a great idea. So after I directed them to a tux shop and where to eat for dinner we had to find a few witnesses. There needed to be two witnesses to sign the marriage license and bringing Michelle along wasn't going to be enough. So I walked down to Steve's office (my friend and the youth pastor) and asked what he and his wife were doing the next night. I asked if he wanted to do dinner and when he agreed I told him they first needed to be a witness in a wedding ceremony.

He laughed but they agreed. So the day of the wedding the bride and groom didn't want to see each other before the wedding so the four of us drove to the bride and groom's cottage and Steve and I rode with Jeff down to the gazebo. About 10 minutes later the bride, Darla came downstairs and met Michelle and Amy for the first time and then they drove to the gazebo.

When us guys first got to the location, there was an extended family eating pizza and drinking beer at a picnic table in the gazebo. When they saw me in my suit and the groom in his tux they asked if a wedding was happening. When I told them there was going to be a wedding there they asked when it would be taking place.

"Whenever the bride gets here," I replied.

"How many people will be here for the wedding?" they asked.

I told them two more with the bride. I then continued to answer their questions about how long I've known the bride and groom and that despite the fact I don't look old enough to do it, I would be preforming the ceremony.

They then willingly moved the picnic table just outside the gazebo so they could get a good view of the ceremony (they were just as excited as the groom). The bride showed up and with had a wonderful little ceremony. The onlookers were shooting pictures with their own cameras. I felt like I was doing a celebrity wedding. The witnesses (Steve and Amy) turned out to be a great photographer and videographer on top of their job of signing the marriage license.

When I pronounced them husband and wife the spectators at the picnic table cheered, those who stopped as they were passing by clapped, and the yacht that was right in front of us blew its horn. Needless to say it was a very unique ceremony!

After the ceremony (lasting 10 minutes and 20 seconds) Michelle and Amy took the bride and groom off for a photoshoot which included poses by the water, a park bench, and a willow tree.

Then the bride and groom wanted some pictures with the four of us with them. After our photo shoot we sent them off to a place for dinner and said goodbye. It was a great wedding! They are a fantastic couple and they really seemed to appreciate all the work we put into making it happen.

So after dinner Michelle and I took Steve and Amy out to dinner (Via Maria of course) to spend the money that I was paid for the wedding. I figured I owed them since they did just as much work as I did.

local tourists

2009-07-13T09:16:00.004-04:00

I know it has been a very long time since I've written anything. It's not for a lack of things in my head, but the lack of discipline to sit down and write. Michelle and I recently went on vacation. Michelle's grandma took the entire extended family (30 people) on a Mediterranean cruise. As you could imagine, it was awesome.

We started in Venice, Italy and made our stops in Dubrovnik, Croatia; Ephesus, Turkey; Santorini, Greece; and Corfu, Greece. I think I missed my calling to be a Travel Channel host. Here are my three travel tips for you when you travel internationally.

Eat off the beaten path. If you eat on a very touristy street or a town square the prices will be much higher. Go a block or two away from all the action and the prices are often cheaper. We had a beer overlooking the ocean in Santorini for 5 Euro. A block away we had a beer twice the size for 3 Euro. Much cheaper!

When bartering don't act too interested. If the person trying to sell you a trinket sees that you really want an item, they know you will pay a higher price. The key is to be willing to walk away. Act like you aren't interested and they will have to lower the price to make buying it more enticing to you. Don't ever pay full price for souvenirs in countries that barter. You can usually get it for over 50% off of what they are asking. Bottom line, if you act like you aren't interested, they will usually chase you as you walk away and continue to lower the price...works like a charm.

Ask for recommendations. In some countries, they really cater to tourists. The economy in many of the countries we stopped in is supported primarily through tourism. Therefore, many of the restaurants have "Americanized" their menus to appeal to American tourists. I always want to try the authentic local cuisine so I often ask what they best and most authentic dish is. I'm not picky so that helps but it allows me to get a better taste of that country. When we were in Greece, Michelle and I went to a cafe where I tried the coffee (as I did in every country). I ordered the "Greek coffee" that was on the menu. She asked how I wanted it and I told her to serve it to me the way she would drink it. She had a surprised look on her face because she would drink it black and it is a very strong coffee. I told her if that is the way she drank it, that is the way I wanted it. It was great! A little gritty, but a great flavor.

As Michelle and I got back from the trip we wondered how many local people in those countries do the things we did when we were there. We reflected that we don't do a lot of the things that Holland has to offer because we live here. There is no urgency to do the local tourist things because they are always here. So we decided that we want to take advantage of some of the local tourist things that are around. Here we come Holland Museum, Dutch Village, and Wooden Shoe Factory!

leading your kids

2009-06-09T11:54:00.002-04:00

I taught this weekend at Ridge Point about parenting. We are in the middle of a parenting series, so I taught on leading your kids. I know you are asking how does a 26 year old with no kids teach on parenting? Great question. I taught about how my parents led me. I shared about my mom having cancer and how the way my parent led me has affected the way I've been dealing with it.

It was such a blessing for me this weekend because I had many people come up afterwards and speak words of encouragement for the difficult situation. After I teach, I am the one who usually prays with people but I had many come up and ask to pray for me. It was humbling. It was truely a blessing to have people pray on my behalf. Thank you.

the lost art of handwritten letters

2009-05-30T10:47:00.009-04:00

In elementary school, we used to have pen pals every year. It was fun at that age to write letters back and forth to other students across the country. I loved writing letters and would write longer letters than most kids in my class. If there was an odd match of students with the class we were writing to, I got the extra student to write to. So while most students in my class had one pen pal a year, I had two. I loved writing letters.

I don't know if students still write hand written letters to pen pals, but I've noticed as I've gotten older that I have rarely written a handwritten letter and sent it out through "old school" mail. I was challenged the other week to write a letter by hand instead of e-mail. I found it to be a very rewarding experience. It caused me to think through the words I used much more carefully. When writing a letter by hand, there is no delete button to use if you don't like what you have written. Your only option is to crumple up the letter and start over. I thought about every word I used as my pen touched the paper. No word was wasted. The person I wrote the letter to was very blessed. They knew it took extra time and thought to sit down and write it by hand rather than cranking out an e-mail.

Writing that letter took me back to before Michelle and I were dating. It was our sophomore year at Taylor University and she was studying abroad in Ireland for the semester. I was working hard to drop the hint that I was interested in her and tried to subtly convince her that dating me would be a good idea (that was a long process, but a story for another time). In Ireland, they had limited access to e-mail, so we wrote each other back and forth every week. It allowed us to get to know each other in a way we probably wouldn't have gotten to otherwise. Handwriting letters caused us to cut out a lot of the surface chat and get at what was really going on in our lives. When she got back, it was easier for me to convince her to start dating me because she didn't have to spend time getting to know me. She had gotten to know me through the letters we wrote back and forth (and apparently wasn't too appalled at what I portrayed myself to be).

What should you write about, you ask? Write an encouraging note to someone who has impacted you. Write a thank you letter (not a thank you card where you just sign your name) for something someone has done that was very meaningful.

I challenge you to hand-write a letter to someone this week and send it in the mail...you won't regret it.

graduation celebration and cancer news

2009-05-27T20:40:00.007-04:00

We were down at Taylor University this past weekend for my sister's graduation. It is hard to believe that she is finished with college. I now have to say my sister is an elementary school teacher, no longer a college student. I feel old. After the graduation ceremony, we went to my brother and sister-in-law's house in Munice, IN. If you haven't been to Muncie, it's a treat (home of Ball State University and the Garfield cartoon). Both sets of grandparents and my aunt were there. It was a party. My dad, brothers and I played hot box (or pickle as some call it). In the game, there are two bases and you try to steal bases as the two with the ball and gloves try to tag you out. We were having a great time hanging out together.

It is amazing how fast things can change. As we were winding down and about to head back home, my parents gathered everyone together. My dad shared that my mom had just been diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer. They didn't want to put a damper on the weekend, but wanted to share the news while everyone was together.

I know many people who have had cancer or have loved ones who have had cancer. But it is completely different when it is someone so close to you. The bad news cuts right to the heart. The first emotion is complete disbelief. Then it is deep sadness. Then you start to go to the 'what ifs'. As I went through the different emotional stages of processing this news, I was heartbroken by my siblings being so heartbroken. I am the oldest of my siblings and have always taken the older brother role. There was nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do to take away the pain for my siblings and other family members. There was nothing I could do to take the cancer away from my mom. I felt helpless.

We all prayed together for my mom. My grandparents and siblings all prayed. It was a special time of honest, sorrowful prayers. I prayed for healing for my mom. Praying for healing is different when it is for someone close to you. The other week, when I was part of God healing my friend's ankle, there wasn't much at stake. If God didn't heal him, then he would limp around for a few weeks and eventually be fine. If my mom isn't healed, there is a lot more at stake. I believe that my God heals, but this was putting my faith into action.

I pray that God supernaturally heals my mom. I will praise God if that happens. If it doesn't, I will still praise God. I trust that God is still in control. God is still God and I am not. I worship a God who has been there and identifies with our suffering.

The Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ring very true right now, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."

So here we go...we are beginning a difficult journey.

journey to jesus

2009-05-21T13:08:00.003-04:00

I have recently been walking along side of a guy who was not a Christian but had lots of questions about the Bible and Jesus. His name is Mark and gave me permission to share his journey with you. We would meet every week or two for coffee and in between our times together, he would read a few chapters of the book of Matthew and then ask me questions about it. In the past I may have been cautious about what I shared with him so I wouldn't offend him. This is when I used to view evangelism as a sales pitch where I would do what it took to make the sale. In the past I would be cautious about bold Biblical teachings and doctrine so people would see a more loving Jesus. I figured that 'kind' of Jesus was easier to sell.

