Don’t Cry!

Don’t cry, but I’m shutting the blog down for a few days. I’ll be down Friday through Sunday for a little maintenance. If all goes well and SHE does her magic we’ll be back on Monday with a new look!

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Who Would You Like To Meet from the Blogosphere?

This week Brandi and I are lucky enough to host our blog friends Brent and Tam Hodge who are in town for the re:create conference.

Last weekend we enjoyed an infusion of estrogen when Heather Whittaker and her girls spent the night while in Nashville on a girls’ trip.

I love making new friends out in blogosphere and it’s even sweeter when I get to spend some face time with them. I never imagined this virtual community could lead to such authentic community.

If you could get some face time with someone out there in blog world who would it be with?

$6,000 Up In Smoke

Last night at the Discovering Cross Point class our Nashville campus pastor Blake Bergstrom introduced me to a young man named Steve.

Steve had visited Cross Point Nashville for the first time on Sunday. He was blown away by the genuine, authentic community he experienced. Steve told me that up until Sunday his occupation was selling drugs. He lived in a dope house just a few blocks from the church.

He said after the service on Sunday he knew some things needed to change in his life. He went straight home and burned the $6,000 worth of weed he was going to sell this week. Wow!

It reminded me of how proud I am of the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who partner together every week at both of our Cross Point campuses to create environments of life change.

You see we don’t JUST hand out programs. We don’t JUST babysit kids. We don’t JUST turn knobs on the sound boards. We don’t JUST sing and play instruments. We don’t JUST park cars. We don’t JUST serve coffee. We don’t JUST open up our homes for community groups.

We partner together to become the body of Christ.  We play different roles, but each one of us is essential  to the body. We partner together and God shows up in amazing ways and moves in people’s lives.

Like Steve.

Since Sunday he’s held a bonfire, he’s moving out of the dope house, he attended the new members class and he’s going to start in a men’s community group this week. Can’t wait to see what God is going to do in him and through him.

Worshipping Giftedness

I often hear people debate whether you can separate character and giftedness. I think this is an important debate.

Our culture tends to worship giftedness. If you can….

run faster

sell more

sing better

communicate effectively

lead charismatically

then you will more than likely rise to the top. You might even rise really fast. You will be celebrated, cheered, googled, awarded, and favored.

Point in case… Michael Phelps. Nobody on the planet would argue his talent. He’s amazing. However a recent photo of Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong at a party in November has brought great question to his character. Once again proof that character always rises to the top. And apparently Google agrees with me. Here’s a screen shot of what you will see if you Google Michael Phelps.

We worship talent. But make no mistake about it character does matter. I don’t care how talented you are eventually your character or lack of character will rise to the top. If your talent outgrows your character you’re heading for real trouble.

I don’t say this to be judgmental of Michael Phelps. Lord knows we’ve all made our fair share of stupid mistakes. I bring this up to remind each of us just how important character is. Very important. In the end character is all that you have. So grow it, protect it, develop it, but whatever you do don’t ignore it.

Your thoughts?

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Our Last Fight

So you may find this hard to believe, but Brandi and I do have moments of intense fellowship now and then. We usually fight over the same stupid things most of you probably fight over.

Yesterday when I got home from Cross Point I was starving. I noticed I was about to be served a bowl of soup. A bowl of soup which did not appear as if it was going to fill up this pastor who had just preached three services and was about to pass out. I’m  a meat and potatoes kind of a guy.

Brandi happened to be in the other room when she, with her supersonic hearing, heard me whisper under my breath and describe the soup as “This is kind of blah”.

She quickly stormed into the kitchen and said “Listen, you know every meal is not going to be a home run. Do you think every one of your sermons is a home run? Because they aren’t, okay. Some are great, some are kind of average, and some are like this bowl of soup…kind of blah.”

Ouch. That hurt. That really hurt. Our spat lasted a few more minutes and then we made up. I promised I would never make another comment about a meal she fixes. My self esteem can’t take it.

So be honest. What was your last fight about?

The Big Game

I heard this morning 75% of Americans say they’re planning on watching the Superbowl tomorrow night. That’s impressive. I’m not sure whether to be excited about the Superbowl or depressed it signifies the end of yet another football season.

Jett said last weekend. “I can’t believe we have football for like 6 months and then all of the sudden it’s just over. Why do they do that to us Dad? It’s just not fair. Can’t they play year around?”

His statement brought a tear to my eye. My little boy is becoming a man.

So who do you think is going to win the “big game”?  Leave your predicition, along with the score,  in the comments and I’ll declare the winner of the first annual “Without Wax Superbowl Prediction Contest”  on Sunday night.

My Prediction: Cardinals 27- Steelers 20

Celebrating Monotony

Last night I was playing with my youngest son Brewer. I was pretending to be asleep on the couch and each time he walked by me I would jump up and scream at him. He would run off laughing every single time. We did this over and over and over until I just couldn’t take it anymore. He never got tired of it. Each time he acted as if he was surprised I jumped up.

It reminded me of my favorite G.K. Chesterton quote:

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

I was reminded how numb and blind I become to the small wonders around me.

brilliant sunrise

great conversation

beautiful smile

good meal

big hug

contagious laughter

loyal friends

All of these things I take for granted simply because they can become common place in my life. But I want the appetite of infancy. I want to celebrate life and live grateful for each and every moment. However, there are times I think I’ve sinned and grown old, tired, bitter, anxious and judgmental. I’m blinded to the wonders of God around me.

So what simple, maybe even redundant thing do you need to be thankful for today?