Back At It - DGROUPS Are back in full swing - that's it for tonight

Dirty Laundry

I have blogged recently concerning my mission trip I took with my students to the Boston-ish area... Due to some changes in sponsors - we had to come up with an alternate mode of transportation for our luggage... Why you may ask... Well - it's very challenging for 32 people to go through lines, check luggage, get through security, find your gate, get on the plane, find your luggage at the next destination, and move on... So in the past we have been blessed enough to have a sponsor that was willing to drive our luggage out to the east coast in a van with a box trailer attached to it... Not a glamorous job, but a job much appreciated by us... That didn't work out this year - so one of our other sponsors had the great idea of 'shipping' our luggage - freight style... So that's what we did... We put it on skids - put plywood all around it - and shipped it... It was at the school waiting for us when we got there... It was fantastic!!! We didn't have to mess with it at the airport... We didn't have to shove it in to our rental vans... What a God-send...

The trip home, however, is a different story... As we finished up our week of building roofs, painting, and repairing bulkheads - we loaded up our shipping crates full of dirty clothes, smelly socks, and wet towels... They were sealed tight and ready to ship out the following Monday... We were expecting them to arrive by that Wednesday... But guess what - That didn't happen... We kept waiting - and waiting - and waiting... No word... Finally we hear on Friday where our luggage has turned up - Salt Lake City... Yep - That's right - Utah!!! How did that happen.?! I don't know... I guess our luggage wasn't through traveling, yet... It went East - it needed to go West before coming home...

The good news is - it's back home... A week and a half late, but home... Now - I mentioned earlier about what was in the crates, right..? After a week - boxed up - in a hot truck - what do you think those bags smelled like..? Yeah - exactly... They had been pinned up for so long with all of those unwashed, disgusting clothes inside, that it was pretty obvious that some of these items would get 'tossed'... Goodbye shoes!

Isn't it a good thing that God doesn't do that to us, though... He looks at those of us that keep the 'dirty laundry' all sealed up inside of us for way too long - and He says, "you are beautiful"... He doesn't discard us because we took an extra long time to make our way back to Him - He welcomes us with open arms and He has all sorts of tools to clean us up - no matter how bad we look (or smell)... I'm always amazed by the 'Lost Son' parable that Jesus told... That son of his that turned from him, took his inheritance, puked it away with lavish living, was so far gone that pigs were living better than he was... He finally went back to his father after a long detour and his father ran to him and hugged him... He didn't turn him away and say, "take a bath first"... He hugged him... God doesn't look at us as dirty laundry... He sees us as priceless possessions that He treasures more than anything in the world...

Can Tide or ALL get the stain out? Maybe... Can Jesus get rid of our stains? Fo' Sho'!

Just One Good Shot

As many of you have probably figured out by now - I quite enjoy a round of golf... Actually - if weather and time permit - it's one of my favorite things to do on my Monday's off... Today was no exception... My best buddy and I found our way out to our usual site for landscape destruction - and put in 18 holes... It felt more like a roller coaster than a gentlemen's game, though... It was full of pleasant 'ups' and terrifying 'downs'... Actually - they were more like 'drops'... One hole we would be enjoying the sweet aroma of 'par-fume' - and the next - the frigid chill of the dreaded 'snowman'... It was quite a ride, to say the least... We definitely got our money's worth today...

During our 3 hours burning rubber on the cart path I realized something... I became aware of how easily 'swayed' my emotions were... How could I possibly feel so discouraged one shot, but feel like I just won the Master's the next..? One minute I wanted to shout from the rooftops how much I love this game and the next put my head in the mucky pond... It's crazy right..? That's not what a stable, self-controlled, young man should be like... I often times watch people like Tiger and think, "man - if I were that good - I wouldn't be such a baby on the course..." But you know what - I get it!!! If I feel the way I feel after missing a 5 foot gimmie - how do you think he feels when he blows it... It doesn't make it pretty (on either of our parts) but it is understandable, at least...

Unfortunately - we can show this inconsistent sway in our lives, as well... Things don't go our way and we whine, pout, or complain... We show our true colors... A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29)

Now - I know that God's Word is for every part of our lives - But does that actually include the golf course, as well..? I thought so... Oh, well...

Into The Unknown

It seems there has been a great deal of appeal in television shows that keep their viewers guessing... Shows that can even be - at times - down right confusing... I think of the show LOST when I ponder this type... The passengers on Oceanic Flight 'whatever' always seem to have new twists on the island... Not to mention the random jumps in time backwards and - even more confusing - future... I didn't start off watching the show from the beginning... My wife and I tried to catch on during the 3rd season - but soon realized we were too far 'lost'... I know - I'm hilarious! Tonight I saw a show that struck the same note with me... It wasn't about passengers on a plane that went down in the Pacific, but about astronauts going into space... None of which are sure why they were selected to go on this particular 'mission', but they are all excited to be there... Much like LOST - they have flashbacks and 'flash forwards' that leave the viewer both confused and intrigued... What's going to happen next..? Well - I guess I'll have to tune in next week, huh...

