The Morning Fog | Finding Faith

On my way to New York yesterday morning and as we were driving through Kentucky & West Virginia, we drove through some pretty intense fog. These are a few thoughts I had as we were driving.


It’s a weird feeling when you can’t see through the fog to see what’s just ahead of you.

It’s so dark. And it makes you feel

Isolated.

Alone.

Lost.

But then, a light appears. Soft at first, then

brighter

and brighter

until you’re completely surrounded by its comfort and warmth.

And you realize that you were never alone, the sun was there the whole time. You simply did not see it! Oh what little faith we have! Oh how the cruel fog obscures, hiding the truth from you!

It was not until the fog cleared that you found Truth's radiant glow surrounding you,

warming you,

soothing your heart,

causing faith to leap forth from within your soul.

And you know that you are loved.

The morning sun’s a new husband

            leaping from his honeymoon bed,

The daybreaking sun an athlete

            racing to the tape.

That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies

            from sunrise to sunset,

Melting ice, scorching deserts,

            warming hearts to faith.

Psalm 19:4-6 // The Message

Back to Fishing

So, I’ve been married for a little under 2 months now to my beautiful wife Ashley. She is talented, smart, funny and knows me better than anyone else. Her heart and compassion for people is unbelievable – she always tries to approach every person and love them the way Jesus loved.

I’ve known Ashley since 2004, and I must say that I’m still learning so much about her now that we’re married. It’s funny how, before we got married, we thought we knew so much about each other and what it would be like to be married. Man, were we wrong!

I’m quickly finding that I really don’t know that much about being married and I’m constantly in need of forgiveness and grace. Our best intentions and plans going into marriage aren’t enough. We’re always seeing the need to seek the Truth so that God can bring us back to what He intends our marriage to be.

Last week, Ashley and I planned a day just to hang out and relax. We didn’t have any specific plans and didn’t have much money to spend, but set out to find something to do. We ended up going to the 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, which I highly recommend checking out if you ever get a chance…plus it’s free.

After checking out the 21c and eating an early dinner, we got back in the car. As we got in, I mentioned to Ashley “Let’s just head home and hang out there the rest of the evening…maybe we could even play video games together?” Ashley must have heard the wishfulness (is that even a word) in my voice, as she agreed and said that sounded like fun.

Success!

After we had been in the car for about a minute or so, something happened. I’m sure many men before who have entered into marriage before me have experienced something similar to this, and I’m almost certain that all women know this tactic.

As we were driving along, I was overjoyed that we’d be spending an evening playing Modern Warfare 2 together. Then Ashley said, in her softest, sweetest voice

“You know what we could do? We could go to Home Goods and look for some artwork for our apartment! It wouldn’t take that long! Then we can go home and play video games.”

Now, as I said, I’m sure every man who has entered marriage before me has heard his wife speak the words “It wouldn’t take that long.” Being young in my married life, I didn’t realize the implications of this statement, but as the pastor I work for always tells me about home improvement projects, “It’s never as easy as it seems.”

Long story short, we spent the rest of the evening buying and hanging up artwork around our apartment. By the time we finished, we were exhausted and neither one of us felt like playing video games.

My best intentions and plans for the evening of playing video games had been replaced by doing something that my wife wanted to do instead. My ideas for an evening of doing something I wanted to do were replaced by something that put me in the position of serving my wife.

Which is exactly what I needed to be doing.

It’s interested how this story parallels so many other areas of my life. So often, I think I’ve come up with a great plan, and I have a great vision for my life, yet God sees something greater for which He wants to use me. And I think we can all find ourselves in this position.

We can have the best plans and all of the best intentions in mind, yet God has something else for us. When we’re in an honest pursuit of the Truth, He always seems to bring us back around to the plans He set us apart to carry out.

Peter is a great example of a person that, in his humanity, had all of the best plans and intentions in mind, yet God called Him to something greater. Jesus had called Peter to leave everything behind – his plans, hopes, wishes, dreams, intentions – and follow Him to fulfill a better purpose. And Peter did just that…

…for a while.

However, we find in Luke 5, Peter (who is referred to as Simon) has gone back to his original career of fishing. He had seen Jesus cast out demons, and heal the sick and broken. He had been present when Jesus turned water into wine. He had been a direct eyewitness to these unbelievable miracles, and had gotten a taste of God’s glory which had been revealed through Jesus.

And yet, Peter chose to go back to fishing, which raises a question. Why?

Maybe Peter was just hungry so he went fishing to get something to eat. Or perhaps he enjoyed fishing, so he went out for fun. Maybe he needed money and fishing was what he knew how to do to make a little dough. While Peter may have gone back to fishing for any one of these reasons, one thing is clear: Peter went back to relying on his own intentions and plans. He had become distracted from the life Jesus called Him to and went back to what he was doing before.

But then Jesus does something amazing.

