Merry Christmas!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:14)

Interview with a Creative Genius & Imagineer

I just finished listening to an interview of an acquaintance of mine, McNair Wilson. I met McNair a couple of years ago at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference. We spent two weeks together at the conference in May 2006 & 2007. He was one of the featured speakers at each of the conferences. He is an incredible and hilarious speaker as well as a creative genius. He spent 12 years working as a Disney Imagineer and now works with large corporations and ministries helping them become more effective by thinking outside the box.

I encourage you to take some time to listen to each segment. Have pen and paper handy. You may want to take notes or record a quote or two.

Audio interview with McNair Wilson

The First List

A lot of people are going through their Christmas shopping lists today. It will be one of the busiest shopping days of the year as everyone tries to complete the Christmas insanity.

I was reading the January issue of Real Simple magazine this morning. It's all about getting organized for 2009 by using lists. The entire theme of the magazine is how to make lists, how to use lists, resources you can buy for your lists, great lists of the past, lists, lists, lists.

For some reason, it seems to be assumed that lists are unique to the most recent generations. Like it's a 20th and 21st century phenomenon....as if you couldn't make a list before Post-It notes were born. But lists have been around a long time. Can you name the first list ever recorded? You can find it in Exodus 20.

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Do you know this list? Maybe you can put them to memory if you haven't already.

Book Review: It by Craig Groeschel

Why do some churches seem to have it and some don't have it? What is it? Craig Groeschel, the founding and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, explores the differences in churches and church leaders who have it. Based on his experience as the pastor of a new and fast-growing church, Groeschel doesn't mind being honest and telling you when he has had it and when he hasn't had it and what led him to those times.

That's what It is about.

I can judge how well I liked a book by how much I underlined. I usually read non-fiction books with a pen to underline it and make notes. I didn't use a lot of ink in It.

Most of my ink was used on a sidebar article within the book by Mark Driscoll. Driscoll started Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington in 1996. He said, "The key (to having it) is the preaching of the person and work of Jesus Christ from the Bible every week with passion and clarity. The issue is always, only, fully, clearly, uncompromisingly, and exclusively Jesus. If Jesus is lifted up, then a crowd will gather, that crowd will be converted, those converts will become passionate, that passion will result in creativity, and that creativity will result in a movement of God, because the Holy Spirit delights to work through his people to the glory of Jesus."

Groeschel quotes: "If your ministry has become focused on the already-convinced, I'll bet your ministry doesn't have it."

"God won't let a ministry keep it for long if they won't give it away. Keeping it to yourself is a sure way to kill it. And those ministries that don't have much of it often work hard to guard what little of it they have. What's funny about it is the more you try to hoard it, the less of it you tend to have. The more you are willing to give it away, the more of it God seems to give."

"Earlier, with nothing much to lose, we regularly took big risks. Year after year, we'd bet the farm. Now that we had something to lose, we became more cautious, guarding what we already had. Instead of saying, 'What do we have to lose? Let's go for it!' we found ourselves saying, 'With so much at stake, we'd better play it safe.' Instead of living by faith, we lived by logic."

For me, the final chapter was the best. Groeschel finally got down to what it takes to have it. It is living a Spirit-filled, Spirit-controlled life. People and churches with it have the Holy Spirit. Groeschel encourages us to pray three prayers. God stretch me. God ruin me. God heal me. This chapter was so good that I intend to copy it for our church staff.

This is where the rubber hits the road. You can read all of the leadership books, go to all of the conferences, listen to all of the latest, greatest teachers and worship leaders, but if you don't get down on your knees regularly and let God invade, fill, and control your life, you will never have it.

Quotable Quote

This quote has been on my desk for a few weeks. I keep forgetting to post it. It got my attention.

"A once-persecuted Chinese pastor friend said, 'I weep more for the American church than for the Chinese church. The American church has forgotten how to trust completely upon God.'" (Ronald Keener, Nation's Economic Troubles Worry some Churches while others see a Silver Lining in Downturn, Church Executive, Volume 2008, Issue 10, 2008.)

What are the odds?

A dozen city employees in Piqua, Ohio recently pooled their resources together and won $207 million dollars in the mega millions lottery. This caught my attention because I saw a billboard advertising it the other day and was astounded at the figure. $207,000,000. That's a lot of cabbage.

I've never been a proponent of playing the lottery. I don't like the odds. According to The Motley Fool's column in today's Augusta Chronicle, the chances of winning the California Lotto Jackpot are approximately one in 18 million. If you bought 50 tickets per week, you ought to win once every 6923 years. Would you bet me a dollar that I can flip a coin and get 24 heads in a row? That's the likelihood of winning the lottery.

The lottery has been called "a poor man's tax" or "a tax on people who can't do math." I don't frown on those who play it. I just don't think it's wise stewardship. Statistics say that I'm three times more likely to be killed in a car accident on the way to buy a lottery ticket than to win.

While it's fun to imagine what we could do with $207 million, the lottery also feeds our greed. That's the danger of it. We have to be careful not to allow the dream of getting rich quick to destroy our satisfaction with our current situation. Jesus spoke about the dangers of worrying about the material things of this world. Read about it here.

Empty Nesting

2008 will go down in Jennings' history as the year our home became an empty nest. With Bailey off at college and Cliff moving out on his own, it's been much quieter around our house lately. Even Christmas tree shopping was different this year. For the first time ever, Beth and I went on our annual trek to Clarks Hill Christmas Tree farm without the kids.

Thanks to technology, we can keep up with the kiddos pretty easily so they were virtual shoppers with us. I took this picture and sent it to the children asking, "Is this one okay?" to get their approval.

Some call it the Empty Nest Syndrome but there's no syndrome in our house. Beth and I have always enjoyed spending time with each other so it's almost like going back to our newlywed days. Grocery shopping is quicker and cheaper now. The trash can is lighter on Tuesday nights when I drag it to the street. The second bathroom stays spotless now and there is less housecleaning and laundry. When Beth isn't in the mood to cook supper (which isn't often), we can hop in the car and go down the hill to Sno-Cap, Gary's, Waffle House, or The Cotton Patch Cafe for something quick to eat.

We are at the stage in life where we get to see the fruit of our labor. Many parents don't want their children to grow up, but what's the use of putting all of the energy into your kids over the years if you can't see any results? That's like continuously plowing a field and never getting a harvest. Granted, our two still have some growing up to do and we will never stop being parents. But, so far, it has been a wonderful ride every step of the way. Since Cliff was born on June 27, 1987, every year has been different in some way. Our lives drastically changed that morning and it has been fun. This stage, while quite different from the other stages, is enjoyable too.

If you're getting near this stage, don't fear it. Embrace it. It's a new chapter with fresh challenges but when you center your home on Christ, he will lead you through it. That's a promise.