As I met with this guy I came to realize that it is the Holy Spirit who saves people, not me. It is the Holy Spirit who changes and softens people's hearts, not me (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). So I boldly laid out the difficult teachings of Jesus. I told him that he was a sinner and there was nothing he could do on his own to have a right relationship with God but it is only what Jesus did on the cross that restores our relationship with God. I didn't try to convince him or convict him of his sin but just told him that according to the Biblical story we are all sinners. I knew it was the Holy Spirit who would convict him of this, not me (John 16:8). I would answer any question he threw at me with the answer that I had for him, difficult or not. He didn't flinch with some of the answers I thought would throw him for a loop.

Because I knew it was the Holy Spirit who was going to bring him to salvation and not me, it took all the pressure off. I just had to point him to the words of the Bible and answer any questions he had. I pointed him to the text of the Bible as much as possible so it was God's words speaking and not my own. I didn't force anything down his throat, but simply answered his questions and pointed him to the Bible.

By the way he described his emotions it was evident that the Holy Spirit was tugging on his heart. I would tell him that and he would often agree. A few times I invited him to make the decision to follow Jesus and accept the gift of salvation but always said I wasn't trying to coerce him into anything. We got to the point where I told him, "I think today is the day." He had been thinking the same thing but something was still blocking him from making that step of faith. Instead of persuading him and trying to "make the sale" I told him I would be here if he decided to do it. If he never decided to follow Jesus, I would still meet with him.

While he was at Ridge Point's Good Friday Service he crossed the line of faith as he sat in his chair. The Holy Spirit had brought him to the point of accepting the gift of salvation. It was all the Holy Spirit. I only answered his questions and shared the story with him. I told him what it took to follow Jesus but the Holy Spirit changed his heart.

With the understanding that the Holy Spirit will do the saving and we just need to be obedient in sharing the Gospel, it takes the pressure off. This doesn't mean we beat people over the head with the Bible. It does mean that we share what we feel the Holy Spirit is leading us to share and answer questions as they come up. The Bible says that those who the Holy Spirit is working on will respond positively to the message, to those the Holy Spirit is not working on...it will sound like foolish talk. 1 Corinthians 2:14 points this out:

"The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

i'll pray for you

2009-05-20T10:36:00.007-04:00

"I'll pray for you." How many times have you said that? How often does it happen? If you are like me and have a short attention span, you're lucky if you remember what you are supposed to pray for the moment you walk away.

Looking at the life of Jesus, I don't see him saying he would pray for someone and then walk away. He had a very personal ministry and engaged people in a personal way. He would pray for them right there. He would touch them and heal them. He would cast out demons while the person was in front of them, not telling them he would pray later for it to happen. He cared for them and loved them on the spot.

Lately, I've been trying to be more obedient to the Holy Spirit leading me to pray for people on the spot. If I feel like I need to pray for someone this doesn't mean I just tell them I will pray for them. I pray for them right there. This has caused me to pray for people in uncomfortable situations. I've put my hand on someone and prayed for them in a restaurant. It was actually our server who was having health issues. I knew her from church and it would have been easier for me to say I would pray for her and just left it at that. But I felt like I needed to pray for her on the spot before she took our food order. It blessed her greatly. And now that I prayed for her on the spot, she comes to my mind more often and I actually do pray for her when I think about it.

Trying to pray for people right then in there is a personal way to allow them to experience the love and power of God. It has been amazing to see who God has brought in my path to pray for and where it has occured. Anywhere from resturants to bars to the store.

This has been a very practical way for me to engage in the ministry of Jesus. I encourage you to give it a try. Instead of telling someone you will pray for them...do it right there.

healed ankle

2009-05-13T12:38:00.003-04:00

Monday night I was hanging out with a few guys who I get together with sometimes to study the Bible and talk about Jesus. Toward the end of our time together one guy asked if we would pray for healing for his ankle. He rolled it the day before and could barely walk on it.

We agreed to pray for him. We gathered around, laid hands on him, and began to pray. I don't know what I was expecting to happen. I guess I thought he could be healed but I wasn't extremly confident of it. I've heard stories of people being healed from things and I've read stories of healing in the Bible. However, I have never been part of praying for someone to be healed and they have actually been healed right there. But I prayed anyway.

When we were done praying he got up and started walking around...then he started running...then jumping. His ankle was healed. The pain was gone. It was amazing. God blew my socks off.

I share this story to say that prayer is powerful. While it is God who heals and not me, I will be more confident when I pray for healing for someone in the future.

mentoring

2009-05-03T22:21:00.005-04:00

We had small group last night. It was another great time studying the Bible and hanging out together. My buddy, Joe, had not been able to come the past few times we met but was there last night. Joe is not only a member of our small group, but is someone I've been discipling for the past few years.

During our study Joe was throwing out great questions and perspectives on the Biblical passages we were discussing. He was confidently pointing to different parts of the Bible and bringing up things that he and I talked about long ago when we met together.

I was so proud to see a guy I've invested a lot of time an energy in show that he has picked up some of the things I've been teaching him. It was evident that the Holy Spirit has been transforming his heart and mind. I felt like the Apostle Paul with Timothy. Joe has gotten to a place where he knows the basics of faith. He is confident with the Bible and now is sharing that with other people. That's what discipeship is all about. It's not just about me giving Joe more knowledge about the Bible for the sake of him knowing more. It is so he can then go and share it with other people as well.

I think mentoring someone is the greatest way to help someone grow in faith. Jesus said in the Great Commission at the end of the book of Matthew to go and make disciples. It was awesome to see some success as I've tried to do that. Last night was a great joy for me as a mentor to Joe.

wisdom teeth and food

2009-04-27T18:26:00.003-04:00

Michelle got her wisdom teeth removed the other day. If you haven't had it done, it is not fun. Due to the yanking, twisting, cutting, and breaking of bone and teeth, you are unable to eat solid foods for several days. It is difficult to eat anything other than pudding, mac and cheese, or ice cream. As delicious as that sounds, it gets old after a few days.

While I am capable of cooking on my own (I made Michelle some mean mac and cheese this week), some friends were very kind and offered to make dinner for us. We had three delicious meals, three different nights. While I didn't like to see my wife in pain, it was great getting all that food. In case you don't know, I love food. I will eat anything. The only foods I don't like exist in other countries such as chicken jello or lemon spaghetti dessert. But I of course will try it all once...or maybe twice.

On vacation in Mexico in January, most people stayed away from the questionable looking things on the buffet. I loaded my plate with everything...including Russian salad. I still don't know what that is. My intestines of course paid the price.

So thanks to those of you who made us those great meals this week!

biblical community: i love you but knock it off

2009-04-17T11:38:00.004-04:00

In our culture today it is not popular to tell someone they are doing something wrong. It is even less popular to tell someone they are living in sin. However, I think this is an essential part of Biblical community. A phrase followers of Jesus need to learn and use is, “I love you but knock it off.”

Paul in the book of Galatians tells us specifically that we are to help a brother or sister who is caught up in sin.

Galatians 6:1-6 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

We are to be careful when we do it so that we don’t fall into that sin with them. If a brother or sister is living in sin we need to speak up and say, “I love you but knock it off. You are living in a way that is contrary to the way the Holy Spirit calls us to live.”

Building off my previous post, the community should not become the idol. The community should point to God as being ultimate and the most important. Because God is what we are pointing to we are to live in a way that glorifies God. Therefore we are to confront our fellow believers if they are living in a way that points to something else (usually ourselves) as the most important thing.

Right before this section in Galatians 6, Paul says:

Galatians 5:24-25 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

When we become a Christian we are given the Holy Spirit that dwells within us and leads us and guides us. We begin living in a way that pleases God rather than pleasing our sinful nature. When a brother or sister slips into living a way that pleases the sinful nature it is our responsibility to confront them out of love and humility.

Right after Paul tells us that we are to help bring a fellow believer out of sin he says in verse 3, “If any of you think you are something when you are nothing, you deceive yourselves.” We don’t help someone out of sin because we are so much better than they are. We are just as sinful. We can just as easily slip into sin just like they have. We restore someone out of sin out of humility and love knowing that could just as easily be us needing to be pulled out of sin.

Paul then says in verse 4 to test our actions and motives when we are confronting someone in sin. We don’t do it because we want to show them how much more spiritual we are than them or how much better we are. We need to confront a brother or sister out of a pure motive. Paul quickly points out in verse 5 that each of us has our own load of sin to carry. If we think we are so much better than anyone else and are without sin we are fooling ourselves.

While it is difficult to lovingly confront a fellow believer, it is a necessary part of Biblical community. It helps prevent making something else other than God ultimate.

food critic

2009-04-12T21:01:00.006-04:00

I have decided this weekend that I wish I was a food critic. I love good food and I love enjoying good food at local restaurants. Michelle's parents were in town this weekend for Easter and we went out to Via Maria on Friday night. We go to Via Maria every time Michelle's parents come into town. Her dad loves it. Which works great for us because it is our favorite restaurant in Holland. The menu changes ever day and they always have unique combinations for their pizza and steaks - the two things I usually get. It's a little pricier but well worth it. They have a dinner for two special that starts at $30.

When we have friends visit us from out of town for a weekend we usually take them to Via Maria for dinner. If we a more casual place we will take them to our other favorite restaurant, New Holland Brewing Co. They brew their own beer and have fantastic food. When we take people there I recommend them one thing - the Primo Pesto Pizza. I have yet to have anyone be disappointed by this recommendation. What is on it you ask? I'll let their website describe it:

Our most-raved-about pizza starts off with a pine nut pesto sauce. It’s layered with our five-cheese blend, chicken, onions, Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, and topped off with Gorgonzola cheese. Try it. You’ll love it!