After fishing all night, Peter came back empty handed. That’s right, they caught nothing. Then Jesus comes on the scene. Luke 5:4 tells us that Jesus instructed Peter to “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” When Peter follows Jesus and does as he instructs, he “caught such a large number of fish” that their nets couldn’t contain them and began to break! (Luke 5:6)

So here’s Peter, the professional fisherman–turned Christ follower–turned professional fisherman. He finds that his best intentions and plans have fallen short of the mark, and his efforts haven’t produced any fish. But when he honestly seeks the Truth, that is when he follows Jesus instruction to push back out and try again, even the nets of a professional fisherman couldn’t contain the reward.

Peter had found what so many of you may have found in your own lives. He found what I’ve found in my life. That is when your best plans and intentions fall short, as they inevitably do, you’re in need of forgiveness and grace. I know this truth becomes more and more evident to me daily, especially in my marriage.

So what is our response to this reliance upon grace?

Like Peter, we have to accept it. We have to honestly seek the Truth and allow Jesus to redefine our lives in a way that will exceed every expectation we ever had. We have to let Jesus show us how to push back out and let our nets down. When we do this, we will find that God has a far great purpose for us in life than our best intentions and plans could ever give.

So here’s the challenge: Honestly seek the Truth that is Jesus, being evermore reliant on forgiveness and grace, so that God can bring you back to what He intends your life to be.

A New Chapter

I'll start by filling you in on my life recently. I'm very excited about what the future holds, as I was recently offered and accepted a position at Southeast Christian Church's Indiana Campus working in Adult Ministries. I'll be assisting Jerry Naville, the Adult Minister, with connecting people to the church and different groups that are offered, recruiting and managing volunteers, as well as taking advantage of the opportunity to grow in ministry.

This is definitely a step in the right direction for me, as I've felt for a long time that I was being called to ministry, but not sure exactly what that looked like. After a lot of prayer and a lot of patience, I feel as through I'm finally starting to see just the beginning of what God has in store for me in ministry.

So to that end, I would like to share the last article I wrote for Y-CAP Monthly, our newsletter we do for the program I run at the Y. 

In this month’s Community Corner, I would like to open up by sharing with you that I have recently been offered and have accepted a full-time position at Southeast Christian Church’s Indiana Campus working in Adult Ministries. My last day as the Y-CAP Coordinator is April 12, 2011. 

This was a difficult decision for me, and was only made after much prayer, conversation and thought. So, as I write this, I have a bittersweet feeling regarding the community that I have experienced in my time at the YMCA of Southern Indiana. The community that has been built is amazing! However, I will miss experiencing it on a daily basis.

During my time here, I have experienced some of the most genuine relationships with some of the most caring people that I have ever encountered. I have also seen high school guys put aside their own needs in order to rise to the occasion and make a difference in the lives of others when they needed it the most. I have seen those guys develop spiritually, physically and mentally. I have watched them mature and grow from boys into young men. I have seen them say that they are not satisfied with the idea of a father not being involved in the lives of his kids – and then I’ve watched them make decisions today to ensure that they are fully present in the lives their own families in the future. 

Personally, I have been challenged to grow as well. As I heard the young men in Y-CAP share their stories and where they have come from, I have been challenged to have the same determination that they have had to show over the years. I was also challenged to share my story as well, with the hope that it could be as inspiring as their stories were to me. On another occasion, one Y-CAP member shared with the group that he is giving up TV and video games on Saturdays to read and study his Bible. Through this I was challenged to do better in the area of Bible study as well. 

More than once, Y-CAP guys have shared with me that they hope to do what I do when they “grow up.” They share that they hope to be the type of influence to someone else that they believe I have been to them. When I first heard someone say this to me, I was floored – absolutely blown away! The only thing running through my head as I heard this was “Are you sure you really want to be like me? I still have a lot to figure out! My life is far from perfect in a lot of ways!!”

However, I was challenged in this to strive to be more Christ-like, with the hope that those following me will in turn develop an undying hunger and desire to follow Christ. It became my prayer that my heart to follow the only example worth following would also become the desire of those who felt they should follow me. I hope my life has been such an outpouring of Christ’s love that it has been obvious that it is His example, not mine, that is worth following.

The examples and stories of how I have been encouraged, grown physically, mentally and spiritually, as well as experienced true community could go on and on and on…

However, I would like to leave you with three qualities or characteristics of true community that have really become evident to me in my time here at the Y and with the Y-CAP program.

1.    1. GOD FIRST – Community is truly built when God is first in our lives. In Luke 9:23, Jesus shares that “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

When we die to ourselves and come alive in Christ, our passions become His passions, and our desires become His desires. Only through dying to our own desires and acknowledging that God is first can we ever come to experience true life in community with one another.

2.    2. DON’T RUN! – People who are devoted and committed to experiencing community with one another cannot run when times get hard. I can’t even begin to express how much this idea has changed my view of how to react to adversity. There have been so many times I’ve wanted to run or, at the very least, crawl under my desk and stay there!

However, by staying present in trials, I have gained a better understanding of what Paul meant when he wrote this in Romans 5:3-5 – “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”

3.    3. THE DIFFERENCE TODAY – The first Y-CAP t-shirts we ever designed had a very simple, yet powerful statement on the back. It read “I am the difference today.” Through this statement, we hoped to empower the young men in Y-CAP to take action now. To understand that no matter their circumstances or stage of life, they are incredibly capable of making an unbelievable difference in the lives of those around them. They have the ability to experience, build and shape community.