The same is true with our spiritual walk with Christ, too... We know some important information... We know that Jesus is the son of God - that He died for us - rose again - and sits at the right hand of the Father... We know that only His blood washes away our sins and because of Him we can spend eternity in Heaven... But there's a number of factors we don't know... We don't necessarily know what our 'plan' is... We don't exactly know what God has in store for us... We don't know where we'll end up or how He is going to use us in His ministry... But we do know that He has great plans for each one of us... "Plans to prosper and not to harm us - give us hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11)... That's encouraging to know even if the future is unknown...

That's enough to keep me tuned in for another week... How about you..?

Where'd It Go?

It's amazing to me that the older I get - the faster time seems to go by... I know that sounds cliche, but it's true... For example - What happened to July..? Where'd it go..? I don't know, actually... I think I remember some events transpiring during the 7th month of our calendar year... My mom used to tell me to keep a journal during July because it will sneak away on you... You know what - she was right...

I don't know if it has something to do with the fact that I had our vacation, a week of vbs, a mission trip, or planning for our baby to arrive or not - but it went by FAST!!! I didn't keep a journal, though... I hardly have had time to blog... Bummer... But I have memories from July, though - however fast it went... I grew more in love with my wife... I improved relationships with friends and made new ones... I got to spend a week with my family... I ate my favorite ribs on the planet, a juicy filet mignon topped with bernaise and lump crab meat (stop salivating), and (recently) got my 'lobster roll'... Delicious cuisine aside - I also got to travel and serve my God... That was extremely rewarding...

I think one of the coolest things, though - is that I was one month closer to seeing my son for the first time... I've heard his heart beat - I've seen the ultra sounds - I've even seen his nose in 4D... But I can't wait to meet him - face to face... I can't wait for him to come home... Maybe that's why I let July go by so fast...

It's neat how God takes our emotions and our feelings and lets them display how He feels about us... I'm so excited about seeing my son that I had a small part in creating, but God is even more stoked than I am... He created me - and He created you...

Psalm 139:13-15 - "13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place."

I thought I was excited... But that's one excited 'Daddy'...

Here I Go Again

Obviously - you will be hard pressed to find a better decade of music than the 80's... Granted - fashion was not at its 'highest' point during those 10 years (okay - spilling into the 90's, as well - TIGHT ROLLERS!!!) but it was a time of rockin' music... Artists like Def Leopard and Bon Jovi were bringing powerful anthems left and right in complete stereo... And who didn't want to have "Nothin' But A Good Time" with Brett Michaels..? One of the more 'catchier' songs of that era was by a group named 'Whitesnake' titled "Here I Go Again"... The chorus takes the title, but adds, "on my own - Duhn Duhn - Going down the only road I've ever known - Duhn Duhn - Like a drifter I was born to walk alone - Duhn Duhn Duhn... Can any of you finish the line..?

Anyways - I too am off and going, again... I'm not going alone, though... I'm heading out with 31 other students and adults to the East Coast... We are off to do some mission work in the greater Boston area... We will be working on houses and serving people who can't help themselves... There will be elderly, disabled, or low income families... It's always a blessing to know that we can help out those in need... But you know what the best part is, though - Pleasing Jesus with our service... Paul said in Acts 20:35, "In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

It is true... The reward is far greater to give to someone in need than it is to receive EVEN MORE... You know it's true... If it's not - Ask yourself this question, "Why isn't it?"

And - yet again - I find myself gone for another week away from any computer... But I leave you Bloggerites with this thought... Here I go again on my own? No way - I'm never alone - God is always with me...

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:7-10)

Kid's Stuff

One of the most challenging parts about getting older is the amount of fun that you 'refuse' to have... "I can't do that - that's Kid's Stuff"... You know what I'm talking about, don't you... I won't stand up - I won't clap - I'm not going to do the 'Cha Cha Slide' or the 'Chicken Dance'... You won't join in on the friendly duel of DDR or Wii tennis... For some reason - you've have outgrown being 'fun'... When does that ever happen?!!

Unfortunately - we see this same phenomenon in the church... We have been in the trenches of, yet another, VBS... That's right - Vacation Bible School... Our children's pastor and volunteers have made such HUGE efforts to make this an enjoyable, educational, and powerful experience for these young people - And their efforts are to be commended... But all the while the band is jamming - and the singers are rocking out - and the kids are busting a move - I see something that bums me out... Some of the adults REFUSE to join in the fun!!! Now - don't get me wrong - I'm glad they're present in the first place... Obviously, they are investing in the lives of these children... But what's keeping them from joining in with the fun..? Whoever came up with the lie that worshiping God should be boring..? Oh, wait... I can probably figure out who 'fathered' that lie...

Psalm 30:11 says, "You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy..." Which would you rather do - wail or dance..? Well - if dancing before God and shouting for joy and singing songs is 'Kid's Stuff' - Then I don't ever want to grow up!!!