My buddy, Michael came for a weekend to hang out last year and I decided to give him a "Taste of Holland Tour". Michelle was out of town so he and I hit up 8 restaurants in 3 days. Some for for a full meal, some for just a beer or appetizers. It was a way for me to live out my desire to be a food critic.

While I'm not really a food critic, I will likely continue to pretend that I am.

oberon is here

2009-04-05T16:39:00.006-04:00

Michelle and I were grocery shopping the other night and at the end of the aisle my eyes had to do a double take. Could it be? My beloved Oberon is back in season! Oberon is the summer wheat ale brewed by Bells Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI.

So, this week I had my first one and it was even better than I hoped. It was worth the 6 month wait.

If you are a beer fan and have never had it...you need to. It is in my list of top three favorite beers. I've never met a beer fan who hasn't liked it.

Enjoy it with a slice of orange or without. Either way, it is the best summer beer out there.

moses and noah

2009-03-27T11:25:00.009-04:00

I was reading Exodus 1 and 2 the other day and noticed something very fascinating that I had never noticed before. At the end of Exodus 1 it says:

"Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: 'Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

But when Moses was born he was not thrown in the Nile but hidden for three months and then it says in Exodus 2:3

"But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile."

Moses was placed in what most translations call a basket and floated down the river. The Hebrew (original language of the Old Testament) word used here is actually "little ark". This is obviously a reference back to Noah. Just as Noah was placed in an ark to be used to save the people, now Moses is placed in a little ark to save his people. Moses is then floated down the Nile River. The same river that the dead baby boys would have been floating down.

When I was reading this the other day, I got the graphic and disturbing image of all of these dead baby boys floating down the Nile River while baby Moses is floating alive in his little ark on top of the water. Does that image make you think of anything else? How about the image of the Flood with Noah in Genesis? In the midst of all this death in the water below, Noah is being saved to help rescue a broken world. Moses in the midst of death in the water below him is being saved to rescue God's people in a broken world.

Is this connection central to the story of Moses? I don't think so. But it does make it richer and more full. These connections are all over in the Bible...we just need to be looking for them.

dogs love my yard

2009-03-26T10:01:00.012-04:00

I love the spring weather. Especially since I was so tired of the snow this year. The warmer weather brings the sight of more and more people walking their dogs down the sidewalk. As Michelle and I sit at the kitchen table, we look out the window to see who is walking by. When I am doing the dishes, I can't help but notice the variety of dogs that are strolling down the sidewalk beside their owners.

One thing I have noticed about these dogs that go past is how much they love my yard. I don't mean that they roll around in my lawn or start licking the grass. These dogs love my yard for one reason...going to the bathroom. Now you may think this is a ridiculous thing to blog about...and it is...but it is intriguing to me how many dogs go to the bathroom in my yard. And it is always in the same spot. It is in the front corner of my yard. I am wondering if anyone knows of something I can do to make this part of my yard less inviting for dogs to do their business?

Most owners pick up the mess their dog leaves behind but others do a quick glance at the house to see if we are looking and keep moving. I was at the sink doing the dishes the other night and saw the whole thing go down from the moment the dog stopped, did his duty, and then the lady glanced up at the window to see if anyone was looking. I of course was staring right at her and she wasn't expecting it. She didn't know what to do so she turned away quickly and sped off with her dog...leaving behind his little treat for me to step in.

So, if you come over to our house, watch your step in the yard. If you are a neighbor whose dog leaves poo in my yard...I am watching.

biblical community: community as an idol

2009-03-17T18:31:00.005-04:00

I am starting a new series on Biblical community. I'm not sure how many articles I will write on it yet but I have a few in my head. I will start with this one and see where it goes. Community.

Connection. Group. Whatever you want to call it, many of us are seeking some kind of connection with other people. This is great because we are created for community. We were not created to be alone or isolated but were created to be in community with others. Often times in churches these groups of people in community together are called small groups, community groups, life groups, or some other fancy name. These groups have a variety of looks. Sometimes there is some sort of Bible study, hanging out, and maybe some prayer. A group may even serve together once in awhile. Sometimes this is a formal group arranged through your church. Other times it is a casual group of friends that meet together to hang out.

Whatever these groups look like, one observation I have is that often times the desire for community becomes the ultimate goal. The reason why we get into a group - community. The reason why we keep meeting together - community. The reason why we don't like the group - lack of community. Community becomes the most important thing. That is called idolatry. Biblical community should always point to Jesus and make Him ultimate, not the community. I believe the primary focus of any kind of Biblical community should be seeking to become more like Jesus together. This will include a variety of aspects such as serving one another and those around you, studying the Bible together, and any other way you can seek to live like Jesus. Through that community will happen.

As I read through the book of Acts, I see a group of people who are pursuing Jesus together. That is their primary focus. Everything they did was to point to Jesus as ultimate and glorify him. Too often, I have seen Jesus pushed to the side for the sake of community. When you are deciding what to do in your community (or group, or whatever you call it), I encourage you to ask the question, "Does this cause us to become more like Jesus and point people to Him as ultimate?" instead of seeking only what is best for the community.

what should i post on?

2009-03-13T15:48:00.003-04:00

I have a few topics in my head on what to blog on next. But I would like to open it up to you. I don't even know who reads my blog...other than my mom...and she has to because she is my mom. I would love to hear what is of interest to you for me to blog on. No guarantees that I will post on it, but there is a chance...I need some inspiration!

first step

2009-03-05T09:26:00.005-05:00

I frequently get asked, "What does God want me to do?" By that question many people are hoping that God will clearly lay out the entire plan for them all at once. They want to know exactly what they are getting into before they take a step of action. Now sometimes God does lay out the entire plan for us and invites us to participate. But often times we only get the first step.

We usually wait to be to obedient to what God is calling us to do until we have the all the details before us. We wait until all the steps are laid out down the road until we start walking. If it isn't clear where we are headed exactly we often freeze. As I read the story of Abraham in Genesis, I think we are to be obedient by taking the first step. We aren't always going to get the whole path laid out before we start walking. God told Abraham in Genesis 12:

Genesis 12:1-4 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

God tells Abram (later his name is changed to Abraham) to go but doesn't tell him WHERE to go. He tells Abraham to first leave his country and his people and then God will show him where he is going. For Abraham to be obedient to what God wanted him to do, he needed to take the first step. He didn't have the whole plan laid out. As he went along God continued to show him what he was to do next. This text made me realize how often I want to wait until I have all of the details of what God is calling me to do before I do it. Often times the first step is clear and that is about it. Being obedient is taking that first step.

a new season

2009-02-25T21:17:00.003-05:00

Most of you probably don't follow the Chicago Cubs as closely as I do. So, you probably didn't realize that today was the first game of spring training. A new baseball season is underway. I vowed after the extremely disappointing playoff run last season (they got swept in the first round) to not get so excited and hopeful for this season. Of course, time heals all wounds. I am feeling good again and can't wait for the regular season to start! This is our year. It's only been 101 years since their last championship...we are due.

yoke of slavery

2009-02-12T15:55:00.003-05:00

I was reading the Old Testament book of Exodus the other day. The story of the Exodus is one of the most important and remembered event in history for the Jewish people. So much of what is in the New Testament points back to the exodus from slavery in Egypt. I was reading Exodus 6:5-7:

"Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians."

My mind went immediately to the words Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

On one level Jesus seems to be pointing back to the event of the Exodus, reminding his hearers of the yoke of slavery that God had freed them from through Moses. Jesus is portrayed as the new Moses. The Gospel of Matthew frequently compares Jesus to Moses. Matthew arranges the book around 5 major sections of Jesus' teaching to the people(5-7; 11-13; 18-20; 21-22; 23-25) that parallel Moses' 5 groupings of teaching in his 5 books of the Old Testament (Genesis - Dueteronomy).

Matthew is making a comparasion that Jesus frees us from bondage like Moses freed the Israelites from bondage. Jesus frees us from the yolk of slavery from sin. Jesus frees us from addiction, from pride, from selfishness. We so often try to free ourselves from these things. We can't do it on our own. Trying harder, following 6 easy steps, or having someone hold you accountable won't get you out of bondage to sin. It is only because of Jesus dying on the cross for the payment of our sin that frees us from the yoke of slavery and invites us into a yoke of freedom.

Now just like the Israelites wondering in the desert they got tired of the journey and began to wish for their previous life of slavery because it was predictable, we too get tired of the journey of being freed from the slavery of sin. Our temptation is to head back to the false appeal of sin. But we have been freed from it because of Jesus. Now we are to live as people who are under a yoke of freedom.

faith and vacation

2009-02-05T16:08:00.003-05:00

Contrary to popular belief I did not buy a membership to Midnight Sun and Cruise. I just got back from a vacation to Mexico. Michelle and I went with 3 other couples and of course had a great time. I tried to forget about work on vacation but I had a difficult time because in a few weeks I'm teaching on what a Biblical perspective of vacation is. So a question I asked on vacation to the friends we were with was, "What is the role of faith on vacation?" It's a question I've been wrestling with since I got back. I want to throw it out to you. When you are on vacation, what role does faith play? Any part? Do you take a vacation from faith? Please be bold and make a comment. I would love to hear it.

mr. fix it

2009-01-21T14:49:00.002-05:00

That's right, just call me Mr. Fix It. Another project completed. Our clothes dryer was leaving rust stains on our light colored clothes when there was a full load tumbling around in it. So I went to the store and bought a can of high heat white spray paint. I looked up on the internet how to take the drum out of the dryer and did it with few problems. I spray painted over the rust and where the drum was rubbing against the base unit.

As I was putting everything back together I of course forgot how to put the belt back on the drum. After trying it a few different ways where it was not spinning or had extra slack I looked it up how to do it on the internet. Problem diverted! I put it all back together after it dried and suprisingly it worked.