This idea is evident throughout Romans 12 (which I highly suggest checking out), as we are challenged to honor God in all we do, actively serve Him with the abilities we have been given, love others with genuine affection, and respond to those who would do us harm in a loving manner. This entire chapter sums up what it means to be the difference today through living out community the way it was intended.

Throughout all of my experiences here, I have grown and matured in what it means to truly serve others. I have been changed for the better through sharing life with you! I am thankful for the community experiences I have had with you thus far. Although I am leaving the Y, I am not leaving the Clark/Floyd County community. To that end, rather than saying goodbye and coming to the ending of our story together, I would like to think that through this change, we are simply beginning a new chapter. In this chapter, it is my hope and prayer that we will come to an even deeper understanding of what it is to experience community together.

I'm on a team...

It never fails that life gets crazy and I don't get to update my blog as often as I'd like! Anyway, this is the latest Community Corner editorial I wrote for the newsletter on the program I run at the Y.

The other day I was in the hallway at the Y and a maintenance staff member, whose name is also Adam, stopped me to show me a plaque he was carrying around. Now, before I tell you about the plaque, let me first tell you a little bit more about Adam. Adam initially came to the YMCA as part of Volunteers of America and volunteered to work at the Y. Since then, he has been brought on as a paid employee of the Y. A cool fact about Adam is that he won an award as athlete of the year through Special Olympics!

Adam is always coming up to other staff at the Y to talk, and he generally knows information about the programs they run. For instance, he’s always asking me about our Teen Night program, which is run by the Outreach Department. It never fails that when I see Adam, he asks me when the next Teen Night is going to be. To be honest, I’m not very good at remembering dates. So I usually tell Adam the date I think the next Teen Night is, which usually turns out to be wrong. 

How do I know it’s wrong? Because Adam tells me I’m wrong and then proceeds to tell me the correct date for the next Teen Night! In fact, instead of answering Adam about the date I think the next Teen Night is taking place, I turn the question around and have Adam tell me when the next Teen Night is taking place.

It never fails to amaze me how Adam is able to remember the dates of our programs. And it’s not just Outreach programs that he knows about and is interested in – he takes a genuine interest in just about every person he talks to and the job they do at the YMCA. Adam always wants to know who you are, what you do and why you do it. 

Even though he is a maintenance staff person, Adam understands that he plays a role that is bigger than just cleaning – he is part of a team. Adam not only takes an interest in the role that he plays on the team at the Y, but he also knows that the roles other members play are just as important. By showing interest in other people and what they do, Adam shows that it is vital to a team for everyone to understand that each person plays an important role.

This brings us back to the plaque that Adam was carrying in the hallway.

After telling me when the next Teen Night would be, Adam proudly held out the plaque he was carrying and told me how he had won it at the Polar Plunge the previous weekend. The plaque was for the best costume at the Polar Plunge – Adam proudly told me that he had dressed up like popcorn for the plunge and that the costume won first place.

I congratulated Adam on winning the plaque to which he replied, “I’m on a team.”  I was caught a little off guard, so I questioned, “On a team?”

“Yeah, I’m on a team. My team won this plaque. It wasn’t just me,” Adam responded.

This conversation was on my mind the rest of the afternoon, as Adam had just reminded me of something very important. See, a team consists of individuals. Individuals play different roles which advance the overall goal of the group. Being on a team means being part of something that takes on a meaning far greater than just the individuals – a team and its accomplishments cannot be attributed to just one particular individual.

Adam is well aware of this concept, as was seen in his response to my praise, as well as his approach to his work at the Y. The Bible also speaks about what it looks like to be part of a team in 1 Corinthians 12. Here Paul writes that followers of Christ, just like the human body, all have a different purpose or function. The fact that one part is different from another does not make it any less a part of the body; rather it allows each to play a unique role that contributes to the overall function and purpose of the body.

This concept of being on a team and being part of a bigger purpose in the body of Christ is essential to community. Community is best experienced when it is lived out with a collective of people who individually perform different functions, but all serve a greater purpose. For community to take place, it is absolutely necessary for us to recognize the roles others play and say “I’m on a team. It wasn’t just me.”

In recognizing the value of others, as well as the role that they play, we are able to fully understand the importance of what we do individually. We are able to elevate the condition of those around us. We are able find a more complete and Christ-centered view of what it means to experience community.

Don't Forget...(Updated)

For the most recent Community Corner article I wrote in the newsletter we publish for the program I run at the Y, I decided to update one of my previous blog posts titled "Don't Forget..." Within this article, I take a slightly different approach to the "Don't Forget..." concept and tie in community, as well as the 1 year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. 

My dad has always been a good source of unique trivia, weird quotes and advice with which I’m not quite sure what to do. Don’t get me wrong, he has passed on lots of fatherly wisdom and words of advice that continue to ring true in my life today. However, he also has a unique way of phrasing things and leaving me scratching my head wondering what he meant by what he just said.