First Impressions

In 1990, I attended a church growth conference in Orange County, California. It was held at a Presbyterian Church but only because the Southern Baptist church that sponsored the event didn't have their own building. They met at a local high school. About 150 people attended the conference that week. A little-known pastor named Rick Warren was the host and Saddleback Church was the name of the new church. They had experienced some success and had grown to a few thousand people in a short time so they hosted a conference to tell other pastors how they did it.

Little did anyone know, including Rick, that he and Saddleback Church would become a household name among church leaders. It was at that conference that I heard Rick say, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." I've tried to never forget that.

So, today, my bride of 25 years had to have a root canal at Augusta Endodontic Center by Dr. Emmanuel Ngoh. I have NEVER been treated like royalty at a doctor's office. We were welcomed at the door by one of his many warm and personable assistants. She told us everything that would happen and what to expect. They took Beth back immediately. After a few minutes, Dr. Ngoh (pronounced "go") came out and introduced himself to me. We spoke for a minute about church and mission trips. He offered me a soft drink, coffee, and a computer if I wanted to get online. I said, "Yes" to coffee and figured that someone would point me toward the coffee pot.

A few minutes later, another assistant asked me about the coffee. "I'll get it myself if you'll just point the way to me," I said. "No," she insisted to bring it to me. A few minutes later my coffee came to me on a silver platter in a real coffee cup, not styrofoam like I expected (and would have been perfectly pleased with, by the way.) That's it pictured above.

Beth's procedure was painless and she left there a little dopey from the sedation. Another assistant escorted her out to the car in a wheelchair and we were gone in just under 2 hours. I don't want to have a root canal done but if you ever have to accompany someone else to have one performed, I hope it's at Dr. Ngoh's office.

At TNC, Mike Fiedler, Katie Czapala and their crew take extra effort to be sure that we make a great first impression. One of the trademarks in TNC's brief history has been the remarkable job our First Impressions Team does from the parking lot to the service. People like to be warmly welcomed and treated with respect. Today's doctor's visit was a reminder to me of the importance of making a good first impression.

If you're a sports fan...

I started another blog in October. Still tweaking it since I'm using wordpress.org and still learning the program. It's exclusively about sports. Come by and visit every so often at www.blogaboutjocks.com.

Reunion Quote

At Beth's 30th high school reunion last Friday night, someone said to her, "I didn't recognize you." Less than a minute later, the same person in the same conversation told her, "You haven't changed a bit."

?????

The Thanksgiving Killer

(The following is the introduction to a message from Thanksgiving weekend 2003. I posted it here in 2005. Thought it was worth repeating again.)

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine? Well, we filled up on turkey, honey ham, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, rice and gravy, cream corn, dressing, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli casserole, mmm, mmm. For dessert, we had red velvet cake, pecan pie, coconut cake, fudge, and chocolate chip cookies.

When I walked in the kitchen to see all of the work that went into the meal it looked like the first three rows at a Gallagher show.

We all sat back stuffed, miserable, and grateful for all of the food. We reflected on the past and dreamed about the future. We enjoyed seeing family and friends that we don’t often see. Later that night, I went to bed grateful for all the blessings that I have.

Then the Thanksgiving killer arrived. Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving when Christmas shopping officially begins. It is represented by this huge newspaper that arrived at my house. The largest newspaper of the year with sales inserts galore. Virtually every retail store in Augusta had an ad or insert in the paper.

Why is this the Thanksgiving killer? Because on Thanksgiving Day, we thought about all that we have and we were grateful. But on the day after Thanksgiving through the rest of the holidays, we focus not on what we have but on what we want.

The Thanksgiving killer is the Christmas commercialism that says we need more. Just when we have a day to be thankful for all of our blessings, the Thanksgiving killers show up and tell us that we will not be happy until we have something more.

Someone wrote, “Half the world is unhappy because it can’t have the things that are making the other half unhappy.”

Author Steve Brown writes, “The most unhappy person in the world is not someone who didn’t get what he or she wanted. The most unhappy person is the one who got what he or she wanted and then found out that it wasn’t as wonderful as expected. The secret of a happy life is not to get what you want but to live with what you’ve got. Most of us spend our lives concentrating on what we don’t have instead of thanking God for what we do have.” (Servant Magazine, September, 1993, p. 8)

Our problem is that we are looking at the Christmas catalogs focusing on what we want rather than looking at our photo albums and rejoicing in what we have!

Everything is Amazing, But Nobody is Happy

Incredible Catch

Watch this catch by a Lassiter High school (GA) football player. Click here

Book Review: Jim and Casper Go To Church

Jim is a veteran minister. Casper is a committed but open-minded atheist. They visited megachurches and some smaller churches around the country to answer the following questions:

What do first-timers see?
How are they treated?
What are the central messages they glean?
How do they process the experience?
On what basis do they decide whether or not to return?
What is, and how compelling is, the call to action?
How is the Bible integrated into practical examples of living the faith?
What prior knowledge and belief does the church assume attenders possess?
Is the church more interested in conversation or conversion? In dialogue or debate?
How accessible is the heart and mind of the ministry?
Is the church engaging people or performing for them?
How realistic is the teaching? Is it the result of proof-texting or contextualization?
What is the church’s capacity for listening?
Is this a body of believers who are more interested in serving or in being served?
What makes a church genuine and authentic in its interaction with people?
How honest are Christians in discussing the cost of following Christ?

Quotes from the book:

Some professed Christians are not exactly following Jesus but are instead following religion. These people should more accurately be called religionists. Atheists are more honest about their unwillingness to follow Jesus. (p. xxv)

(At Saddleback Church) I silently wondered why we Christians seem to believe that it’s our God-given duty to appear unusually happy – especially at church…Casper and I shook hands with everyone who offered them, grabbed our programs (which Casper called brochures), and looked for a place to sit. (p. 3)

The preacher asked everyone to ‘greet the people around you.’ Well, I don’t mean to throw cold water on your church thing, but frankly, I thought that was lame. Why do you have to tell people to talk with each other anyway? Why didn’t someone voluntarily approach me? (p. 5)

(At Willowcreek – about Bill Hybels’ offering disclaimer) “He (Hybels) made first-timers feel okay about not kicking in when he said, ‘Visitors, just let the plate go by.’ I think that’s important: You don’t ask someone to pay for your services sight unseen.” (p. 41)

(At Lawndale Church in inner city Chicago) I realized that ‘get saved’ evangelism was designed for suburban folk. It had little meaning in an urban context…People in the city are not encumbered primarily with feelings of guilt. Their deepest feelings are of hopelessness.” (p. 65)

At Imago Dei, Casper said: “Imago Dei is not trying to get you to join them, so much as they’re trying to join you. I really like that.” Imago Dei talked about inbreaking. Inbreaking is joining an existing community action, while outreaching is inviting them to join yours. (p. 95)

We can find out what groups in our community are already doing to make life better for people and join them. Rather than start groups, we could join their groups. Rather than join groups to convert people, we could join them to connect with and serve people. This was one of the most innovative observations that emerged from our work together. (p. 164)

Giving isn’t really giving until it interrupts your lifestyle. (p. 96)

We Christians spend so much of our time trying to get others to see the light that it never occurs to us that we may be living in a fog. (p. 102)

Is the Church Too Political?