Now if you know me, most of my home improvements entail a few extra problems that are created along the way. Michelle has learned that it is best if she isn't around when I'm working on projects because it just stresses her out when she sees all the extra mess I've created. This project seems to be completed with no extra mess and I think it works the way it is supposed to (cross your fingers we haven't run a load yet).

So after last night, I am adding household appliances to my list of things I think I can fix...time will be the final judge of that.

swoopo

2009-01-14T21:58:00.003-05:00

There is an interesting new auction site called Swoopo. Instead of new products going to the highest bidder there is a twist...you have to pay to bid. Each bid costs 75 cents. Depending on the kind of auction, each bid pushes the price of the item up either $.01 or $.15. Now while this might sound like a good deal at first, think again. You may be able to get an item for a good percentage off its retail price, but you pay a ridiculous amount in bidding. You may pay a lot in bids for a product without ever winning the auction. So you spend the money with nothing to show for it.

What interests me is the study on human psychology when people bid. Bidders get so set on winning an action because they have so much money rapped up in the bidding, they can't back away. I saw a new Nintendo Wii sold for $253 (which retails for $249) plus $220 in bids on top of that for a total cost of $470. Now you may think you could jump in at just the right time and get a good deal. I'm sure your not the only one thinking that. Many try to jump in at the the end of an auction and drive up the price. So, no I don't recommend using this site but it is interesting to see how people will end up spending more for something all in the hopes of saving big bucks.

power of the gospel

2009-01-12T22:32:00.004-05:00

"For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction." - 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

The gospel - it's the good news of God's saving grace offered to a broken and hurting world. I was reading this the other day and was convicted that I often talk about the gospel but sometimes neglect talk about the power or look for the power of the gospel. At times for me the gospel has just become words. But the gospel is so much more than just the concept or a description of the sacrifice of Jesus dying to pay the price for our sin and bringing wholeness and peace to a broken world. The good news comes with power.

That power is life change. When we claim Jesus as Lord and King and live in the kingdom of God, we see the power of the gospel. The message of the cross causes us to be convicted of our sin and turn away from it. When I think about what Christ has done on the cross it is very convicting. The Holy Spirit reveals and convicts sin in my life and causes me to ask God for forgiveness from it. We are people who are transformed when we followed Jesus because we now live a life guided by the Holy Spirit. There is great power in that.

Why is it so difficult for us to share the gospel with others? I think it is because we don't share the power of the gospel with people. We share words of what Jesus has done, but how has the good news of Jesus changed our lives? What was life like before Jesus? How has following Jesus changed your life? What is the hope that you now have because of the good news? We need to share the power of the gospel in our life.

i'm still here

2009-01-09T16:33:00.003-05:00

Ok, ok, I know it has been awhile since I have given you a new post. I am going to blame that on not having a laptop yet. It has been amazing to realize how dependant I have become on technology. I have seen how much time I waste by checking something online when I have a spare moment. I will admit it has been a pain in the butt not having a computer but it has been nice to break free from being so controlled by my computer. It has caused me to take a step back and see what other things in my life have control over me...where else do I waste time?

but i still love technology

2008-12-19T10:55:00.005-05:00

I have been without my laptop for a week now...it was stolen. A new one is coming but in the meantime I've had to use other people's computers or public computers when I can. Instead of taking my laptop into a meeting or my grad school class, I've been taking an old fashioned notebook. Now I've upgraded to a legal pad from the Mead 5-star college ruled 5 subject notebook that was my prefered note taking paper of choice in high school and college.

While I have only been without my laptop for a week I have learned how dependant I am on technology. It is a sad reality that it is hard for me to function now a days without a computer attached to my hip. I feel like I am missing something when I walk in to a meeting with just a notepad rather than my laptop and laptop bag. I will admit it has been a little freeing. I'm thinking about taking a Sabbath from technology on my day off each week. I'll try it out and let you know how it goes...I'm talking no computer, no tv, no phone (unless it is my wife of course).

Since I've gone "old school" with the notepad, I've rediscovered the lost art of doodling. If we aren't careful this great skill will soon be a fading memory. With a computer if you get bored in a class or meeting you can just surf the web, check email, update your facebook status, or play a game. When you have just a notepad in front of you, you have one option when you get bored....doodling. It has been fun rediscovering how to write my name many different ways, draw 3-D boxes, and color in the enclosed space of letters such as D, P and R.

Another thing I noticed is that I don't see as many people falling asleep during classes or meetings. If they are tired they keep themselves busy on the computer...nothing fills you with excitement and keeps you awake like bidding on an item at eBay, or being a fast buyer on the latest outdoor gear at steepandcheap.com. I miss laughing at the person who is trying so hard to stay awake but keeps nodding off.

Technology, you have brought some good but I'm afraid you have also taken away the lost art of doodling in meetings and napping in class. In spite of it all, I still love technology.

the truman syndrome

2008-12-04T22:34:00.009-05:00

Psychologists recently came up with a new mental condition called the Truman Syndrome. Those who suffer with this mental illness think they are on a reality TV show much like the movie "The Truman Show". They think that people are following them around with video cameras to catch their every move. They are convinced that people around them want to know what they are doing because they are the star of a reality TV show.

When I first read this I thought it be unbelievable and a crazy reflection of our culture's obsession with reality TV. But I realized we all suffer a little bit from the Truman Syndrome. We don't all have this mental illness where we think people are following us with video cameras but don't we all view ourselves as the center of the story of life going on around us? Don't we think that we are the hero of the epic story of life?

We think that people are more concerned with what we are doing than they really are. We do what is best for us and don't think about anyone else because we are the star of the show. I often think about what the other people on this "show" should be doing to make me, the star, look better. This is not the way Jesus calls us to live. Jesus says that I am not the most important person...others are. People around me to not exist to serve me and make me look good as the center of this reality show of life. I am to serve others and not think of myself as more important than I really am.

the rape of tamar

2008-12-01T08:21:00.002-05:00

A few weekends ago I taught on the Rape of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13 (see "hatred" under the "my teaching" section). This sadly is a Text that is often overlooked in the Bible. It is a painful and humiliating Text and seems misplaced in the Story of God. It is a sad picture of the effects of human sin and the destruction that it can cause.

This story in the Bible was avoided when I was a kid. I didn't even know it existed until a few years ago. It made me realize how many stories and parts of the Bible there are that we don't talk about. By avoiding these kinds of stories, I got the picture that the Bible was just a bunch of happy stories. It made me feel like the Bible had nothing to say to me when I was hurting, sad, lonely, or rejected. That couldn't be farther from the truth. So much of the Bible has to do with people crying out to God as they experienced some of those same emotions.

We often don't want to address these difficult Texts because we don't know what to do with them. They may be too painful for us to read. The Bible as a whole is the story of God, not just the parts we enjoy reading or that make us feel good. Why are these stories in the Bible? Why read them?

When we avoid these painful and sometimes awkward Texts, we downplay the humanity of the Text. The effect of sin in the world is deep and it affects human relationships in a negative way. These stories are a reminder of how the world is broken. When we enter into the deep and painful stories of the Bible, it allows us to see the hope filled Texts more clearly. When we see the problem with sin more clearly and more tangibly, it causes us to grasp the hope that Christ brings more tightly. Our hope is in the fact that Jesus will one day return and set all things right. Horrible things such as rape will no longer occur.

I wrestled with the pain of the story of the rape of Tamar. When I began to see the horrible effects of sin, it pointed me more clearly to the power of what Jesus did on the cross.

So, don't be afraid to read the difficult stories of the Bible. As you read them, ask what God could be teaching you. How does this fit into the overall story of the Bible? How do I respond to this story when I know the hope that I have in Jesus' action on the cross?

shopping carts...part 2

2008-11-24T11:22:00.003-05:00

Michelle and I went grocery shopping yesterday. When we pushed our cart full of food out to the car it was cold and snowing. I looked around and there were carts strewn all over the parking lot. If you read my post about shopping carts a few months ago, you know how important I think it is to push your cart to the cart corral. I know when it gets cold and snowy, the temptation is to leave your empty cart right next to your car as you drive away.

My friends, resist the temptation! When you leave your cart by the car, it takes up a parking spot preventing someone from parking there. Yesterday I saw 5 parking spaces right around my car that were not usable because there were shopping carts sitting in them. Think of the value of others. What if a single mom with screaming kids has to walk further to the door because carts were taking up all the closer spots? What if an elderly person has to walk further in the snow because you didn't feel like walking a few extra feet to put your cart away? Your actions don't just affect you, it affects those who will be coming to the store after you.

So please remember to put your cart away in the cart corral. It shows value to others.

is the rapture coming?

2008-11-09T11:57:00.014-05:00

Well, we are still here. After many accusations that Barack Obama is the Anti-Christ and that if he was elected, the rapture would take place and the world would end, the world still exists as it did on November 3. Obviously you are reading this, so the rapture has not taken place. When Barack Obama is sworn in as president, I think we will still be here as well.

For those of you who aren't sure what the rapture is, it is the idea that Jesus will one day return and snatch away all those who believe in him and they will live happily ever after in heaven. The remaining people would be left here to suffer for a period of time and after being given another opportunity to follow Christ, God would destroy the earth and then send everyone else to Hell. Now, there are some variations on what exactly that will look like - time frames, details, etc. But that is the basic idea of the rapture - Christians will be taken away or rescued from the Earth.

The first issue we need to address is how the world is going to end. Actually, I don't like that terminology since it implies that this world will be burned up and we will be outta here. I think the Bible, when taken as a whole lays out a picture of God redeeming creation, not destroying it. God creates Adam and Eve and the heavens and the Earth the way he intended it to be. After he created everything he said it was very good. Then when sin entered the picture and humanity rebelled against God things became broken. The human relationships with God, each other, ourselves, and the Earth became broken. God then begins a restoration process of restoring all of these things. So instead of asking the question, "How is the world going to end?", I think we should ask, "How will God restore all of Creation?" Maybe a better qestion is, "What will that look like?"