For example, since the time I was in middle school, my dad would get this goofy grin on his face as he left me with one phrase before leaving for work every day: “Don’t forget...”

My answer was always “Don’t forget what?”

He would reply, as the grin grew bigger, “Just don’t forget...”

Huh?!?

For years this phrase has left me scratching my head. I’ve pondered and mused and engaged in deep thought over what I should not forget. In middle school, I would wonder what chore I had forgotten to do or what homework I had forgotten to turn in or if I had forgotten to zip the zipper on my pants!

While I did forget to do work around the house and turn in my homework on more occasions than I care to admit – and I would find I had forgotten to zip my zipper at the most embarrassing moments, like when I was trying to be smooth when talking to the girl I liked – I have found over time that those were not the things my dad was speaking about when he told me “Don’t forget…”

A little over a month ago was the one year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that rocked Haiti. This was an event which the whole world watched thanks to around-the-clock broadcasts of the devastation, as well as the aid that was pouring into the country. This aid came from foreign governments, as well as from many church and humanitarian organizations. However, as with all things, the coverage of Haiti slowly faded…

…and we forgot.

For the rest of the world, life went back to normal, but not for the millions of Haitians who lost loved ones, had their homes destroyed or their way of life taken from them in a matter of seconds.

However, stories of hope are rising up in Haiti in the form of still-ongoing relief efforts, as well as a people who have found ways to be innovative in making new lives for themselves. The school system has seen a huge overhaul and is working to function better than before. New churches are springing up all around the country, and old ones are seeing higher attendance than ever before.

However, a general theme is found in what Haitian people are saying to the rest of the world. The words spoken by the people of Haiti are simple: “Don’t forget…”

After years of wondering what my dad meant when he had spoken that simple phrase to me, I finally asked him a few years into my college career. As he looked at me, a genuine, heartfelt smile spread across his face as he slowly said to me

“Don’t forget…I love you.”

The love my father has shown me over the course of my life has shaped my view of community and the way I show love to others. See community does not forget to love because community is built around the idea of love.

The reason Haiti is seeing hope is due to the fact that people have not forgotten to take time to love. Community is being built in Haiti the same way it is built anywhere else – by showing the love to others which Christ showed to us. When we were at our worst, He did not forget us, nor will he ever forsake us. In fact, as we are called to pick up our crosses and follow Him, we are shown how to love the same way He loved us.

It’s through this process that our ability to love and experience community is built. Community relies on a love so strong that it does not forget those who are hurting and broken and in need. Community needs people who follow in the example of Christ to speak the words “Don’t forget…”

In the light of Christ’s unfailing love, may we truly come to a more complete understanding of what it means to experience community.

Diary of a Wimpy Man

Ok, its time for me to come clean - I am a wimp!

When I was in first grade, I cried on the playground when two other boys told me I couldn't play Cops and Robbers with them.

I don't like pain - I can handle it, but I don't like it.

I'm not huge on change - I prefer to be comfortable rather than feeling like I'm constantly having to adapt to a changing environment.

I have an irrational fear of being thrown into a pool while wearing a sweater - strange I know, but its one of my nightmares!

And, to get to what sparked this thought process, I have a tendency to think that when I have a bad day at work that I am "suffering for Christ." When I read verses like this 1 Peter 4:12 - "Dear friends don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you" - I think I can identify with the suffering that Peter is writing about.

However, Peter was telling them not to be surprised that Christians were being killed everyday. He was telling them not to be surprised when the heads of the martyrs were placed on stakes outside the city walls.

What I don't think he was telling them was to not be surprised when they face fiery trials, such as an annoying meeting at work or leadership who, at times, just don't seem to understand the big picture. I'm not a Biblical scholar, but I do feel pretty confident in saying that I don't think that's what Peter was referring to. Don't get me wrong, I think God cares about us even through annoying meetings and being thrown in a pool with a sweater on, but neither of these compares with the suffering Peter was explaining.

After a rough meeting this morning, my day was really put into perspective when I read an article in Relevant Magazine that was written by the pastor of St. George's Church in Baghdad, Iraq. (I'm not sure if I could fit any more links into one sentence.)

In the past year, this church of 3,700 members has seen 93 of its brothers and sisters martyred. That's almost 3% of its congregation who is no longer attending because they have lost their lives for the name of Christ!

In the month of December alone, a total of around 100 Iraqi Christians were killed.

St. George's has bomb barricades and armed guards who surround the church to keep it from being destroyed, and to keep its congregation and pastor from being killed.

I think the Iraqi Christians can identify very strongly with what Paul writes in Romans 8:36 - "As it is written, 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'" Yet, our brothers and sisters in Iraq are not shy about their faith. Many openly wear a cross around their neck. All of them are subject to a tax simply because they are not Muslim. All who wish to attend worship services must do so on a work day, as Sunday is not a traditional day off work in the Muslim world. Needless to say, it's very difficult for Christ-followers in Iraq to just "blend in."

The pastor of St. George's describes their willingness to stand for Christ this way: "In the midst of the difficulties we know without doubt our God is the only way..."