Tomorrow morning at TNC, Steve, Jay Knotts, and yours truly will be sharing our thoughts about the Church being too political. It's the fourth installment of our "Confessions of a Christian Church" series. The series is based on the book Unchristian which gathered results from a recent Barna Research Group survey. It is a humbling report on how young Americans perceive the Church in America today.

Here's some of what you'll hear from me:

Why do young Americans have the perception that Christians are enamored with politics? I think the creation and involvement of groups like the Moral Majority started it. (It’s interesting to note that the Moral Majority was created in 1979 to help an actor from Hollywood, Ronald Reagan, defeat a Southern Baptist peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter. The Moral Majority is credited with giving Reagan 2/3rds of the white evangelical vote.)

2/3rds of young outsiders believe the political efforts of Christians is a problem. Nearly half of young Christians agree.

Involvement in politics is seductive. It can be an obsession, maybe even an addiction. Years ago, I used to get a “rush” listening to talk radio. I read a lot of right-wing political newsletters and magazines. I’ve watched the talking heads for hours on the TV news networks. I’ve taken the advice of the Moral Majority and the American Family Association. I even boycotted K-Mart for years because K-Mart owned Waldenbooks, the largest supplier of pornography in the country. I refused to listen to certain radio stations or watch specific TV shows as a form of silent protest. I wrote letters to the editor, congressmen, even the vice-president and president.

There was a time in my life when politics would make me angry, anxious, and nervous but several years ago I decided that I was not going to let the political world control my emotions. I still read the newspaper almost everyday. I see what’s going on in the world online each day. But I don’t spend much time watching or listening to the news channels any more. It was for my own sanity and peace of mind to let those things go. I chose to no longer be obsessed with it.

I was once convinced that it was the job of the church to correct the wrongs in this country through its political system. When you get involved in the machinery of an election process and believe that you have a part in influencing elections, it is tempting to believe that one of the main purposes of the church is to shape the political process.

I have put my trust in men, political organizations, and political parties. But my trust has to be in God. I cannot be obsessed by politics but I can be obsessed with God.

Psalm 63:1 - O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you… (11) But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

We need to be engaged, informed, and involved in politics without jeopardizing the impact we might have on others – especially those with different points of view. One of the things that struck me the most in Unchristian was the statement that outsiders feel hostile toward Christians is because of our swagger, i.e., how we go about things in an arrogant manner. We have to be careful that in our enthusiasm for an issue, candidate, or party that we don’t project ourselves as better than others.

We need to realize that our involvement in politics is important. But politics can only go so far. Lives are ultimately transformed by connecting them with Jesus. And that is our greater calling.

Good Books for Tough Times

I was looking through my bookshelf at home and noticed a lot of books that I've read over the years that have helped me simplify my life and my finances. As we enter what many think will be a long financial recovery period, I thought it would be nice to share some books with you that have helped me out personally.

These books are listed in no particular order.

Total Money Makeover or Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

How to Get What You Want in Life with the Money You Already Have by Carol Keeffe

Living the Simple Life and Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James

Pinkie for a Passion

Trevor Wikre is a man after my own heart. I love it. He made the news this week when he chose to lose a pinkie for his passion. The senior right guard on the Mesa State College football team elected to graduate without his right little finger. His team won’t play on network TV. There will be no post-season bowl game. There’s no way he’s going to play on Sundays in the years ahead. He didn’t choose to lose the pinkie for a multi-million dollar contract. He just wants to play football.

When college is over, football is over. Football is one of the few games that a man leaves behind when he’s out of school. Sure, there may be some semi-pro outfit nearby or an Arena football team to play with but, the truth is, like most senior college football players, Trevor won’t put the pads on again after this season. That’s why it’s worth the pinkie. He’s savoring the moment. In a few weeks, Trevor’s football career will start gathering dust on participation certificates, trophies, and varsity letters at his mom’s house. He didn’t want to see it end from the sideline.

A lot of people say it’s not a smart move. I say it’s not a smart move, it’s a heart move. Go for it, Trevor! I hope you have a blast during the final weeks of your football career.

Check out Rick Reilly's column at ESPN the Magazine here.

Late Night Random Thoughts

Why is it important for us to know that it's Tyler Perry's House of Payne? What if every TV show was named after the creator? Garry Marshall's Happy Days. Roone Arledge's Monday Night Football, Larry Gelbart's M*A*S*H, or Tim Allen's Home Improvement.

Why do we like to worship in the dark when we will spend eternity in heaven worshiping in the light since there is no darkness there?

What do you do if you buy a " For Dummies" book and you still don't get it? (I guess I'll buy an "Idiot's Guide...")

If I were Trevor Wikre, I might have done the same thing.

Why can't Southwest Airlines fly in a city near us?

Anyone know how to keep opossums from getting into the cat's food at night?

The cool day today was GREAT!

Churched - Book Review

I'm participating in a blog tour for the book Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess by Matthew Paul Turner. Having read one of Matthew's earlier books, The Coffeehouse Gospel, and communicating with him a couple of times via email, I wanted to help him out as he promotes his latest creation.

It's a quick and fun read about growing up in a fundamentalist church. It's humorous and scary at the same time. Humorous because of the wacky things people do to convince others to be saved, e.g., a Barbie burning and the annual boxing match between the pastor and Satan. Scary because some believers are so driven by rules and legalism that they drive others away, e.g., KJV only, hellfire and brimstone preaching, haircuts and other fashion rules.

I confess that I kept reading Matthew's essays wondering when he was going to get to the point. Typically, in a non-fiction Christian book, you don't get a funny story without some spiritual perspective at the end of each story. Sort of like a sermon illustration. But Churched allows you to see the absurdity of it all without Matthew having to point out the obvious. The final chapter is the best of all. I'll not give away the ending but suffice it to say that Matthew is still with us even after his sometimes unbelievable experiences in the fundamentalist church.

For an entertaining read into the sub-culture of Christian fundamentalism, I would recommend Churched.

Vacation Wrap Up

I try to take at least one week of vacation each year to spend primarily on writing projects. Last year, I posted a scoreboard of things accomplished during my week off in October so I thought I would do the same thing again this year.

Books read: Pontoon, The English Major, Churched, Wordpress for Dummies, & Generation Me

Books written: Updated and submitted a book proposal for Rescue Me. Wrote a few chapters for another one titled Following the Breadcrumbs.

Wrote and submitted a story for Writer's Digest monthly contest. It's fun to do and helps with creativity.

Spent quality time with my wonderful bride at Hilton Head Island.

Spent a fun day with my dad going down memory lane in my mom's hometown of Walhalla, SC.

Spent two afternoons writing at the Metro Coffeehouse on Broad Street. I love that place. Free wifi and good coffee.

Downloaded and learning how to use wordpress.org blog software.

Gave the house a good cleaning and finally straightened up our sunroom.

