Friday, February 19, 2010

"Look within myself"

I just finished listening to Tiger Wood's "apology" address. He said all the right things, not read very well but I came away incredibly sad - for him. Not because of what he did or his fall from grace or his effect on this nation & this world, but because he can't beat it.

Simply because he can't beat it.

He said that he was raised Buddhist, which honestly I had forgotten, and it in this spirituality that he needed to reconnect - to himself. But where did these desires come from? Where did they originate? From within himself.

Tiger has been & will continue to attempt some behavioral modification, & he may be successful in his efforts, but it will not change who he is, & I don't say that to condemn him. He may be able to change but his soul will stay empty, the same way mine was, & all of ours were until we accept our need for a Savior.

This behavioral modification is what we Christians try as well, what we depend on many times, whether we realize it or not, to draw us into the favor of Christ. Because I have believed, all of my sins are forgiven, not by anything I have done.

Behavioral modification doesn't bring me to Christ, it is a result of drawing closer to Him and understanding in different ways at different times what His ways are. It takes love & trust in Him that as Creator His way is the best way. What that means is His Laws are meant for my joy and my satisfaction in Him, & He is most Glorified when I am most satisfied in Him.

He is most Glorified when I am most satisfied in Him.

When was the last time I meditated on His Law all night long - or I loved Him so much that His Law was sweeter than honey?

Usually that honey is diluted by coffee & creamer now-a-days.



Psalm 119:97,103

97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

(I hope & pray the Spirit moves in Tiger's life & so many others like him)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I love my wife

She is amazing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - She is fun

She is freaking hot - - - - - - - - - - - -She likes to just hang out

She is great with Lincoln - - - - - - - - -She is a phenomenal cook

She is Godly

She is incredibly sexy - - - - - - - - - - She is great @ getting it all clean

She can wail on the rock band drums - - - -She loves her family

She is the most beautiful thing that has been placed on this earth

She is funny - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - She is creative

She is learning to sew - - - - - - - - - - She can scrapbook with the best

She is the best friend someone could have

She is my standard of beauty - - - - - - - She is pure of heart

She is a very smooth skier - - - - - - - - She is terribly loving

She is my love - - - - - - - - - - - - - - She is my lover

- - - - - - - - - - She is mine - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - -I love my wife!- - - - - - - - -

Monday, February 1, 2010

Interview w/ Pastor Brad House

I was blessed and fortunate enough to have a conversation this past Thursday afternoon with Pastor Brad House from Mars Hill Church - Seattle. He is the Lead Community Pastor up there and was gracious enough to give me 30 minutes, which was gone before it started in my opinion. Here are some of the highlights of that interview.

There were two things that intrigued me the most, the two things that resonated throughout every question I asked: The system is about pastoral care for every leader and every leader is essentially considered a pastor. It is easy to see how the Acts 29 Church Planting Network has effected the philosophy at Mars Hill, and I love it!

I asked Pastor Brad about identifying leaders to which his response was, "see them in action." He explained that they use apprenticeship and testing before they release leaders to have groups in their neighborhoods, a great leadership principle that I learn more & more almost everyday.

We talked about inspiring & encouraging those he works with to which he responded with Vision. Keep the vision in front of leaders as to why Community is so important, and with that give them ownership with their group or the leaders they work with. Cast Vision at a big level and let it trickle down, mingled with everything that you do then give leaders freedom to work it out where they are how they believe would be best for their group. Another leadership principle.

I could go on & on about this, the little details that plague my mind but I'm sure the 3 people that have read to this far are no where near as interested as I am. Hopefully you just want it to work, & that is what I want, for Community to be effective and life changing, drawing us closer together and closer to Christ.

Thing is, this is what I am passionate about (as if that is not incredibly obvious), I could talk about it all day and to have had the brief opportunity to talk with someone like Pastor Brad is a tremendous treat that needed to come out somehow - and these are my "Rambling Thoughts" so, there you go!