How Big is the Gulf Oil Spill?

Here's a map of the Gulf Oil Spill over the Augusta, GA area. Is it bigger than you thought?

Courtesy http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com

How to be Unremarkably Average

I think there are a lot of truths in this brief blog post by Chris Guillebeau. Enjoy.

Ducks on the Pond

Last night's extra inning victory by the South Carolina Gamecocks created a unique situation in this year's College World Series. An in-state rivalry will be in the national spotlight tonight when the Gamecocks play the Clemson Tigers in the next stage of the Series.

If you don't follow college baseball, Carolina and Clemson both have incredible baseball programs and this collegiate rivalry is almost as intense on the baseball diamond as it is on the football field. The Gamecocks usually have a better chance of winning in baseball over football.

So, watch the game tonight and enjoy watching two great teams duke it out for a chance at the national championship.

I was thinking about a baseball saying the other day and the reason for this post. Sometimes during a game you'll hear someone yell to a batter "Ducks on the pond!" If you're not a baseball fan, that probably seems like a really weird thing to say. "Ducks on the pond" means that there are baserunners on base that need to score. If the batter gets a hit, the runners have a chance to advance home.

One thing you don't want to do if you're the hitter is leave ducks on the pond.

In Churchworld, we want everyone to get home. "Home" meaning heaven, with the Lord, where His creation belongs. God designed us to be in fellowship with Him forever. Sin created a gap between man and God which causes man to go astray. Jesus bridged that gap on the cross and, for Christ-followers, one of our missions in life is to let other people know how to get home.

We've got ducks on the pond.

Who do you know that is out there waiting on you to help them get home? Who could be stranded if you don't show them the way? Who are the "ducks" in your life?

Many of my readers are members of my church, TrueNorth Church. At TNC, we call these people "fish" since Jesus told us to be "fishers of men." Today, I'm changing that to "ducks." Who are your ducks on the pond that need to come home?

One thing you don't want to do if you're a Christ-follower is leave ducks on the pond.

A Real Radical: Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I've had many conversations lately about living a radical life as a result of promoting David Platt's new book Radical.

Columnist Cal Thomas had a great piece in today's paper about a true RADICAL. Read about him here:

Cal Thomas: Bonhoeffer and a Christian's 'privilege to suffer' | Washington Examiner

Foldable TV

Your next TV may also serve as wallpaper.

It's All About the Fundamentals

I enjoyed watching the Los Angeles Lakers/Boston Celtics match up in the NBA Finals the past 10 days or so. In case you don't keep up with sports, the Lakers won an exciting game 7 last night 83-79. It was the first NBA best of seven championship series to actually go to the final game since 2005 and only the second in 16 years.

One of the features that ABC/ESPN showed during the games were video and audio of the coach's instructing their teams during timeouts. It was interesting that each coach preached the fundamentals almost every time.

"You can't get an open shot if you don't move!"
"Where's the hustle out there?"
"We've got to get back faster on defense!"

The instructions they gave their teams were no different than the instructions you'd hear a basketball coach give at a youth league, middle school, high school, or college game.

In basketball, it's about ball control, hustle, defense, smart passes, and high percentage shots. In baseball, it's about clean catches, accurate throws, heads up baserunning, and good connections at the plate. In football, it's blocking, tackling, and protecting the football. Fundamentals.

Living the life of a Christ-follower is no different. Do the fundamentals. Take time to pray. Read the Bible. Worship regularly. Spend time with other believers who will stretch you, support you, and encourage you. Give. Serve. Tell others about Jesus.

Championship athletes do the fundamentals well. Great Christ-followers do the basics well too.

How are you doing?

Notes from the Edge of the Continent: My Love/Hate Relationship with the Church

We're wrapping up our annual week at Hilton Head Island. We have to leave tomorrow morning and, as usual, WE DON'T WANT TO!! It's been another relaxing week here and it's hard to get motivated to get back to the real world. Our vacations have become rather routine, I guess. Mornings on the beach with a good book and plenty of suntan lotion. Inside for a late lunch, then the pool. Back to the beach later in the afternoon. Supper. Maybe an evening walk on the beach. (We woke up at 5:45 this morning and watched a beautiful red sunrise.)

We usually go out to eat a couple of times a week. This week we returned for the 3rd year in a row to The Wreck of the Salty Dog and Kenny B's French Quarter Cafe. We highly recommend both.

Something about relaxing on the Atlantic causes me to reflect and think a lot. Beth says this is my week for introspection. It's true. When I come here I think a lot about my beliefs, my calling, my life, my busyness, and my priorities. This year was no different with the exception that I didn't "introspect" as often or as deeply as I usually do.

I intentionally packed books unrelated to ministry this week. Many times I'll use this week to catch up on reading ministry-related books. Not this time. With the exception of my daily morning Bible reading, this week I read a novel and I caught up on the last three issues of Writer's Digest magazines. Oops, I lied. I did bring one ministry related magazine to finish some articles that I started a while ago and never got back to finish.

Even so, my mind has been on my passion quite a bit because Beth and Kyle, my daughter's boyfriend, have been reading Radical this week. They've been talking about it some. (See my review here.) My passion is the Church and Radical definitely makes you think about it. I have a love/hate relationship with the Church. (Note: Church with a capital "C" means the Church as a whole, the universal Church, the Body of Christ.) Church with a little "c" would be a local church, e.g., TrueNorth Church. Why do I say I have a love/hate relationship with the Church? Because I love it so much and I know that the Church is the hope of the world, yet I hate how we mistreat it, discount it, and just plain don't get it sometimes.