My novel was rejected by another publisher this week. "It's not the writing," they wrote. "It just doesn't fit the themes we are planning to publish this year." Oh well, rejection is part of the writing business. It's like dating. You have to kiss a lot of toads to find a prince. We'll find someone to publish it soon...I hope.

I think that's about it.

I'd Like to Buy a Vowel

Found this on Tim Ferriss' blog

Living on the Edge

Beth and I were living on the edge this past weekend - the edge of the earth, that is. She had Friday off so we spent a long weekend at Hilton Head. We had 2.5 perfect days. Sunny, clear, and in the low 80's. I even got a little sunburned. As a couple, it doesn't take much to make us happy. We will stay on the beach all day long if you let us. And we did. Friday, Saturday, and half of the day on Sunday. We read, listened to music, and ate some good food too. It was a glorious weekend. I recommend it.

I'm taking some vacation time off this week. I hope to do more reading, writing, and riding.

Employees Must Wash Hands

You’ve seen the signs in the restrooms. “Employees Must Wash Hands.” Thank you, Mr. Restaurant Owner. Being somewhat of a clean freak, I really appreciate your effort at trying to keep your business on the up and up. Heaven knows that it’s a hard business. All you need is one food poisoning outbreak and your reputation and restaurant is history.

If you’re lucky, you’ve been in a restaurant restroom and witnessed a worker come in, do his/her thing, and leave without obeying the sign. And, if you’re smart, you left the restroom and the restaurant – immediately. If you care, you called the manager of the offending place and told them about your experience.

For those of you out there in the food service industry, may I make a suggestion? Can you add two words to that sign? (And make it bigger too, by the way). Please add “and Customers.” That’s right. I think it should read, “Employees and Customers Must Wash Their Hands.”

Didn’t people learn this habit before kindergarten? Where were these offender’s moms? It’s really not a hard concept. Take care of business. Zip. Flush. Wash your hands.

Guys are the worst offenders. They like to act like they’ve mastered the art of number one and then use it to brag on their college. “At (pick your favorite college), they taught us not to pee on ourselves.”

Well, in Mrs. Edmund’s kindergarten class in Belvedere, SC, they taught us to wash our hands – every time you use the bathroom! They didn’t teach us that where I went to college. It was a prerequisite. They figured we already knew that basic principle.

One of my favorite TV shows is Mythbusters. On one episode, they investigated how far urine and fecal matter travels in the bathroom and beyond. If you’re disgusted by that thought, you don’t want to know what they determined. Let’s just say you should put your toothbrush in a plastic zipper bag and stuff it under your mattress. Maybe, just maybe, it won’t get contaminated.

We live in a dirty, disgusting world. When I read through the gospels, I get the impression that Jesus never seemed to be offended by the world’s filth. This is interesting when you consider that he had lived since eternity in heaven, the purest place among all creation. If anything, we should be used to it and he should have been offended. Jesus touched dirty people - lepers, hookers, and adulterers. He wasn’t afraid to be with the dirty fingernails crowd, or those with viruses, fungi, hemorrhaging issues and what not. He came for dirty people. That is his mission.

In 2004, I led a church mission team to Costa Rica for a week. We ran a Bible school in a precario near the capital city of San Jose. A precario is a shanty town filled with families illegally squatting on government land. This particular one had 1800 people on three acres of land. Six, maybe seven, water spigots served the entire community. No sewer system. The streets of the community were always wet since most of the homes ran their sewage out into the street. You didn’t want to wear your nice shoes there.

I, along with the missionaries we served, warned the team repeatedly for months prior to the trip. The precario is dirty. The children are dirty. Don’t wear good shoes or nice clothes. In fact, go buy some old clothes at Goodwill and leave your nice pants at home. Bring hand sanitizer and plenty of sanitary wipes. Don’t pet the dogs. Don’t drink the water. Try to avoid stepping in the water running through the paths and streets of the precario. It’s raw sewage. Go to the health department and get your shots.

They were fairly warned.

As we were wrapping up our first day in the precario, I walked toward the van where we gathered our things to leave for the day. I had been in another area and not aware of what some of the others were doing. I heard laughter and shrieks, adults and children, having a blast hitting a ball. They were playing an impromptu game of volleyball (minus the net) out in the street. The wet street. The street with raw sewage. Unfortunately, the ball hit the ground every once in a while. Okay, it hit the ground often – and it rolled - in the waste water. With no regard to health issues because they were either used to it or ignorant, the children would pick the ball up and punch it back into play and the ladies on our mission team would hit the wet balls with joy.

You know what happens when you hit a wet ball, don’t you? The water sprays back at you when you hit it. My team’s ladies were hitting the ball and being very generously sprinkled with dirty water with each strike. And they did it with a smile. Literally, the water went in their mouths at times. When it did, they covertly spit the contaminants out of their mouths.

You need to understand that these ladies normally live a clean life. Many of them had manicured nails - the French kind with the little white stripe at the end. These ladies were Southern belles from a fairly affluent church in Georgia. Professional women like teachers, nurses, and insurance agents. These were ladies who might leave a restaurant if they saw an employee leave the restroom without washing their hands.

But they didn’t care. The joy that they were bringing to the children and themselves outweighed the chances of getting diarrhea or staying up all night puking. When we finally (after much coercing) convinced them to stop their game so that we could pile into the van to depart, the laughs and filth were everywhere. They each had small black and brown polka dots scattered all over their faces, arms, hands, and shirts.

And they were incredibly happy. They made a memory.

I can’t tell you how the impromptu volleyball game changed those kids’ lives. I don’t know. But I can tell you the names of some women who were changed that day. They reminded us that we have to get out of our comfort zones and get dirty sometimes. Like Jesus did.

Who's Really Ripping Us Off?

I had my annual portfolio review today with my financial advisor. When I first started an IRA account in my late twenties my plan was to be in a position to retire by the age of 50. When I reached my late thirties, I thought maybe I could retire by the time I reached 55. Now I am in my late forties and I think I might be able to retire by the time I am 95.

So we were talking about the economy, elections, the price of gas, etc. today when my friend/advisor said that his complaint wasn't about the price of gas but the price of milk. I agree. Even though I had to wait in line this morning to fill up the SUV, I paid $3.66 per gallon. The other day at Publix my wife paid $3.55 for a gallon of the Publix brand milk.

Now let's think about this for a moment...somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, or the deserts of the Middle East a very complicated piece of machinery is drilling hundreds of feet into the ground to harvest oil. When the oil is brought to the surface it is placed in some kind of container and transported to an oil refinery. A multi-million dollar oil refinery prepares the oil to be used in my SUV. From the refinery, the gasoline is transported thousands of miles via ship and/or truck to a regional distribution center. From the regional center, trucks are filled up with gasoline and delivered to our local gas stations where we buy it to transport ourselves around town and beyond for $3.66 per gallon.