The end of the story is a picture of us living under God's rule and reign in God's Kingdom here in a renewed Earth. Revelation 21 and 22 paint a beautiful picture of a renewed heavens and earth (Compare it to Genesis 1 and 2). The early church was anticipating the world ending as they knew it. But not in the sense of the rapture. There understanding was that after Jesus died, was buried, and was then resurrected, he ascended to heaven, and at some point he would return. He would establish his kingdom permanently where God would be in charge of all Creation - what God wanted done would be done. There would be no more pain, suffering, or brokenness. They would no longer be oppressed. Their oppressors wouldn't be reigning but God would be. God would judge humankind and those who have accepted the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus would be with God forever and those who denied the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus would be separated from God forever.

The rapture isn't mentioned in the Bible at all. There are Texts in the Bible that some believe point to the rapture, but nothing that directly talks about a rapture. The idea of the rapture is a relatively new one. The idea of the rapture was invented in the early 1800's by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren Church in England. Jesus and the Early church father and mothers, weren't thinking about a rapture at all.

Those who hold to the idea of the rapture often point to 1 Thessalonians 4 as proof of a rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Those who hold to the rapture say that the last verse proves Jesus will be taking us away when he returns. When we understand this imagery in its first century cultural context, we get a different picture. This imagery called a "parousia" (in Greek) or "coming" was commonly used to refer to kings or nobility. When a king would come to visit a city all the inhabitants of the city would come out to meet him in the street before the got to the city and then usher him in. They would not leave they city, they would end up back in the city.

This gives us a different imagery of this verse. It is a picture of the "coming" of Jesus. He is the reigning king. We will meet him in the air and then come back down to earth. It will be a renewed and restored Earth, but this verse does not imply that we will be snatched out of here.

Our hope is that Jesus will in fact return and not burn everything up but that all things will be restored. God is in the process of restoring all things, not destroying all things. God will establish his kingdom his here on Earth. This should bring great hope and joy for those who follow Jesus. When will that happen? No one knows. For years, people have been trying to predict when the world was going to end...always with failure. One of my favorite Simpson's episodes was when Homer thinks he has predicted when the world is going to end in "Thank God It's Doomsday". He like everyone else who had tried to predict when this was going to happen, was wrong. Jesus is very clear - "No one knows the day or the hour."

So, Barack Obama does not point to the rapture...sorry.

For further reading on this see Suprised by Hope by N.T. Wright. It's a fantastic book!

beer on sunday...finally

2008-11-06T08:31:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday in Holland we voted not only for a new president but we voted to legalize the sale of beer and wine on Sunday. I wrote about this progression leading up to the election in previous posts. I know many of you from other parts of the country have been waiting with great anticipation to hear the outcome. You may have lost sleep at night...but fear not...it was passed - we can now buy beer and wine on Sunday.

childhood games

2008-10-27T13:31:00.003-04:00

Growing up, in the Smith house we played a lot of games. With 7 people, games were a lot of fun. Not all of these games were good ones. My mom thought it would b a good idea to buy educational games such as Hail to the Chief which is a game about the election process, or countless games about learning how to budget money. Needless to say, those games weren't my favorite.

Recently I have rediscovered some of my favorite childhood games. A few months ago Michelle and I had another couple over for dinner. As we ate we reminisced about the childhood game Guess Who. Call me a compulsive buyer but I couldn't wait to play the game. The four of us ran to the store and each bought the game. We went back to the house and had our own Guess Who tournament. It was then I had a rekindled love for some of my childhood games.

A few weeks later I went out and bought Skip-Bo and Uno. Two other of my favorite childhood games. For the following months Michelle and I played countless hours of these games. There was something fun about the simplicity of these games. Now a days, games are so complex and have so many rules to remember...not these old classics.

Most recently Michelle and I were celebrating our anniversary at a friend's cottage. In the game closet was an old version of the game Trouble. We played all afternoon. Again, something about the simplicity of the game was so attractive. Within a week of our reacquaintance with Trouble we had to go buy our own. Thankfully, so many of these old games are very cheap (around $10).

These old games have provided a lot of fun evenings for Michelle and I. Not to say that our marriage was boring before hand but there is something very fun about whooping your wife in a game of Trouble 5 times in a row. It's hard to explain...you must experience it. It's good to know I haven't lost my mad skills for board games over the years.

So if you are married and want to spend some quality time with your spouse - try an old school game. Part of the reason why we like all of these games is because they are fun for two people. You don't need the 4-6 players that many games require.

If you aren't married, have some people over and play these old games for a blast to the past. You'll be glad you did!

Next up...Candy Land and Shoots and Ladders!

blackjack dealer

2008-09-21T12:06:00.006-04:00

A friend of mine was in charge of putting on a party for the employees at the company where she works. She decided to have a casino night where chips would be turned in for tickets to go toward different prizes that would be raffled off. In order to save money to get more prizes for the employees they were not going to pay for dealers. So she asked me and some of my other friends to be blackjack dealers in exchange for a few tickets toward prizes.

I beefed up on my blackjack dealing skills and reviewed the rules before my big dealer debut. The games started and people sat at my table after I convinced them it was the luckiest table in the entire place. They brought the 35 chips they started with and began playing. Many of them stayed at my table for the entire 2 hours even though they lost more than they won. They found out I didn't work for the company that was hosting the event so they asked what I did for a living. I said they wouldn't believe me if I told them. They said, "Come on, just tell us." I again said, "You won't believe me and it will only complicate things." After they asked again, I had them guess as to what they thought I did.

One woman said, "Based on your personality, I would say a car salesman." Someone else said, "Or a insurance salesman." Another guy piped up, "I would say an electrician." I of course laughed and eventually told them that I was a pastor. The look on their face was priceless. They didn't believe me. "I told you that you wouldn't believe me" I said. We started talking about where I was a pastor and what I did at the church. Who would've thought such great conversation about faith and God would've occurred while playing blackjack.

the shack

2008-09-18T11:00:00.002-04:00

I have had numerous people ask me about my thoughts on the popular book, The Shack. I recently read the book because I heard all the hype and I had people asking my perspective on the book.

I need to tell you up front...I only made it through half of the book. Therefore I will not be commenting on the second half of the book. Again, it's not fair for me to comment on something I haven't read. I understand there were some controversial things in the second part of the book, but I will not be addressing those. So, why did I only make it through half of the book? I thought the book was poorly written. It was difficult to read and didn't flow well.

As far as the content goes, I disagreed with some of the liberties the author took to describe the main character's interaction with God. The author portrayed God in a way that no one else does in the Bible. I thought his portrayal of Jesus as a sissy who acts like the biggest wuss when he spills pancake batter was stereotypical and ridiculous. His portrayal of the Holy Spirit was absurd and doesn't capture a Biblical description of it. I, however, am not going to address those things in this post.

I want to focus on the way God the Father (or in this case, Mother) is portrayed. In the book, God, and the main character, Mack, have interactions face to face. God is portrayed as a black woman from the south. God tells Mack that the reason why s/he/it appears to him in this particular form was to get his view of God out of the box Mack had put God in. However, all it really did was create a new box to put God into.

God has this casual, face-to-face conversation with Mack like it's no big deal. Mack is talking with God in a way that reflects God as a tender black woman from the south. As I read the Bible, I see a lot of people who had interactions with God. That is the beauty of the God of the Bible. The author is not far off - God desires to interact with His people. We, however, need to see how He interacts with people.

Rarely does God ever speak to someone face-to-face. Jacob wrestles with God and God's response in Genesis 32 is an example of one of the few times someone apparently saw God face-to-face. Jacob has this intense wrestling with this "man" who Jacob identifies as God. Then Jacob called the place Peniel saying, "It is because I saw God face-to-face, and yet my life was spared." The common understanding was that mankind could not look at God. If you did, you would die. Even his interaction with God here was not a casual face-to-face conversation. It was an intense wrestling match.

Even Moses didn't get to see God face-to-face. Moses asked God to see His glory and God said in Exodus 33:19-20, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then pick it back up in verse 21 when it says, "Then the LORD said, 'There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.'"

Moses, perhaps the greatest prophet in the Jewish and Christian tradition couldn't even see God face to face. He had to wait until God "passed by" and then could see where God was or his back side. This is very different than the interaction we see with Mack and God in The Shack.

Now you may be thinking, well that was the Old Testament. Things changed with Jesus in the New Testament. Right? Nowhere in the New Testament do I see anyone having a casual face-to-face conversation with God (I'm referring to the Father, not the Son, Jesus). Jesus does say in John 10:38, "The Father is in me, and I in the Father" so you may think that since someone is having a conversation with Jesus, they are having a conversation with the Father. But in The Shack, Young distinquishes the difference between a conversation with God the Father and Jesus. Jesus continues to make a distinction between himself and the Father in the Text.

I think we often put God into a box that allows us to control Him and make us think we have God figured out. We focus so much on the nearness of God and His desire for a relationship with us that we ignore the power and greatness of God. Young's portrayal of God's interaction with humanity takes away the awe and splendor of God.

So, I couldn't get past the halfway point. Not because I didn't agree with what was written and thought it to be unbiblical, but because the story didn't keep me captivated. The DaVinci Code is an example of a book I loved while disagreeing with some of the content. While I disagreed with a lot of it, it was incredibly well written and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I can't say the same for The Shack.

I will say, I think the book has done a great job of causing its readers to ask questions, to dig a little deeper, and to begin having some discussions about the things the book brings up. For that, I commend the author.

I do appreciate the fact that the author worked hard to break the stereotype of God being male and causing us to re-evaluate only using masculine language for God. If men and women are both created in the image of God, then there is something to be said for God having feminine qualities as well.