This sounds very familiar to what another writer said about facing very real, life threatening persecution for following Christ: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed." (Romans 8:18 - 19)

In Iraq, the children of God are not only revealed, but they are taking a stand. They have taken up their crosses daily. They are not surprised at the fiery trials they are going through. Rather, they fully understand that their present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in them.

So as I read that article this morning, I decided it was time to come clean - I am a wimp! I am truly humbled by seeing what our brothers and sisters are facing.

Yet I am encouraged by the fact that the same promises that hold true for the Christ-followers who suffer in His name daily hold true for me as well. For whatever reason, God has called us among His prized possessions. Even in our weakness, strength becomes evident as we place our full trust in Him. Even at the core of who I am - the wimpy, sweater-in-pool-hating man - God sees the potential for greatness and has called me His child.

And that gives rise to a hope that does not disappoint!

Muppets with People Eyes

Ok, ok I know its been forever since I've posted.

To clear up any confusion, no, I have not died! No, I did not move out of the country! No, I do not have an incurable illness (that I know about anyway)! No, zombies have not attacked...yet!

If you're anything like me, the holidays, which should be relaxing, only seem to be busier than usual. So there's my excuse for not blogging recently - I've been busy, ok?!? So get off my back about it!

I apologize, I over reacted there. But it has been a crazy month. I plan on blogging soon about some of the moments that have taken place over the past couple of weeks that have contributed to the craziness.

For now, I know most everyone enjoys a good laugh, especially when it contains a level of creepiness to it. I was on Relevant Magazine's website and found something that might just be creepier than when Michael Jackson said "It's not sexual, it's love!" when referring to his relationships with children. Well maybe not that creepy...its hard to get too much creepier than Michael Jackson!

Regardless, hope you enjoy!

FROM RELEVANT MAGAZINE:

Everyone knows that part of the appeal of the Muppets is their weird and innocent googly eyes. And that fact is proven by this website, which shows what Muppets would look like with human eyes. The one word answer? Terrifying ...

More Stories - Community Corner Editorial

It seems like I've been in a season of stories here recently. I don't know if its just me, but it also seems like a lot of other people have been as well. As I sat in church this past Sunday morning, Kyle Idleman's sermon was based on stories. He was teaching about Hebrews 11, which is full of stories of heroes of the faith. Kyle said that many times when we describe our faith, we use language of feeling rather than something tangible. Hebrews 11 is full of tangible, real stories that demonstrate authentic faith in God. So when referring to faith, Kyle said "We know faith must be  more than feeling, because if you're going to act in faith, God will call you to do things you don't feel like doing."

Kyle proposed the idea that we know faith is actually authentic when its tested. He goes on to say that "When I ask you if you have faith, what I'm asking for is a story." He also says that "faith always has a story attached to it."

I think faith always has a story attached to it because stories are such powerful tools for communicating concepts that cannot be understood any other way. Stories connect us in a way that nothing else can. Stories of faith are the story of God. As I've mentioned before, your story is my story and my story is your story because our story is God's story.

So to get to what I was actually intending to blog about today - here is the latest Community Corner editorial I wrote for the program I run at the Y. Its centered around - you guessed it - stories. More specifically, its centered around the idea that stories connect us to each other and build community. So without going on too much more, here's December's Community Corner:

I was watching the Today Show about a month ago while I was eating breakfast. They featured a story of a family from Arizona who had lost their daughter in a snowboarding accident the previous winter. A couple of YouTube videos that the 13 year-old girl had posted before her death showed that she had a very bubbly, loving personality. When hearing her parents speak of the accident, the pain and brokenness was evident in their voices. Why would such a tragedy take place to such a wonderful young person?

The family received what they believed to be an answer to this question the spring following their daughter’s death. The accident that had taken their daughter’s life had only affected her head and neck, so the family decided to donate her organs. 

Meanwhile, a mother of two children was in desperate need of a new heart after she began experiencing heart failure at the age of 40. After receiving the heart, the woman began searching for the family from whom the heart had come. After some time, the families were finally able to connect. It was obvious that both the parents of the teen who was involved in the accident, as well as the mother who had received the heart, had tremendous love for one another.

By this time tears were running down my cheeks. My heart broke for the family who had lost their daughter. The joy of giving and redemption in how the teen’s heart gave new life to another brought on tears of happiness. 

See, stories have tremendous power. In their truest form, they relate life in a way that we can all understand. They tell of heartache and fear, pain and tears, laughter and joy, life and love. They relate emotions with which we can all identify on some level. Stories tell us about community.

Community is built around stories. When we are open and honest enough to tell others of our trials and failures, as well as our successes and hope, we are allowing them into our lives in a more meaningful way. We are enabling our stories to intersect with others’ stories in such a way that neither person walks away the same. When I share my story with others, and others share with me, it is no longer my story or their story – rather it becomes our story.

A few weeks ago, our Y-CAP guys had the opportunity to share their stories with the group. This is always a day that changes and shapes the group in a way no other lesson could. The stories are powerful when they are shared with an audience who genuinely cares and wants to become part of that story. It was amazing to see guy after guy get up and tell stories of how disappointment, hurting and brokenness have been transformed into stories of hope.