Somewhere earlier this week in Saluda County, SC, a dairy farmer woke up before the crack of dawn and walked from his house to his barn in the backyard, sat on a stool, and squeezed cow teets for a few hours. Later the milk was sent to a processing plant to pastuerize and package the milk before it was delivered to a local store.

Seems to me we ought to be screaming about the greedy dairy farmers instead of greedy oil companies.

And You Thought the DMV was Bad...

Some philosophers ask, “Why isn’t there equal suffering in the world? Why do some people suffer more than others?”

The government, in its infinite wisdom, decided to do something about the unfair and unbalanced distribution of misery in the world so they created the Department of Motor Vehicles. It’s a place where almost everyone would have to go and suffer equally.

I think the only people who are excited about a trip to the DMV are pimply-faced, braces-laden teens in search of a driver’s permit. They walk in with their strung out moms who are questioning their mental stability since they are one test away from allowing a kid who can’t put dirty underwear in a laundry basket to operate a two-ton piece of machinery at 70 miles per hour. But even those giddy teenagers are reluctant to make subsequent trips to the DMV because their return visit is to either take the test again due to first-time failure or to face the dreaded driver’s road test with Sergeant Stuffedshirt of the State Highway Patrol seated next to them.

There is a reason why people don’t smile in their driver’s license photo. It’s the same reason why convicts don’t smile in mug shots. When you are mentally, physically, and emotionally drained and defeated, smiles are lost deep in the wound. I’ve watched people walk in the entrance door of the DMV laughing, smiling, and enjoying their day. By the time they go out the exit door, their shoulders are slumped. They are frowning. They are robotic and lifeless. Their countenance has taken a 180 degree turn. Like a whipped puppy with his tail between his legs, so Joe Public departs from the sacred halls of mutual misery. It is an incredible transformation.

In its attempt at balanced despair for all, my local DMV has recently made one change to make the gloom a little more palatable. You have to take a number. It used to be that you had to stand in line, a.k.a., a queue. At least with a number in hand, you can sit in the waiting room instead of competing for the Guinness Book world record for standing in one place. (The current world record was set by a 67-year-old lady named Patience Dishwater who lived up to her name at a Cleveland DMV in 1989 when a flu epidemic swept through the entire payroll minus one rookie tag tosser in training. Patience stood in line from Monday morning until closing on Friday afternoon. “I’m retired and don’t have anything else to do,” Patience told a local TV news crew who reported the story. “I just kept letting people go in front of me ‘cuz I figured they were in more of a hurry than me. Before I knew it, it was Friday afternoon.”)

In Jesus’ day, there was a pool that could have used the number system. The pool of Bethesda wasn’t like your local country club or community pool. This pool wasn’t designed for soccer moms and the kids to waste away a sunny, summer afternoon while dad was out beating the pavement selling color copiers. This pool had healing powers. Whether it was true, or just believed to be true, the locals in Jerusalem believed that on occasion an angel would cause the waters to be stirred in such a way that the first one in the moving waters would be healed of their infirmity. (I assume that this is when the phrase, “First one in the pool!” was invented.) Obviously, the pool was surrounded by scores of people with physical challenges in need of a miracle.

It seems like a cruel prank. Would God create a pool that would serve as a magnet for the infirmed in hopes of walking again? Would he really design this mystery water that forced the physically challenged to race with each other for first dibs on well-being? Was this the first ever Special Olympics? Why was his healing power only good for one person at a time? Why didn’t he just sweep his hand over the entire poolside and heal them all? They obviously came in faith believing that the healing powers of the pool might deliver them.

So why didn’t someone, a lifeguard or the pool manager, create a number system for these people? Why didn’t they structure an organized, first-come-first-served arrangement? Why didn’t they form a healing line? Why did they allow this brutal game with really bad odds to continue? Can you imagine doing this at the DMV? What if you had to stand around in no particular order at the DMV and wait for a clerk to be stirred to action? What if you had to race the competition to the next available tag tosser to get a license plate? The lobby of the DMV would look like the Jerry Springer show.

There is one thing the pool did accomplish. It gave the afflicted hope. Maybe they needed hope more than they needed healing. At least in their misery and pain, they had hope that they could be healed at any instant. It was just a matter of getting to the pool before the others. If I could just make it to the pool faster next time, they thought. If I could just get someone to help me next time. If I could stay on the alert and watch the waters more closely, they thought. If, if, if. A small word that sometimes issues volumes of hope.

One day Jesus was walking by the pool of Bethesda when he saw a man lying there. The lame man had been in his condition for 38 years and had been lying next to the pool for a long time. (How long he was there is not clearly indicated.) Jesus asked the man, “Do you wish to get well?” A question with an obvious answer. I’m not quite sure why Jesus asked him this. It seems like a dumb question but then, I ain’t Jesus. (And you should be thrilled at that news.) Maybe Jesus just needed to hear the man say it. Sometimes people become content with their burdens. To be healed after 38 years would be a major shift in the way this man lived. He would no longer have to depend on others to care for him. He would have a new burden of making a living and accepting responsibilities. Jesus wanted this man to think seriously about his desires in life.

The handicapped man explained to Jesus that when the waters of the pool are stirred up there is no one around to help him get into the water. He can never be the first one in the pool. He didn’t lack the desire to be healed but the means. Jesus didn’t waste any time. He said to the sick man, “Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.” Immediately the man was healed. His bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons grew instantly strong. He grabbed the mat that he had been laying on for who knows how long and he began to walk.

I have a lot of questions about this story. Did God really operate the pool of Bethesda as the locals believed? If so, why? (1) Did Jesus go around the poolside after healing the man and heal the others there too? I’d like to think that he did but there is no indication in the Scriptures. Could Jesus really stand by the pool and see all of the others who needed healing without helping them too? Could he just heal one man, smile at the rest of the infirmed, tell them to have a nice day, and walk away? And, seriously, why didn’t they organize this whole thing? If the DMV could think of a number system or even a queue, why couldn’t they?

Once again, I don’t have all of the answers. But I do know this: There are a lot of people who feel trapped by their infirmities whether they are physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. A ton of people have lost hope in this world. They believe there is no hope or help available to them. Do you know anyone who has an infirmity or weakness that has given up the idea of conquering their problem? Instead, they have decided to just deal with it as it is? There are those who never get over a loss. Those who can’t advance because of a lack of education. Those who let a handicap drain their zest for life. Jesus has the authority and the ability to set you free from your disability.

I don’t know if he healed the others around the pool that day and I don’t know why God allows some to suffer more than others, but this I do know, he can heal you. He wants to heal you and make you spiritually whole. He may or may not remove your physical burden. That’s up to him and his sovereign plan for your life. But I know he wants you to be spiritually healed. He died that you might be made whole.

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)


(1) The pool of Bethesda was likely a type of underground spring that bubbled up and gave people therapeutic and psychological healing much like places such as Hot Springs, Arkansas or Warm Springs, Georgia. Legend and superstition added the belief that an angel of the Lord stirred the waters. It was more likely a natural occurrence.