With this book and other books in the future, I would challenge you to ask how the Bible addresses the issues the author brings up.

zambrano no-hitter

2008-09-15T08:35:00.008-04:00

As many of you know I am a huge Cubs fan. I've mentioned this in great detail in my teaching Hope of the Resurrection. It has been an up and down ride as the Cubs are working toward the playoffs and hopefully the World Series. Things were looking a little grim the past few weeks as the Cubs have been in a slump and the ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano has had a shoulder injury. Going into last nights game there were some questions surrounding the likelihood of a Cubs championship.

Carlos Zambrano took the mound and put all questions to rest. He threw a no-hitter which means not one person got a hit off of him. For those of you unfamiliar with baseball this is incredibly rare. Zambrano was the first Cub to throw a no-hitter since 1972. So my hope is revived. I am wearing my Zambrano jersey today in honor of last night's feat. World Series here we come!

let me introduce myself

2008-09-05T10:38:00.003-04:00

I have just started another year of grad school (year 4 of probably 5). It's a small school so the first day of each semester the professor of the class will have the students go around and introduce themselves and they will add an icebreaker question for you to answer. Now, most students think long and hard about the appropriate answer to give to the icebreaker question. I think long and hard about my answer as well...not because I'm trying to remember my real favorite color or favorite childhood memory but because I am trying to come up with the most ridiculous, untrue answer I can think of while trying to portray it is truth.

This is something I did back in college telling professors that me and a friend in the class were related or that we took some absurd trip over the summer that never happened. I have convinced professors and other students in grad school that I am a master at unicycling and making balloon animals. Last year, I made the outrageous claim that I had webbed feet but I couldn't show them because I was just too embarrassed about them...untrue of course.

This week as school started up again, one professor asked us the question, "What is one thing you should get rid of but can't bring yourself to do it." Most people gave answers of old sweaters or McDonald's Happy Meal toys from the 80s. When my turn came around, I calmly and with a straight face said, "I was a swimmer growing up and all through high school. I have quite a collection of Speedos that I should get rid of but I can't bring myself to do it because I love wearing them to the beach too much." Half the class laughed because they figured I was joking (they pick up on it after having a few classes with me). The other half of the class as well as the professor didn't know that I was joking and were rather disgusted. I nonchalantly looked to the person next to me as to signal I was done and they could give their answer.

Some say a pastor shouldn't lie. Well none of us should...but it keeps those at seminary on edge. It's good for them.

no beer...part 2

2008-09-03T08:18:00.002-04:00

Some of you have been wondering what has been going on with repeal of the ban on alcohol sales on Sunday here in Ottawa County where I live. The Say Yes to Sunday campaign successfully collected the 38,000 needed signatures to put the issue on the November ballot. I'll continue to keep you posted. We are one step closer to being able to buy beer in a restaurant or store on Sunday.

you're too good!

2008-08-26T11:48:00.005-04:00

I read a news story today about a baseball team with a 9 year old pitcher that was asked to stop pitching because he was too good.

What has our society come to if we are now telling kids they can't excel at a sport or extracurricular activity because it makes the other kids feel bad?

I played baseball as a kid. I stopped playing in about 6th grade because it was too slow and boring for me. A decision I of course regret. I wasn't the best baseball player out there but I worked hard. I would get frustrated when we faced a good team that was way better than us. I would get ticked when I faced a great pitcher who I could never seem to get a hit off of. But I never thought that a team shouldn't be able to play or a pitcher shouldn't be allowed to pitch because they were too good.

Sure they dominated everyone else but it made me play harder. It made me work hard so that I wouldn't strike out as much when I faced that pitcher. When I have kids, I don't want them give up and not work hard at something only to take the easy route of trying to get the kids that are better than them to stop playing. If we tell kids they can't excel or be dominate in something I am afraid it will lead to kids not working hard to achieve a goal or be good at something. Playing against someone that is much better than you also teaches you how to lose and how to lose graciously with class.

Why doesn't the IOC ask Michael Phelps to stop swimming because he is too dominate? "Sorry Michael, the Olympics are about a friendly competitive spirit and it's not a competition when you are in the pool. You are making the other swimmers cry. You are no longer allowed to compete in the Olympics."

Absurd? Yes.

stranger danger

2008-08-24T08:59:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Michelle and I hung out with some friends, Ben and Laura, at their family's cottage. We did some tubing, eating, and just enjoyed the sunshine. We took the boat across the lake to an ice cream shop. We parked the boat at the dock and walked up to this tiny ice cream shop. As we were walking in a little boy and his mom were walking out. The little boy had a cup full of ice cream that he looked very excited to eat. I was curious what kind of ice cream the boy had chosen.

"What kind of ice cream did you get?" I asked him. There was a long pause as he stared at his ice cream. He looked up a little bit from his ice cream but not high enough to look me in the eyes and said, "I don't think I should talk to strangers." He then walked out with his mom laughing behind him. I didn't realize I was so scary looking.

dinner adventure

2008-08-13T13:40:00.003-04:00

On Tuesday night Michelle and I went out to dinner to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Via Maria. We did the "dinner for two" special which allowed us to split a small pizza as part of the meal. I wanted to add a little adventure to dinner so I told the server that we would like 3 toppings on our pizza, I didn't care what they were but I didn't want to know what they were until the pizza came. The decision was in her hands.

It adds some extra anticipation for the meal to come because you don't know what to expect. It turned out very well. Now, this is not the first time that I have done this. It is something I have been doing quite a bit lately. Sometimes it is just having my server surprise as to which toppings to put on my pizza.

If I am having a hard time deciding what to order because many things on the menu look good, I will tell the server to decide which entree to give me. Sometimes I will narrow it down to a section of the menu and let the server decide. I've had some great food that I wouldn't normally pick for myself when I allow my server to decide for me.

Now it helps that I am not picky in regards to my food. I will eat anything and I'm not allergic to anything either. If you want to try allowing your server to choose your meal for you next time but have some hesitations, start small. Maybe narrow it down to 3 choices and let them choose which one to bring out. You can also tell them which types of foods you like and allow them to choose from there. Some servers love the challenge, others are a little unsure of the pressure of the undertaking. But I've never had anything I didn't like. So, I encourage you to try it out once. Especially if you get the same thing at restaurants over and over...try a little adventure with dinner.

highlights magazine

2008-08-06T19:08:00.004-04:00

I was at the doctor's office the other day and as I was waiting for the doctor my eyes scanned the reading material on the coffee table next to me. And what did I see? Highlights - the kids magazine. This instantly took me back to my previous visits to the doctor's office as a kid. I never read one thing in the magazine. I always skipped right to the page where you look for the hidden items in the picture.

Some things don't change. As I sat at the doctor's office, I found myself doing the same thing I did as a kid. I grabbed the magazine and flipped right to the page with the hidden objects and I found myself appalled to see that someone had circled the hidden items in the picture! They had ruined it for the rest of us. Now, if you were a kid in the 80s, like I was, you know how frustrating that is. I mean, it's not much of a challenge looking for hidden items in a picture when they are already circled for you! I know it's ridiculous that I still get upset about that. Ok, I don't really get that upset about it. However, I do think this can teach our kids a bigger issue - thinking about other people. When you circle the hidden items, you aren't thinking about the kids (or 25 year olds) who want to look for the hidden items after you. Leave some fun for others.

Whether you think I'm ridiculous for this or not...do me a favor, and all the other patients at your doctor's office, and don't circle the hidden items in the Highlights magazine.

hotel room

2008-08-05T12:02:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I was up in Alpena, MI. I was actually surprised by how beautiful it is up there. My cousin was getting married to a girl from Alpena named Britton. Yes, you read that correctly, she has a boy's name. There are now two Britton Smith's in the family, but I don't care to discuss that delicate matter right now.

We stayed Saturday night at a hotel there in Alpena. However, it was not a very restful night of sleep. It was very loud by the pool when we were trying to get to sleep so I called down to the front desk since the pool was supposed to be closed. They responded very quickly and took care of the problem. At 2:30 in the morning, Michelle and I woke up to the people in the room next to us laughing very loudly. There were 2 couples in the room next to us (at least that is my guess based upon hearing their conversation for an hour) who were not using their "indoor voices." I called the front desk and they sent someone up to quiet them down. Our joyful neighbors were not quite as loud but we could still hear their conversation for the next 45 minutes as they talked at a regular volume.

The next morning I went to the front desk to share my frustration of a terrible night's sleep. I asked the woman behind the desk if she was the manager on duty. She said she wasn't but asked how she could help me. I told her, "Last night was one of the worst night's sleep I've ever had." She asked me to tell her about it. I continued to share with her the numerous reasons for lost sleep. I told her I appreciated the quick response from the front desk as they took care of the problem each time but the walls were so thin that normal conversation from next door kept me up.

She asked me what she could do to make the situation right. "We normally take $20-$30 off the bill," she said quietly so those standing around couldn't hear.

"Well, since I only slept half of the night, I think half off is a good place to start." I replied.

She hesitated and said that she would be able to do that. Then I added, "But if you want to make me really happy, you'll take it all off." She said that they don't normally do that. I never got upset or rude, I kindly reminded her that I was a priority club member at her hotel (which really means nothing since I've only accumulated 2 nights of points and its free to sign up). She quietly printed off my bill with a charge for $0 and said she was sorry for any inconvenience.

As I walked out to the car to load up my stuff I realized I wasn't quite as tired as I was before I got a free room...funny what a free room does to you.

no beer?

2008-07-18T13:58:00.004-04:00

For those of you who aren't from Holland you'll get a kick out of this. You probably don't know that in Holland and in the county Holland is in, you can not buy alcohol on Sunday from the store. In a restaurant you are only allowed to purchase hard liquor but no beer (yes I know, makes a lot of sense).