There’s a reason why stories, when shared, go from just being about me to being about us. Our stories which tell of trials and end in redemption are the story of God. As humans, we live out God’s story every day as we are involved in the messiness of life, yet find redemption at the Cross. A recent article in Neue Magazine put it this way: “When we, any of us who have been transformed by Christ, tell our own stories, we’re telling the story of who God is.”

My story is your story and your story is my story because our story is God’s story.

As we enter the holiday season, take time to experience community by telling your story. Listen to others stories. Remember the ultimate story of redemption that began on Christmas, the holiday we celebrate to remember Jesus’ birth. It’s through this story of redemption that my story becomes your story and your story becomes my story. At the Cross, our stories intersect in the most meaningful way and lead to the truest form of community.

Great Thanksgiving Article

With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away now, most people are looking forward to one thing - all the great shopping deals they'll get on Black Friday.

While I'll admit that seeing the ads and the promises of a 52" Plasma HDTV for only 99 cents (ok, I'm exaggerating here), I feel like its at least worth taking the time to reflect on the significant rather than overlook it for the insignificant.

Relevant Magazine has published a great Thanksgiving article. Its definitely thought provoking and worth checking out if you get a chance.

So back to the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving - what we're thankful for.

I'm thankful for a family that provided a foundation upon which I can stand and grow. I'm thankful for parents who always pointed me to Christ in every situation I encountered growing up.

I'm thankful for pumpkin pie.

I'm thankful for an amazing fiance who has the mutual understanding that our relationship together is not possible without first having our full focus on God.

I'm thankful that my grandpa is recovering from heart surgery - which is nothing short of a miracle.

I'm thankful for the chaos that ensues at any family gathering we have. I'm thankful that every family gathering is not complete unless there are at least 50 people and 8 - 10 dogs.

I'm thankful for a church where I can grow in community and Christ.

I'm thankful that God has given me the opportunity to carry his message and reveal his love to those who are often neglected (because I know how I am so unworthy of this undertaking).

Looking at my life, I find I have so much to be thankful for. The list could go on and on and on and on and on and - well you get the point! Since Thanksgiving is a time for reflection and celebration on what we're thankful for, what are you thankful for?

Francis Chan Interview

Yesterday was an interesting day.

First, I woke up not feeling too great, only to find out I've got an ear infection and a sinus infection - but luckily its not all that bad. However, I guess its time to come clean and admit that when I get sick, I'm really whiny. I've had several girls tell me that they think all guys get really whiny when they get sick, including my fiance Ashley (who has a blog now by the way, you should check it out!)

However, I don't think that all guys are simply wimps about being sick the way girls want to make us sound. I've got a couple of theories on guys and sickness that might further explain why we become whiny. First, most of us have grown up with mothers who have taken care of us when we were sick as kids. Now that we've grown up, what's the next best substitute to a guy's mom taking care of him when he's sick? You guessed it - his wife or girlfriend!

The next theory I have for why guys are really whiny and kind of shut down for a day or two when they're sick is because we're always going and working hard. Now before I go any further, let me qualify this previous statement by saying that I'm not insinuating that women don't work hard. In fact, some of the hardest working people I know are females.

However, men tend to take on more of a role of a provider in their work. We also tend to let down our guard a lot less often. So when we get sick, its a chance to change our roles around, if only for a day. Instead of being the provider, we are being provided for. Instead of having our guard up, we let it down and allow our feelings and emotions to show a bit more.

While these theories are not completely exhaustive in explaining whininess among the male species when sick - and I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who can poke plenty of holes in these explanations - they're the best I have come up with so far. So women, take note - when a guy is sick, let him have a day or two and then things will get back to normal!

Back to my interesting day yesterday. Instead of staying home from work, I decided to suck it up and go in. I'm glad I did because not only did I get a lot of work done, but I had the opportunity to be challenged by a video that I watched and a blog that I read.

First, the video that I watch was an interview with Francis Chan. This interview is around 25 minutes long and is definitely worth checking out if you get the chance.

Next, my friend Charlie Landis wrote a great blog on the "What Ifs" of life. Essentially, it challenged me to take a look at my life and ask a lot of "what if" questions that I'm not sure I know the answer to.

In his interview, Francis Chan said something that really resonated with me. Chan said "When we do church in the corporate model we have right now...we find ourselves doing a lot of things other than discipleship and ministry." Chan reasoned that the biggest calling of Christ followers is to stay consistent with Mathew 28:19- 20 by going and making disciples. He went on to say that in ministry, in its traditional sense, there are a lot of activities that take place that are not consistent with going and making disciples. He said that he was finding that, in his life, ministry was actually beginning to mean spending less time in prayer, in the Word and in discipleship. This was something with which he was not pleased.

Now I don't work in ministry in the traditional sense of the word, but it really got me asking a lot of "What If" questions about the activities I do have to partake in as part of my work I do at the Y.  I find myself identifying with Chan in a lot of areas because, while some of the stuff I do is important, I'm finding more and more areas where I'm focusing too much energy on the wrong endeavors.