The Renewal of the Mind has Disappeared

The video below was taken off of youtube.com. Man, I hate it cause it was a classic.

The Renewed Mind Is The Key...To Bad Dancing

I will shoot myself if something like this ever takes place at my church.

The Shack review

I read The Shack by William Paul Young over the weekend. It is a #1 New York Times bestseller and has become pretty controversial over the past several months. My wife bought it for me a few weeks ago at Borders. I put off reading it until last Friday. Some folks have called and emailed the church office asking if we have read it. I figured if people are reading it and talking about it that I should see what all the commotion is about.

First of all, The Shack is a work of FICTION. Here's the dictionary definition of fiction: 1. the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form, 2. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story.

Some Christian dignitaries have sounded off on The Shack saying that it is a work of heresy. Why? Because God the Father is represented as a big, black woman. The Holy Spirit is represented by a small Asian woman and Jesus is a large nosed Middle Eastern man. The Trinity is illustrated as 3 different persons who share a perfect relationship with each other with no hierarchy or chain of command. (Another reason some people don't like the book. They say that there is a hierarchy in the Trinity).

I guess these critics also didn't like C.S. Lewis portraying Christ as Aslan the Lion in The Chronicles of Narnia or Bunyan's Goodwill, the gate keeper and Christ-figure, in The Pilgrim's Progess. The critics seem to have a hard time understanding how spiritual truths can be communicated in a fictional story. Is everything in The Shack absolutely based on Scriptural fact? No. It wasn't written to be. It is one man's attempt at communicating the incredible love of God. Anyone's attempt to do so would be inept.

Other Christian leaders commend the book as an incredible and important piece of Christian literature. Eugene Petersen (of The Message) compares it to Pilgrim's Progress.

What's the book about? Here's a brief summary:

In the novel's opening pages, the main character Mack Phillips tells his little daughter, Missy, the legend of an Indian princess who hurls herself over waterfalls to save her people from death. "Will I have to die to save others?" she asks him. "No," he tells her, "Jesus has done this for you." She sleeps soundly and secure in Christ.

The foreshadowing is hardly subtle: the sacrifice of an innocent life for the sake of salvation. Missy is kidnapped by a serial killer and is murdered in a filthy, deserted shack in the wilderness. Years later, Mack, still devastated, receives a note inviting him back to the shack. It's signed "Papa," the name his more resilient and spiritual wife, Nan, uses for God.

Mack's weekend at the shack is a compressed journey toward belief, forgiveness and acceptance.

But what a trip. Instead of a dump, this shack is a mansion in an Eden-like garden where God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit embrace him. For two days, they talk, eat, walk, garden and share visions of heaven, where little Missy romps happily. They tell Mack they live in a loving relationship without hierarchy, guilt or shame, all fully human, all divine. They say that through Jesus' death, God is "fully reconciled" to the whole world, so that all might discover God's love.

The Shack is an interesting story and a creative way to show God's love, grace, and patience with us. It's illustration of how the divine Trinity relates with each person is quite interesting.

Honestly, I was not that impressed with the writing. I read it quickly only because of the big-to-do about it. I can't say that it was a "page-turner" and I'm not ready to tell everyone you just have to read this book. It did remind me of one of my all-time personal favorite novels, Joshua. That is a book that I highly recommend. It can change the way you view Jesus and give you a great sense of peace and liberty. (See link to Joshua on my book list on the right.)

Two more...

Julie commented that you can sing Amazing Grace to the tune of the theme song of Dallas. Beth and I went to NC yesterday to see our baby girl at college. We discovered that you can also sing it to She's a Bad Mamma Jamma while listening to my ipod in the car.

Hey Kev! I feel a new TrueNorth CD coming...? Amazing Tunes to Amazing Grace
(We'll need to get the Solid Gold dancers for the She's a Bad Mamma Jamma live version.)

Amazing Grace update

Caron told me yesterday that you can also sing Amazing Grace to the tune of O Little Town of Bethlehem. Keep your ideas coming. Maybe Kevin will let me sing again one day.

Thursday AM Thoughts

I'm taking today off to work on some writing projects and just get away from the office for awhile. (Don't get me wrong. I love TNC and the staff but sometimes we all have to get away from there.) It's my turn today.

Last Sunday, I sang a solo in church. Well, kinda. I showed everyone in 2nd service how to sing Amazing Grace to the tune of the theme song from Gilligan's Island. You can also sing Amazing Grace to the tune of The House of the Rising Sun, The Brady Bunch, and the theme to M*A*S*H. Try it next time you're in the shower. If you know of some other songs to sing Amazing Grace to, I'd love to know.

Want to help create a new TV reality show? (Like we really need another one.) Go to www.talpacreative.com. It's the site for the creator of Fear Factor, Big Brother, and Deal or No Deal. If you make a fortune with your great ideas, don't forget to give God at least 10% of your millions.

I don't want to get too political on this blog but it's curious to me how Obama is going to bring youth and change to Washington by choosing a 30 year veteran of the Senate on as his running mate. I'll be voting for McCain. That shouldn't surprise you.

The Gamecocks start their season tonight on ESPN! The NA Yellow Jackets tomorrow! Woohoo! Football season is here!

Destroying Happiness

Another thought on happiness from Seth Godin:

A journalist asked me, Most people have a better standard of living today than Louis XIV did in his day. So why are so many people unhappy?

What you have doesn't make you unhappy. What you want does.

And want is created by us, the marketers.

Marketers trying to grow market share will always work to make their non-customers unhappy.

It's interesting to note that marketers trying to maintain market share have a lot of work to do in reminding us that we're happy.

The Country Parson's Blog

My friend, Andy, the Country Parson, posted some good youtube videos on his blog. Check them out.

Next Splurge: Fuzzy Dice

I read this in Dan Patrick's column in Sports Illustrated. I love it! I hope this guy maintains his attitude about money...

Next Splurge: Fuzzy Dice

SO MANY athletes go bankrupt simply because they spend money as fast as it comes in. Here's a guy who I don't think will join their ranks. Chris Long, the number 2 pick in the NFL draft, signed a contract with the Rams last week that reportedly guaranteed him $29 million, including an immediate $2 million bonus. Afterward I asked him if he had treated himself to anything; he said he had bought a 1983 Mercury Grand Marquis. For $4,000. Sweet. And he's still got $28,996,000 to play with.

How NOT To Use Powerpoint By Comedian Don McMillan

Get Service

This is a little cheesy but I like the message it delivers.

Maybe Later Campaign

I was going to put this up a few days ago but I kept putting if off...

I Bit the Bullet

Well, I finally bowed to the pressure and joined Facebook last Friday night. The truth is I really haven't been that interested but when I wanted to watch a video that a friend (McNair) put on his FB page I had to join. I'd been thinking about it anyway so it wasn't too hard to be pushed over the edge and take the leap. I was immediately deluged with friends after signing up. I guess it should be a good feeling to know you have that many friends, huh?