Here is a campaign trying to collect signatures of at least 35% of registered voters in the county which comes out to 38,000. This organization is trying to at least get the issue on the ballot so the citizens can vote on it in November.

If you are a registered voter of Ottawa County, make sure you go sign the petition. And for you non-Hollanders, I'll let you know what happens. This is big vote. Because let's be honest, sometimes I want a beer on Sunday.

pet hen

2008-07-18T09:26:00.004-04:00

I was getting ready to paint the outside of my house yesterday evening (a task that has been ongoing for 2 weeks). I noticed a woman that I had never seen before pulling weeds next door. It is possible she lived there but I thought it was just a father and son residence. I said hello to her and she asked if I had seen a hen.

"A what?" I said. "A hen," she replied. "It is our pet." As I told her I hadn't seen the hen and continued my painting. I thought it was a little weird as she was looking throughout the bushes around the house trying to find it.

An hour later as my friend Kyle and I were painting the house, this hen comes around the corner and begins looking at us. The conversation I had with the neighbor woman an hour earlier was all making sense. It suddenly hit me that she in fact has a pet hen! What is this? A farm? Kyle and I herded the hen (because it tried to poke me with its beak when I attempted to pick it up) to the neighbor's front door. I rang the doorbell...then I knocked...no answer. So what was I to do with a run away hen in their front yard? I let it go. I figured dogs roamed in the yard by themselves without a problem, why not a hen?

And now we have a neighbor hood stray.

fourth of july

2008-07-06T09:15:00.003-04:00

I went over to friends house to celebrate the fourth of July with some food and fireworks. They live at the end of a road where it dead ends into a field so some of the neighbors congregated at the dead end for some fireworks. Something very interesting happened when the Black Cats and the bottle rockets came out...men in their 20s became like 12 year old boys. Something about fire and explosions caused us to revert back to our boyhood days of launching bottle rockets out of our hands and throwing Black Cats down drain pipes.

I forgot how much fun it is to toss fireworks down the sewer drain and watch the explosion cause water to spray up through the opening. I forgot how giddy us males get when we put 50 bottle rockets on a piece of slanted plywood and light them all at once with torch and watch them fly every which way.

I may never understand what it is about fire and explosions that takes grown men back to their childhood but I hope it continues every time I light off fireworks.

nt wright on colbert report

2008-06-23T12:49:00.005-04:00

This a very funny yet insightful interview with one of my favorite New Testament scholars - NT Wright. Colbert interviews him about his new book - Suprised By Hope. This is a brilliant book that I recommend to everyone. It has greatly shaped the way I view heaven and life after death.

new look

2008-06-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

For those of you who have been following my blog you may have notice a new feel to what I am writing about. I say it like I have a huge following of readers. I know there are only 4 or 5 readers of my blog and most of you are related to me somehow.

In the past I have spent a lot of time thinking about what to write on my blog. I wanted to make sure it was deep enough, talked about God and faith enough, and was interesting enough. I'm done with that. You will notice that the subtitle of my blog is "my life. god's story" I've focused too much in the past on god's story and making sure that everything I wrote about had something to do with god's story. However, I have decided to write more about my life, my experience, and sometimes god's story will come out in that.

Not all of my posts will be serious. Not all of them will be "deep" or "theological". But I want to allow God to work through the simplicity of my story and the day to day of my life. So, I hope you will get to see more of me in my blog.

rollerblades

2008-06-09T12:29:00.002-04:00

Where have all the rollerblades gone? Think about it. You haven't seen as many people rollerblading lately as you have a few years back, have you? I didn't realize the lack of rollerblades that occupied our sidewalks until yesterday when I saw a middle aged man enjoying the sun with his shirt off rollerblading like it was 1998.

I had to ask myself. What is with the lack of rollerblades? I was fortunate enough to be a kid growing up when rollerblades were invented. They made roller skates as obsolete as cassette tapes when CDs came out. Some have said that rollerbaldes were the greatest invention since the phonograph. I got to be on the front end of the movement. At the age of 11, I thought I was the coolest thing at the roller skating rink as I sped by the kids on my roller blades who didn't have a clue that roller skates where no longer cool. Growing up I was always looking forward to my next pair of rollerblades. But this week I realized, I haven't roller bladed in years.

So what happened? Why is rollerblading no longer popular? Did something take take them over as the coolest recreational activity? Or are rollerblades just another causality of a society that has traded physical activity for the latest and greatest video game system?

mug club

2008-06-06T11:42:00.003-04:00

I finally did it. I became a Mug Club member at New Holland Brewing Co. I went out for a beer after work yesterday with a buddy of mine and saw the sign behind the bar. It said, "Mug Club Memberships Available" I can't tell you how excited I was. I've been trying to become a member for about a year. Each time I asked, I got the same response, "Sorry, we don't have any available, try again in a few weeks."

So, what do I get for being a member? Other than being part of the coolest club in town, I get $1 off a beer. Yes, that is it. Well there are a few special events, but that's about it.

The wait is over, I paid my first year dues and I get my mug in a few weeks. So if you ask me to grab a beer with you, don't be surprised if my first suggestion is New Holland.

shovel

2008-05-29T17:14:00.003-04:00

I've made many trips to Menard's, Lowe's, and Home Depot the past few weeks. I've really gotten into getting the lawn into shape and doing some projects on house. I went to Menard's and bought a handful of items. When I got home, I checked my receipt. I don't know why I checked my receipt because I rarely do it. This time I checked and found that something was wrong on it. I wasn't over charged...I was undercharged. I wasn't charged for a shovel that cost $8.97. My first thought was, "Alright, a free shovel!" But I realized that is not the response I should've had. So a few days later I went back to Menard's and told them, I needed to buy this shovel because I was never charged for it. Both of the ladies behind the counter stared at me for a second. "You need to what?" she said? They were shocked that I came back in to pay for something I wasn't charged for. I was sad that this wasn't the normal response.

Now, don't think that I'm some super righteous guy for doing this, it wasn't my first response. I didn't want to. My first instinct was to say, "Well they screwed up, it's their fault. If they wanted me to pay for it, they should've rang me up properly." Then I realized I still needed to pay for it. It was just sad that my first instinct was not to rush back to the store to pay for it but to keep it. But my integrity isn't worth $8.97.

global climate change

2008-03-27T12:20:00.003-04:00

Global climate change. It's an issue that has been gaining steam in the recent months. There are movies making you aware of it, commercials about fixing it, radio talk shows making fun of it. What has interested me the most is the way many Christians have responded. I have heard many Christians say it is all just a big hoax. They quote scientific evidence that claims global climate change doesn't really exist. Is this the way Christians should be responding?

I wonder if we are missing the point. Whether global climate change is real or a hoax, aren't we commanded to care for the Earth? When God created the heavens and the earth he created humanity to care for the Earth. As Christians we should be caring for the environment and protecting the Earth regardless of whether or not global climate change is a reality or not.

obama and discipleship

2008-02-26T09:01:00.002-05:00

I don't usually follow politics that closely until the general election. This year has been different. I have been more engaged with race on both sides of the aisle. The one campaign that I have been very interested in is that of Barack Obama. Now whether I vote for him or someone else is not the issue. The part of his campaign that has intrigued me the most is the number of young voters that have turned out to support him this election season. A record number of voters under the age of 30 have come out to vote. Out of that young demographic, Obama has captured 2/3 of their votes. This is staggering. What is it that has sent the under 30 voters to Obama in droves?

I think it is because he has captured the way my generation looks at the world. He speaks of a message of "hope" and "change". Not only does he speak about this message with eloquent words, he has portrayed the image that we can be part of the solution. That we take an active part in changing the world. My generation wants to be part of making the world a better place. Obama understands this. Now, many young voters don't have a clue about what this "change" or "hope" actually looks like in terms of policy or specific stances on issues. To be honest, I don't think they really care. The important thing for them is their desire to be part of something bigger than themselves, to be part of the solution.

This has big carry over to the way my generation views the church and following Jesus. We aren't looking to be entertained. We aren't looking to simply know more information. We want to be part of changing the world. My generation will be more likely to be a disciple of Jesus if it causes us to make a difference in the world. We don’t want to just learn more about the Bible, we want to know how to live more like Jesus. When we living the way of Jesus will be part of changing the world.

shopping carts

2008-01-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

I ran to the grocery store last night to pick up something for my wife that she needed for dinner. When I got there I noticed all the carts strewn throughout the parking lot. Now, there are usually a few stray carts in any grocery store parking lot but it really bothered me last night. I realized how leaving a cart wherever you feel like it in a parking lot shows the way you view others.

Now some of you may be thinking that I am getting too worked up about this. But think about it. If I don't take the cart to the cart corral, I am saying that I don't really care if it rolls and hits someone's car. I don't care if my cart is sitting in a parking spot preventing someone from being able to pull in. I am only thinking about myself and the convenience of saving a 30 second walk to put the cart away. You may be saying, by not putting the cart away I am giving the grocery store employee job security. I think they are plenty busy trying to gather all the carts from the cart corral and taking care of their other responsibilities. Show them a little respect and help make their job easier.

Last night I took the cart that was taking up half of my parking spot and pushed it inside. On my way, I grabbed another cart that was left in the middle of the doorway from when someone pulled up, loaded their car and drove away. As I entered through the front automatic doors pushing two carts I was met by an employee who was struggling to get a long train of carts from outside to maneuver the way he wanted. When he saw my two carts he had a big smile and said thanks.

How about next time show that you care about the others around you at the grocery store, push your cart to the cart corral.

theology

2007-12-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

Theology has bothered me for much of the past few years. When a question about God, creation, humanity, our existence, or such comes up, I am thrown 3 verses that prove a particular point about who God is. It doesn't answer the questions I'm asking.