What if I spent less time trying to write life changing lessons and more time in authentic relationships with students that will change their lives?

What if I spent less time worrying and complaining about decisions our leadership makes and more time praying?

What if I spent less time reading sociology and psychology studies of youth development and more time in the Word?

What if I spent less time playing the political games that exist within our organization and more time in just being an authentic follower of Christ?

What if I had less conversations with students about going to college and more conversations about what it means to be a Christ follower?

As he said in his interview, Francis Chan noted that there's a lot of other stuff mixed into ministry that simply does not follow along with the model set forth in the Bible. Personally, I identify with him when he said that he has the desire to be liked. I find in my life, sometimes the desire to be liked in the work that I do can get in the way of doing the right thing for students. However, as Chan noted, "I don't know any popular prophets (in the Bible)."

The last contrast that Chan makes is between the church in America and the underground house churches in China. When some of Chan's friends who are pastors of underground churches in China came to the US, they made the following comparison:

In America, a lot of pastors feel they need to be famous in order to have influence and be effective.

In China, its exactly the opposite. The more influential Christians need to be more hidden and more underground. In essence, the more they are making disciples, the less famous they become.

However, I'm not sure this comparison is limited to just pastors in the US, but possibly Christ followers in all walks of life. In a lot of ways, many people place the desire to be known for something as a prerequisite to their contributions in following Christ. I know I find this tendency in myself more often than I'd like to admit. However, in His calling to us to take up our crosses and follow Him, Jesus is asking us to die to ourselves in order to bring more recognition to Him. Essentially, the less we are known, the more He becomes known.

This leads me to my final "What If" questions. What if I set all of my dreams, desires to be liked, need to be known and everything else aside? What if I gave everything I am to everything that Christ is? What if I allowed God to use me in every capacity that he originally intended to use me?

Stories

"My momma moved us up here from St. Louis right after my dad walked out because she wanted to get me out of the environment I was in there. It was really hard when we first moved up here because we were homeless. We moved from hotel to hotel, apartment to apartment."

"I described my father as a ghost, because that's exactly what he was in my life. He disappeared when I needed him the most and we never saw him again."

"Right before my mom and I moved up here from Compton (in LA), I was with my dad when he was shot. I was too young to know why it happened then, but my mother told me he was involved in dealing (drugs). That event has shaped me because its hard being 3 years old and watching your father die in the streets."

"At first, I didn't want to tell my story. I didn't think anyone else had been through what I've been through, but then I heard (the other guys) talking about how they were homeless and stuff. I thought I was the only one..."

While a lot of these stories sound like something one might read in a book or watch on a documentary about urban life. However, these are real stories from real high school students that live in my community. I know every one of the students who told these stories. Most of them are ages 15 - 17 and they have been through more in life than most people I know.

In the program I run at the Y for high school age guys, we just finished up a series titled Identity. Yesterday's lesson was "Story of You," where we gave the guys a chance to explore their identity by telling their story and understanding the role it plays in who they are now.

While some of the guys were more guarded and didn't really open up, others showed true emotion when they spoke of the events, people and places that had hurt them the most. They were telling of how painful, broken and dead some of our experiences in life can be. These guys who go all out on the basketball court and carry themselves with a tough persona through the halls of their schools, for one moment yesterday, let down their guard and opened up areas of their lives that they've tried so hard to hide.

One guy, who is really one of the most level headed and easy going guys I know, got up to tell his story. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Then a tear ran down his cheek.

Then another.

Then another.

Then he buried his head in his arms and started sobbing uncontrollably.

This guy told me later that his grandfather was very important to him, and had played a big role in shaping who he is today. He went on to tell me that he had been there to watch as his grandfather died from age and illness. He explained how he saw him laying in a hospital bed, only the shell of the man who he used to be.

Then I was able to share how I'm going through a similar experience with my grandfather now, who is in the hospital with a feeding tube in his side and hooked up to machines to stabilize his body and sustain life.

All of the sudden, our stories connected in a way that they hadn't before. Since we had been through  similar experiences with our grandfathers, we were able to connect on a level that previously hadn't been there. All of the sudden, this student's story became my story and my story became his story. Not only that, but our stories led to how we both have hope and trust that God carries us through these tough situations.

See that's the beautiful thing about God. He's one who restores and makes whole. He's a God who sees us in our hurting and brokenness and suffering and messiness of life - and He saved us when we were right in the middle of it all!

All of the sudden my story becomes your story and your story becomes my story because both stories are telling the story of God. God's story is lived out through us when we tell of our struggles, weaknesses and pain. See this is God's story because "at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died" for us.

Everything changes as our stories that include so much heartache and suffering turn into this beautiful picture of redemption. Christ changes everything.

As I sat and listened to the stories these students told yesterday, my heart broke for them. I was feeling this pain with them because its part of the role we were called to by Christ. It is essential to put ourselves in suffering alongside others because it is exactly what Christ did for us when he left the perfection of Heaven to come to earth and bring the hope of God's redemption. In coming alongside these guys to walk through their struggles, part of their story had become my story.