I can see how it can be addicting. I'm not sure how good I'll keep up with it. I have a hard enough time keeping posts fresh on this blog. (PS - I've tried to post several youtube videos lately and they are not showing up here. Does anyone know what the deal is with that?)

When it comes to trends, I've heard it said not to be the first one in or the last one out. So I guess I've officially become a part of one of the latest internet crazes. I will say (pat self on back now) that I started blogging before blogging was cool. Not many people were into it in 2004. I did it mainly to promote my book.

So, here's to peer-pressure and all things digital, Facebook here I come!

Book Review: The Geography of Bliss

Last night I finished a fascinating book called The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. Each year Dutch professor Ruut Veenhoven, aka, the godfather of happiness research, releases data showing the happiest countries on the planet according to the World Database of Happiness in The Netherlands. You may have seen a news report a couple of months ago that revealed that Denmark is the happiest country. Most of the Scandinavian countries rank high on the list.

Weiner (pronounced Whiner) elected to travel the world to visit some of the happy countries as well as some of the most unhappy countries to try to determine what makes people happy. It is a fun read and very interesting. It's part travelogue, part inspirational, and part self-help (but in a weird way). If you love to travel, love to hear about other cultures, and love to know what makes people tick, you'll love this book. It kind of reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations on the Travel Channel.

The following is a series of quotes and thoughts from The Geography of Bliss:

All cultures value happiness, but not to the same degree. In Japan, for example, harmony and fulfilling societal obligations is valued more than personal happiness. Japanese women tend to cover their mouths when they laugh as if to be ashamed of their glee.

The happiest places in our world don't necessarily fit our preconceived notions. Some of the happiest countries in the world are actually the coldest, e.g. Denmark (#1), Switzerland (#2 or #3 - depending on which survey you read), and Iceland (#5). The USA is ranked 17th.

A great enemy to happiness is envy.

One of the most important factors that breeds happiness is trust. Trust is a prerequisite for happiness.

The small nation of Bhutan measures it's Gross National Happiness and the king claims that it is more important than it's Gross National Product.

"The richer the society, the more difficult it becomes to do worthwhile things without immediate payoff. That is a radical and profound statement. In a wealthy, industrialized society, one where we are supposedly enjoying a bountiful harvest of leisure time, we are discouraged from doing anything that isn't productive - either monetarily or in terms of immediate pleasure. The Bhutanese, on the other hand, will gladly spend a day playing darts or just doing nothing."

70% of our happiness stems from our relationships. During life's difficult patches, camaraderie blunts our misery. During the good times, it boosts our happiness.

People who say, "God is important in my life" are significantly happier than people who disagree with that statement. People who regularly attend religious services are happier than those who do not.

No fear of failure breeds happiness - and creativity - which breeds even more happiness.

Neuroscientists believe that they have located the part of the brain linked with altruism. (Altruism = unselfish concern for the welfare of others). It is the same part associated with our cravings for food and sex which suggests that we are hardwired for altruism. Therefore, being useful and helpful to people contributes to our happiness.

Thinking about happiness makes us less happy. When someone tells you to try to be happy, they make it worse.

We are happiest in youth and old age.

Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think.

Free PDA!

Sometimes the high-tech of the internet can offer some pretty cool low-tech tools. Check out pocketmod.com for a low-tech, economical, and recyclable way to have your own PDA. No batteries or chargers necessary.

Why College is so Expensive

Two weeks from tomorrow, my baby girl will move into her dorm room for her freshman year at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. Now both of my offspring will be in college. I'll gladly accept your prayers anytime.

So earlier this week, Bailey gets a letter from GWU telling her about a new feature on campus this year. It's called Laundryview. Laundry is free for students on campus. That's a nice touch. But here's the big bonus: You can go to laundryview.com to check the status of each washer and dryer's availability as well as how many minutes remain until your load is complete. She showed this to us and I thought, "You've got to be kidding me! Every washer and dryer on the campus is wired to the internet? How much did that cost and guess who's footing the bill for it? We wouldn't want our precious children to walk downstairs to the basement of the dorm to actually see if there is a machine available or to see how much time is left on it, would we?"

Turns out laundryview.com is not a new thing. They have it on college campuses all over the country and, I suspect, in apartment complexes, too. I know we live in the 21st century but I just couldn't believe it when I saw it. God bless the person who created laundryview.com. I wonder how many people thought they were crazy when they came up with the idea? I guess they're sleeping in late this morning or headed toward the beach. And I guess they have their own washer and dryer at home now.

The Hazards of Tunnel Vision

I've mentioned National Geographic Adventure magazine on a couple of previous posts (April and May). Not only does it have amazing photos, it almost always has a few notes of interest to me. In the latest edition there is an article called "Terrorists at the Tea Party" by Amanda Ripley. It's about the science of fear and how humans react in desperate situations.

Ripley writes about the hazards of tunnel vision in an account of an Eastern Airlines jet traveling from New York City to Miami on December 29, 1972. The plane was making its final approach into Miami on a clear night with unrestricted visibility. When the pilots tried to lower the landing gear, they didn't get a green light indicating that the gear loaded properly. The captain with more than 30 years experience called into the control tower and said that they would circle the airport while they worked on getting a green light.

For eight minutes the entire crew focused completely on the landing gear and the failure of the green light. They were so focused on that problem that they didn't notice the alarm going off indicating that the plane was losing altitude. By the time they realized what was happening to the plane it was too late. The plane crashed in the Everglades 19 miles from the airport.

Investigators discovered later that the plane was in perfect working order - except the bulb was burned out in the landing gear indicator light.

Sometimes we get so busy focusing on one thing, (e.g., work, finances, personal and professional pursuits) that we forget to look at the big picture. It's easy to get bummed out about temporary things. It's easy to allow the urgent things that scream for our attention each day to get in the way of the important things. Don't become so focused on immediate problems and pursuits that you forsake the other things that are happening around you. Celebrate what God is doing in your life. Rejoice in the blessings you have instead of regretting the things you don't have. Thank God for what he has done and what he is doing. Lift your head up and see what he's up to. Pay attention to his handiwork and praise him for his amazing grace.

PS - Notes regarding my previous post: Cliff won't be America's next heartthrob. He said it was a great experience but the "auditions" were somewhat of a joke. American Idol is definitely made for TV. Got an email from my agent today. A publisher is very interested in my book. She will take it to the editorial board soon. Pray!!

Mid-Summer Brain Dump

This summer has been really busy so far. Haven't been able to blog as much as I would like so I thought I'd do a brain dump today.