Over the past few months, I've been on a journey to reclaim the place of theology. I am trying to put it back in the context of the story of God revealed through the Bible. We have taken theology and made it 3 bullet points for every issue about God, humanity, salvation, among many others. It doesn't have anything to do with the story of God, which is the same story we find ourselves in. I think when theology books were originally written they looked at the entire story of God from Genesis to Revelation and ask themselves, "Based on the entire story, what do we know about God, humanity, how they relate to one other?" They then pulled out a few spots in the Bible where a particular point was made to be used as examples.

Unfortunately my experience has shown that we have now separated theology from the overall story of God. Those examples have become the theology itself. When I look only at someone's bulleted list of theology apart from the entire story, it is like reading a summary of the characters of a Shakespeare play without ever reading the entire play. Maybe I get an accurate summary, maybe I don't, but I don't enter the story for myself. I'm trying to look at the entire story of God and get my theology from there.

If someone to read my life story and only used an example about the times I got fired up in a sporting competition and did something I later regretted they could say that I'm very hot headed. They could say that I'm too competitive. But if they looked at my overall story, they would hopefully see that I am a man of passion. I try to follow God will passion but I also I approach competition with passion. Without seeing the entire story, you wouldn't get an accurate picture of who I am.

When someone asks me about my faith, I want to be able to do more than quote three verses that show Jesus is the Son of God. I want to be able to tell them how Jesus fits in to God's entire story of redeeming all of creation. I want to be able to share how you and I fit into that story. I want to enter into the story and interact with it and invite others to do the same.

faith like a child

2007-11-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

If you've been around the church at all you've likely hear people say that we need to have faith like a child. This child-like faith is something we are all supposed to strive for. I've always taken this to mean that we are to just follow God like a child without asking questions. We are like children who are to blindly follow God because as our father, he knows best.

Mark 10:15 is an example of text used to show that we are to have child-like faith. "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

While I do think we should follow God with the mindset that he wants what is best for us like a father and child relationship, I don't think that requires we follow blindly. If you are ever around a child, it doesn't take long before they start asking question...lots and lots of questions. They ask so many questions it can drive you nuts. Why this? Why that? What is this? Why dad? How Mom?

I do seek to have a childlike faith. But the way I understand it is to not be afraid to ask questions. I want to be a child who better understands the world I find myself in by asking questions. I think for too long we have taking this image of child-like faith as a reason for us to not doubt, to not question our faith, but to follow blindly. While there will be times when the answer will be "Because I said so." there will be other times where we will have a deeper understanding of our faith and a deeper connection to God our father.

how to study the bible

2007-11-02T08:55:00.000-04:00

I've gotten some questions recently about how I study the Bible. There are different ways people approach the text and I don't claim to have all the answers. I will share however, how I study the text.

First, I pray that the Holy Spirit changes me and shapes me through my study of the text. This also puts me in check that I am not to approach the text trying to conquer it or use it to prove a specific point I want to make. I am under the weight of the text and I pray that God speaks to me through it and causes me to change.

The second thing I do is read the section of the text that I am studying over and over. I don't have a set number of times I read it but I read it closely and quite a few times. Then I go through the text and start asking questions. Lots of questions. Why does he say this? Why did the author use this word? Who is being spoken to? What is going on before this? What happens after this? Questions, questions, questions. If the part of the text is a narrative, I try to place myself in the scene. I put myself in the shoes of each of the characters and ask questions like what are they hearing? What would they be feeling? How would they respond?

After all the questions come up I usually start trying to find some answers. I often get headed down some rabbit trails. If I'm studying the New Testament, I head back to the Old Testament to see what this passage may be alluding to. If Jesus is calling someone a den of robbers, where in the OT might this be referencing? Most of what Jesus said and taught came from the Old Testament so one of the first things I do to find some answers to my questions is head there.

I'll look to answers for some of my question about the culture in different books about Jewish life and culture during that time. For example, if I'm studying the trail of Jesus I want to know what is would the typical trial look like? So I will read about a typical Jewish trial and a Roman trial. That gives great insights to the text I'm studying. I then start making connections. I ask how does what I am studying apply to my life? How should I be living this out?

The truth is, I don't end up finding answers to many of the questions I ask but it helps me not make assumptions about the text and see it with fresh eyes. Hope that helps with the question about how I study the text.

what's the message?

2007-10-09T15:35:00.000-04:00

It intrigues me that the length of Jesus' public ministry was only 3 to 3 1/2 years. During that time he offended a great number of people and and it only took him 3 1/2 years to be killed for the message he proclaimed. As I've been pondering this over the past few weeks, I wonder...if I claim to be preaching the same message that Jesus proclaim, why am I not being killed for what I preach?

It was the religious group that was so angry at the message of Jesus and wanted him killed. So, who should be getting angry at the message I preach? Am I not preaching the same message Jesus proclaimed if I'm not offending the religious? Who would the religious be in our culture today?

church sign

2007-09-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

Church signs are very interesting to me. Some are small, some are huge. Some are very intricate and some are quite simple. There are websites out there where you can put whatever text you want on your choice of sign and email it to a friend. But one thing I’ve notice lately is how many churches have the pastor’s name on the sign. I don’t understand why. Is the average passerby going to say, “Wow, John Smith is the pastor there. I think I will start going to that church.”

Having the pastor’s name on the sign puts the focus on the pastor rather than on the faith community. It puts the pastor on a pedestal. It becomes the pastor’s church rather than the faith community being the church. I often hear people say things like, “Oh you’re at Steven Johnson’s church” or “Don’t you go to Tim Meadow’s church?” By putting the pastor’s name on the sign it only makes the focus on the pastor even greater. Should the focus really be so much on the pastor of a church?

objectifying

2007-08-22T09:28:00.001-04:00

There are websites popping up all over the internet where anyone can post a video for the world to see. One of the most popular is YouTube.com. These videos are of a variety of things from spoofs to pranks. As I browse these videos, I’ve noticed these sites seem to objectify humanity in the same sense that pornography objectifies women. Now I realize these two things are very different on many levels. However, I think they have done some similar things to our culture.

Pornography objectifies women. But some of these videos on these websites put the main focus of the video on doing a prank or some harmful event to another person. These videos are of events like two middle school girls in a cat fight or throwing a soft drink in the face of a drive through window employee. I saw one video recently on YouTube of some roommates setting fire to the arm hair of another one of their roommates when he was sleeping. They got a good laugh out of it at the expense of another. Has this media outlet changed the way we view other people?

Don’t get me wrong. I loved filming the crazy things I did in college. We filmed everything from taking golf carts off ramps to body slamming each other through coffee tables. However, if these sites make us see each other as a way to get a video on the internet at the expense of someone else we are objectifying them. When I begin to see someone only as the object of my entertainment and not as one created in the image of God, I am objectifying them. If we fail to see someone as a human created in the image of God, we are objectifying them in the same way pornography objectifies women.

revelation

2007-07-25T09:49:00.001-04:00

We've been going through the first three chapters of the book of Revelation this summer at church. We've been focusing on the seven letters John writes to the seven churches in chapters two and three. Revelation is a book that often has been read as this futuristic, symbolic code for the end of the world, rather than seeing it as a book written to a specific group of people in a specific culture at a specific time. It is filled with meaning and symbolism that would've been incredibly powerful in the culture of their day. As I've been studying to teach some of these weeks, I came across this website called 2007 Rapture. One of the most interesting things about this website, other than finding out that Rick Warren is apparently causing the coming of the end times, is what he says about the book of Revelation.

He uses the text of these letters to say that God is not pleased with the Christian majority. This is what he says:

A careful study of what God says in Revelation (chapters 2 and 3) to the seven early churches gives us some major clues as to how God views ALL populations of Christians. Notice that ONLY the Philadelphia Church (and a number of believers at the church in Smyrna) is without fault and has no need to REPENT. They are the only church guaranteed to be spared the 'hour of trial' (Revelation 3:10). The remaining six churches (which would mean the majority of Christians) have the NEED TO OVERCOME SIN in order to make themselves worthy.

This is a prime example of what happens when we fail to acknowledge that the Bible was written to a specific group of people in a specific culture at a specific time. While the Bible is living and speaks to us today, we cannot forget that it wasn't written specifically just for you and I today. The text can't mean today what it didn't mean to the original hearer.

With this example from the 2007 Rapture website, we see the importance of understanding the culture and history of the churches which John is writing these letters. John is writing to a specific group of people in a specific culture. I don't think we can say just because he finds fault in six out of seven churches that he is writing to, that means God is mad at 6/7ths of the churches today.

I do think the Bible speaks to us and changes us today. However, I think we need to be slower to say, this is what this text means for us today.

bert's funeral

2007-07-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

I went to a graveside service for Bert yesterday. I wrote about Bert a few weeks ago. He was a homeless man who became a friend and died in January. As I drove to the cemetery, I wondered who was going to be there. I assumed there would only be a handful of people. When I pulled up, I realized I was wrong. There was about 20 people there to celebrate Bert's life. His sister and her family had come all the way from Arizona to be part of the day. Bert had impacted the lives of all these people in one way or another.

We had a reception after the service where even more people came. We sat around and shared stories and memories about Bert. It was deeply moving for his sister to hear how Bert had touched all of our lives. She hadn't seen him in 13 years. I was able to share with her how Bert had changed the way I see life and the way I see homelessness.

As we sat in the living room eating food and sharing memories of Bert, I smiled. Because at that moment I realized that while Bert was worthless in the eyes of our culture, he was getting an incredible celebration in his honor. While he was not of any value by our cultural standards, he was of great importance in the kingdom of God. Many people want to be remembered after they die so they try hard to maintain a certain status or do certain things during their life. But Bert didn't care about that. He just loved people. He was a friend who liked to talk. Because of that, he impacted many lives and will not soon be forgotten.

Thanks for all you taught me Bert. I'll miss you.