Too many Christians think "Church" consists of a 60-70 minute program that includes 30 minutes of music, 30 minutes of preaching, 5 minutes of announcements and 5 minutes for the offering. They think that attending this one hour service makes God happy and gives them brownie points with the Almighty, a.k.a., "the Good Lord." When I read Acts 2:41-47 (many scholars would agree that this passage describes the model church), I don't see much in there about a one hour service filled with music and preaching.

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What do you see in this passage? I see a lifestyle, not attendance of a weekly production. I see the word "devoted." I see authentic discipleship, fellowship, and prayer. I see miracles. MIRACLES! When is the last time you truly witnessed a miracle, if ever? I see selflessness - a community sharing things with those in need, not individuals acquiring things for their own pleasure. I see generosity. I see multiplication of disciples. I see genuine love and passion for the things of God.

Do you see these things in your life? in your church?

This love/hate relationship began for me in the mid-1980's after a nasty church business meeting. Up until that Wednesday night, I had seen nothing but the greatness of a tremendous church on fire and on mission for God. Then sin crept in - specifically, gossip, which lead to an all-out attack against God's anointed ones. To be honest, I don't think that church has been the same since that night.

I saw the Church at its worst that night. I couldn't sleep. Beth and I couldn't go to work the next day. Instead, we prayed all morning in the church sanctuary. We prayed at every pew, every seat in the choir loft, and the big thrones on the stage where the ministers sat. We prayed for healing, reconciliation, and forgiveness. We prayed intensely for hours.

It wasn't long after that night that my passion for the Church was born. I was determined to do my part in seeing the Church operate like it is described in the New Testament. It's been about 25 years and my passion for it is still great. Sometimes I'm so passionate about it, it becomes a burden. It is a passion/burden that I will die with, I guess. Beth says it will never leave me.

So what have I been doing at the beach this week? Besides getting sunburned, I've been meditating, contemplating, scheming, and praying about how to make TrueNorth Church and the Church as a whole more like the Acts 2 church. I would love it if you would join me in my passion. The Church is truly the HOPE OF THE WORLD. We must make it what God intended it to be. There is no Plan B.

Ruprecht in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

This has always been one of my favorite all-time movie scenes. Steve Martin was such a nut.

Recapturing Your Creative Spirit

Watch my friend and former Disney Imagineer McNair Wilson talk about "Recapturing Your Creative Spirit." It's an hour and fifteen minutes long but well worth it and entertaining. I encourage you to take the time getting to know McNair and his wisdom.

Tempting Thoughts

We tend to think that temptation is something that happens to us when God isn't looking - like Satan sneaks in when the backdoor of opportunity is cracked open.* But if you read Matthew 4:1, you'll see that "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."

Led up by the Spirit? The Holy Spirit? Why would He do such a thing? Why would the Holy Spirit lead us to temptation? Isn't that what we pray against? "Lead us not into temptation" the Lord taught in his model prayer (Matthew 6:13).

Sometimes God leads us down difficult roads - on purpose. What good can come from temptation? Why would God do such a thing? Note the following from William Barclay:

What we call temptation is not meant to make us sin; it is meant to enable us to conquer sin. It is not meant to make us bad, it is meant to make us good. It is not meant to weaken us, it is meant to make us emerge stronger and finer and purer for the ordeal. Temptation is not the penalty of being human, temptation is the glory of being human. It is the test which comes to a person whom God wishes to use. (Taken from Simple Spirituality by Chris Heuertz, p. 132)


Compare Matthew 4 with Genesis 3 and you will see that Satan tempted Jesus with the same three things as he did with Eve - the desire for physical pleasure, the desire of ego, and the desire for power. Adam and Eve failed their test. God sent Jesus into the wilderness to be tested to show that we can overcome the schemes of the devil. Satan intended to disqualify the Savior. God intended to prove Jesus to be worthy and sinless, thus a worthy Savior.

Notice how Jesus fought the battle: with confidence and boldness knowing he could overcome and with Scripture. (Note that Satan used Scripture as well but he twisted it to make it suit his purpose.)

Have you been tempted lately? How did you do? Did you fall for it or did you overcome? Could you back up your opposition to the temptation with Scripture or did you stutter and stammer not knowing how to respond until you were defeated?

Dealing with temptation is tough. After Jesus' encounter with Satan, angels came and ministered to him who was weary from the battle (Matthew 4:11). The apostle Paul wrote that temptation is an endurance test to show us that God is faithful (See 1 Corinthians 10:31). God will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able.

I know what some of you are thinking. "God must really think I'm strong based on the temptations he sends my way!"

Struggling with sin and its temptations is a part of our spiritual journey. Sometimes we win. Sometimes we lose. The next time you find yourself in a tempting predicament, consider the words above from William Barclay. It is meant to enable us to conquer, to make us good, and to make us stronger so that God can use us more in the future.


* To be specific, it's probably not Satan. It's one of his minions. Satan isn't omnipresent or omniscient. He can't be in all places at all times like God nor does he know it all so let's not give him powers he doesn't really have. Most of the attacks from the spiritual realm come from his apprentices. Satan may orchestrate evil but you and I rarely if ever will encounter the Evil One personally.

How to Write Yourself Sane

I received this article from ehow.com's daily email yesterday. Thought it was worth sharing. I've found journaling to be a rewarding experience.

How to Write Yourself Sane | eHow.com