• Last week Beth and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. It wasn't real romantic but we had fun. We just went to Atlanta for a night and spent half of the day at IKEA (pretty amazing) and the other half at the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. Maybe on a future anniversary we'll take a cruise or something but it wasn't possible to celebrate big this year with all of the other things going on this summer.
• My son, Cliff, just left about 5 minutes ago to go audition for American Idol in Louisville, KY. Could he be the next American heartthrob? We'll see.
• Books I read on vacation at Hilton Head: Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, Lost in Rooville by Ray Blackston, and Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician by Daniel Wallace.
• Number of times Beth has teared up thinking about Bailey going off to college in August: too many to count.
• Number of times I've teared up thinking about how much college will cost: too many to count.
• Number of times we've had our boat in the lake: 1. (Isn't that pitiful?)
• Last night we had a family send off for Cliff at Carabba's. We saw a couple at the restaurant that we knew from our previous church. I caught up with them for a few minutes then sat at our table. They spoke briefly when they left as we were still in the middle of our meal. A few minutes later, the waiter asked us if we would like dessert. Then he said, "Before you answer, you might want to know that the gentleman that was sitting over there has paid for your dinner." We were shocked. What a blessing! Thank God for wonderful, giving, Christian people. Isn't being a part of God's family neat?
• Number of pages written in my latest novel: 135
• Number of publishers who have rejected current novel that my agent is trying to sell: 2
• Number of publishers yet to respond: a bunch
• Number of publishers it takes to sell a novel: 1
• Number of "no's" you get from publishers before you sell a book: a bunch
• Amount of patience I have in this process: a lot but it's slowly decreasing
• Number of resumes I've looked at in an attempt to replace Walt Tanner: scores. (Thanks Walt!)
• Number of resumes I've looked at in an attempt to replace Hope Hall: in the 40's.
• Number of resumes I've prepared for myself: don't know but I haven't written a resume since 1991. I've tried to let God lead me. So far so good. I love TNC and I don't plan on writing another resume for the rest of my life!!
• Number of people bored with this brain dump: all 3 of this blog's readers.
  

I'm out.

Wow is God!

Our staff devotion time took us through the Old Testament book of Micah yesterday morning. We noted how God's prophets often looked back and remembered the great things God did for them. Looking back often gives hope for today and tomorrow. The prophets also reveal and remind us of God's greatness and power. When difficult days come, instead of walking around with our heads down sulking and saying, "Woe is me!" maybe we should we lift our heads up and remember how great God is and say, "Wow is God!"

Would you read these books for $420?

Years ago, when my children were in middle and high school, I heard an old audio cassette by a motivational speaker who came up with a list of books that he felt like his son should read as he became an adult. He offered his son $10 for every book read. He said it was a good investment and very worthwhile. I thought it was a neat idea so I did it with my kids. (But I offered $20 per book. I figured with inflation costs it was only fair to double what the motivational speaker did with his kid in the '70's.)

Unfortunately, they didn't have too much interest. They had enough homework assignments from their teachers and they weren't interested in doing homework for dad -even for money. I've only paid out $20 so far.

I thought the list was long forgotten until last night Bailey came to me with the list and asked, "Dad, is this deal still good?" Of course, I said, "Yes." She went to the bookshelf to seek out some of the books. So, it looks like I may make this investment yet. So what books are they? These are some books that I think everyone should read. I won't pay you $20 per book but I would suggest you read them and possibly make a similar arrangement with your kids. Hey, it's a lot cheaper than college - and probably more valuable.

Honest to God (Bill Hybels)

Financial Peace (Dave Ramsey)

The Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren)

The Search for Significance (Robert McGee)

Found: God’s Will (John MacArthur)

Ordering Your Private World (Gordon McDonald)

How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)

30 Days to Understanding How to Live as a Christian (Max Anders)

Mere Christianity (CS Lewis)

More Than a Carpenter (Josh McDowell)

The Kneeling Christian (author unknown)

The Hour That Changes the World (Dick Eastman)

Autobiography of George Muller

Joshua (Joseph Girzone)
The Big Bucks

Books of the Bible:

Genesis

Exodus

Ecclesiastes

Acts

Romans

Revelation

Building or Being a Remarkable Church?

While the girls were shopping on Fifth Ave. during our recent trip to NYC, I was standing outside watching the traffic on the street and the sidewalk. H&M was one of the clothing stores on Bailey’s radar that she just had to visit. There were several H&M stores in the area. We chose the one across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

St. Patrick’s is an incredible building. There’s no doubt why it is a must see for tourists. It is an architectural and historical monument and the largest Gothic Catholic Cathedral in the US. (See photo taken w/ my trusty cellphone. Apologies to Mike Adams.)

An Asian man stopped in front of me to take some photos of the church. I wondered what he was thinking. Of course, he was in awe of the beauty of the structure itself. While watching him snap pictures, it dawned on me that if I were a tourist in Asia witnessing grand Buddhist or Hindu temples, I would be awe-struck with the mastery of the building but deep down I would think, “What a waste for such an empty religion.”

Then it dawned on me. The Asian tourist may be thinking the same thing.

Do we show the power of the Church through more than just architecture? Does the world witness the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives? Do they know more about Christ because of the magnificence of our faith or the magnificence of our buildings?

Building remarkable church buildings is one thing. Being a remarkable church is another.

A New Entry into the Top 10 List

Beth and I watched The Bucket List last night starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It's one of those movies that we immediately said that we wanted to see when it first came out but busy lives prevented us from seeing it in the theaters. I looked forward to it because I knew it would be funny but I didn't expect the significant meaning and emotion that I got from it. Bottom line: At the end of the movie, our den was full of tears and snot. A great message in this movie. I highly recommend it. I think it would be in my top 10 movies of all time (even though I've never really made that list.)

Have you? What are your top 10 movies of all time?

What Would Happen If...?

New York City is a truly incredible place. The diversity is unreal. NYC is a melting pot of every nation on the planet. We heard so many different languages and saw so many different people. I knew that about NYC before we went there but it was even more than I expected. It made me think missionally, “What if we (the Church) put more effort in reaching the 8 million people in NYC? How far would the gospel spread from there? How many different nations would be impacted by something that started in NYC?” It’s happened before. Let me explain:

We walked to the intersection of Fulton and Williams Streets while we were there. I wanted to stand at the intersection where a great spiritual awakening began and have my picture taken. (I would post it, but it’s still in Bailey’s camera.) In September 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier started a series of prayer meetings at a Dutch Reformed Church that once stood at this intersection. He passed out handbills and flyers advertising the first meeting at noon on September 23. His intention was to meet the spiritual needs of businessmen in the financial district of New York City during the lunch hour. After waiting alone for a half-hour, six men finally came and joined Lanphier. The next week that number doubled. Week after week the numbers grew. When the stock market crashed later in the year, panic set in. People began to pray.

Within six months, 10,000 people gathered to pray at noon in New York City. This was the beginning of one of the most significant revivals in history. The movement swept up and down the eastern seaboard to cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore. It went south as far as New Orleans and Mobile. It spread west to cities like Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, even to the West Coast. The New York newspapers created a daily column to report “the daily progress of revival.” Ships that ported in New York City left with changed men and the effects of the revival swept through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Europe, South Africa, India, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

It happened once. It can happen again. What if we started praying fervently for NYC everyday? Pray for NYC.

PS - To see a video about the Fulton Street Revival, look at my September 14, 2007 post.