My story is God's story because at just the right time, He saved me. This is true for any other Christ follower. And to take that a step further, as Christ followers, our stories intersect at the cross. This is where our redemption takes place. We are made new in Christ. No longer are we defined by the pains, trials and brokenness of life, but we have a new story to tell.

When our stories intersect in such a beautiful way as that of the cross, your story becomes my story and my story becomes your story because our story is God's story.

Living in the Background

Here recently, its been evident to me that God is really trying to speak to me in a specific area of my life - following Him no matter what the cost. See I don't think I'm alone in the way I tell God that I'll follow Him and surrender to Him and give up everything I am in pursuit of all that He is...but so often I find that I'm only halfheartedly committing to Him. Rather, what I'm showing God through my actions is that I'll do whatever He wants as long as it works for me.

As long as I'm comfortable.

As long as it doesn't interfere with my schedule.

As long as I'm still financially secure.

As long as what I think He would want me to do in life is actually what He wants from me.

Kyle Idleman recently taught on this topic in a sermon at Southeast Christian Church. During this sermon, Kyle said something that made a lot of sense in my life - in fact I'm pretty sure he had me in mind when he wrote this sermon. In so many words, he said the way we approach following God's will is like this: "God I want what you want as long as what you want is actually what I want."

And I'm sad to say that I've found myself in this boat a lot here recently. From the decisions I've made at work to how I've handled some situations with friends and family, its become increasingly evident to me that I'm not only selfish in a lot of ways, but I've failed to let God guide me in those situations. I've gotten in my head only a few possibilities of what God needs from me in my life and I'm content to exist in these few possibilities because they are comfortable for me.

Kyle goes on in his sermon to say that God is so much more concerned with the "who" rather than the "what." That is to say He is more concerned with WHO we are than with WHAT we do.

If we are totally committed, all in and sold out to following him.

If we are men and women who are after His heart.

If His love for us and our love for Him are the motivating factors behind everything we do.

All of these factors play into more of who we are rather than what we do. Again, I have to say that when looking at my own life, I'm more concerned with the what rather than the who - that is to say I would rather know more about what God wants me to do rather than who He needs me to be. I think I'm beginning to find that the reason behind this is because when I focus on the WHO, I find that I'm failing miserably.

See I'm starting to discover that when I focus more on who God needs me to be rather than what He wants me to do, I realize that I have a lot of work to do. I have a lot of my life that needs to be surrendered, and I need to live in the BACKGROUND rather than in the spotlight.

The words to the LeCrae song Background - linked above - resonate so strongly with where I am right now. I'm realizing  that so many desires I have in life are there because they're what I want - and what I think God wants - for my life. However, I'm seeing that what God wants is not always exactly what I think it is. I'm finding that when I focus more on being the man God wants me to be, the more He'll be able to use me doing what he needs me to do - whether that is ministry in the church or in the Y or wherever else He leads me.

As I've been seeking God's will and what he wants me to do in life, I'm finding more and more that if I would simply die to myself - surrendering everything I am to find everything He is - I will find He has something so much greater in store for me than I could ever imagine. As I start to live in the background and let God take the spotlight, I'm content with the idea that what I want may not necessarily be what He wants for me. And as I'm continuing to die to myself, I'm more comfortable with saying to God: "Whatever you want - even if what you want isn't what I want."

Awkward Family Pictures

First, I cannot claim this idea as my own...no I have to thank my friend Charlie Landis for this glorious burst of creativity!

In the program that I run at the Y, we are getting ready to start a new lesson series titled IDENTITY. The whole idea of the series is understanding who we are as people and all of the different dynamics that are in play in defining who we are as people. The first lesson in the Identity series is titled "All in the Family," which explores the role families play in shaping people's outlook on life.

After lunch yesterday, Charlie gave me the great idea of finding awkward family photos to show as part of the lesson. We are going to use these as an intro to illustrate that all families are different. These are so hilarious, I thought I'd share some of the better ones the internet has to offer. Hope you enjoy!

We're all special...in our own ways.

"Mom, I've gotta pee!" "Well we're taking the picture anyway...whether you're in it or not!"

Did they realize the creepy man was in their picture?

Wait a second, we forgot to invite Goldilocks for the family picture!

Can we get a consensus on the dress code, please?

4 generations of mustaches

Dad, I'll look angry while you flex!

Can you hurry up and just take it already?

Do you have a special someone in your life?

If you're going to act like that, we don't want you in the picture.

Grandpa: "Well if you'd cut your hair, then we'd be able to see everyone in the picture!"

Let's see your best lion look!

"Mom, I tried to tell you there's something wrong with dad!"

"Look back at me mean. Like a...like a dragon"

As I was saying, we are using these pictures to illustrate the differences in family dynamics and how that feeds into who we are today - and lets be honest here - they are hilarious!

Since we all come from different family backgrounds, its good to recognize the things about our families that make us unique. So what is something strange, quirky or otherwise bizarre that your family does? Better yet, do you have any family pictures that rival these for the most awkward of all time?