Bet you can't

So you know that song "Sweet Caroline" by Neil something or other- I bet you can't not say "Bum, Bum, Bum" right after the part where he goes "Sweet Caroline..."
Don't believe me? Try it. Go down to my playlist at the bottom of the page and click on the last song in the list.
I'm just sayin- I bet you can't.

I did it.

I feel like I look like that guy Phil Stacy from American Idol last year.

Okay, so I got tired of my hair. Money is gone. Mom is gone. My only hope was to cut it myself. I did it. And it's okay because I know that Jesus still loves me.
And thank you to all who have told me that I have a nice-shaped head. That means a lot to me.

So what I'm trying to say is...

At her feet he sank,
he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he fell- dead.
Judges 5:27


Don't ask me. Ask Samuel when you see him in heaven.

Envying Bigger Trees

Sometimes I get it into my mind that our church should be BIG. I hope that the root of it is a desire to see more people come to know Christ- but I also know myself well enough to know that my ego is at play. I wonder how often my disappointment with the size of the crowd has distracted me from ministering to the crowd- the crowd that God has granted. The following words were encouraging to me- once again from my good friend (though he doesn't know it yet) John Piper.


Posting by John Piper on Desiring God's website:

There are saving works that God will only do through small churches and ordinary people, not through large churches and more sophisticated people.

The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" (Judges 7:2)

Beware of missing your appointed fruit by envying bigger trees.

"Oh this is not good."

I got that sick feeling in my stomach, turned to my friend Jonathan and said "Oh this is not good."
The following is the retracing of the moments right before those words slipped out of my mouth:
I watched her take her shirt off, only to reveal a pin-striped shirt underneath- a referee.
Before that she sat down to put on her basketball shoes.
Before that she walked into the gym.
Before that I was relieved because I didn't think I would have to see her again.
Before that I thought, "People like you."?
Before that she said to me as I got out of the car, "Excuse me sir- I thought you would have seen my blinker. I had my blinker on the entire time. I thought you were going to run me off the road!" I tried to be apologetic and polite. But she kept on. And I kept nodding and listening. "You were driving dangerously. You need to slow down. We are both trying to get to the same place- I don't understand people like you."
Before that she rolled down her window in the parking lot.
Before that I got really nervous.
Before that I saw her pull up in the parking lot.
Before that I got out of my car.
Before that I tried to lose her behind me because I realized I had just probably really ticked someone off.
Before that I saw the SUV turn right- right behind me.
Before that I passed the SUV.
Before that I thought that the person in front of me must be lost.
Before that I was wondering what the car in front of me was doing. It had it's right blinker on, but was not in the turning lane.
Before that I noticed that it was going really really slow. I began to think that this person must either be really old or must be really lost.
Before that I exited off of the Highway within the flow of traffic. I am not a tailgater- I am a good driver.
Before that I was in a hurry. I had to be there before tip-off for our basketball game.

In a nutshell: I accidentally ticked off a lady in traffic. She followed me to tell me about it. I tried to play a basketball game and forget about it. She wouldn't let me forget about it, because she was refereeing our game. Like I said, "Oh this is not good."

I was reading a friend's blog who was reading a friend's blog and this is what I found:

This is truly fantastic. Laughoutloudfantastic.
Thanks for sharing Rob (and Rob's friend).
Click here. You won't regret it.

One Night in Hail

When alone and other things...

When I am alone, sometimes I will scream really really loud. Sometimes in the car. Sometimes at home. I like it because I don't get to do it very often- and no one can really hear me.
And one more thing. Sometimes I wish I was a bald eagle. Or at least some kind of a bird so I can fly. I tend to think that that would be a lot of fun.

Across the Chasm

I have become a Lazogger. (That's Lazy Blogger mixed together). I think it's because I am tired. Or maybe it's that I am mentally drained right now. I started to look through some of my old blogs that I never published and I ran across this poem that I wrote on December 7 of last year. It brought back so many memories- good and bad. It reminded me of many things- the main thing being that only what is done for Christ will count. I don't know if this poem will make sense to you- it was mainly for me. I remember last December being surrounded by people, yet feeling alone. I had lost 2 good friends and our baby within a few months. I felt like I was standing on one side of the Grand Canyon with my friends and child on the other side- and I knew I couldn't see them until I crossed. It felt like it was way too far away- and it was too difficult of a journey to get there.


I stand at the edge
the chasm seems too deep
too dangerous
too wide
i begin to lose hope
i am shook by separation
my friends
my child
they have flown
but i know where they are
on the other side i know
i must get there i must
but i can't get there alone

i know the One who has done it
i will go with Him

this walk along the edge seems too much
too rocky
too scary
but i hear their voices across the chasm
"just cross it, you must!"
"almost here!"
"take heart!"
"be strong!"
"don't give up!"

i am breathless my eyes mist
The One whispers, "Listen to them."

"what we talked about- it's visible!"
i smile.
"only what is done for christ will count!"
i nod, hands back on the plow.

"in the end the King will take your hand,
cross the chasm
and we will be here.
your scrapes-
your bruises-
your tears-
they'll be gone.
And we will sing loud together again, old friend.
It won't be long."

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK

Just finished watching the game. Unbelievable. Go Jayhawks. Go Big 12.
ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!

Look to the Skies...

Sunday

I had an absolute blast on Sunday. I feel really blessed to be a part of a church that genuinely cares for one another. I have attended several churches and I have served at a few churches now, but I can honestly say that Rockway Church is the most compassionate group of people I have ever been a part of. It's always awesome when you baptize people at church- but it is especially awesome when you feel like you really know them. The synergy that was felt on Sunday morning when we baptized 3 kids and 5 adults was incredible. Imagine the scene: Everyone standing around a portable baptistry in a middle school hallway. Cramped. Many with cameras and camcorders. Tears. Laughter. Authentic cheers. Cold water. Loud applause. Big smiles. Visiting families. A group of people intimately connected by a great King- Jesus Christ is his name. It was a taste of Heaven. I look forward to experiencing more days like that one. And I know that one day it will be for good- the experience will last forever. Neverending. Neverending cheers. Neverending applause. Neverending praise. Neverending love. Neverending relationships. Neverending King.

Days like Sunday make me so happy to be doing what I am doing. It makes me think- the church has such a responsibility- a responsibility to show the world how great and glorious Jesus Christ is.

AW Tozer writes, ""The heaviest obligation lying upon the Christian Church today is to purify and elevate her concept of God until it is once more worthy of Him- and of her. In all her prayers and labors this should have first place. We do the greatest service to the next generation of Christians by passing on to them undimmed and undiminished that noble concept of God which we received from our Hebrew and Christian fathers of generations past. This will prove of greater value to them than anything that art or science can devise."

I pray we are faithful in our understanding, in our pursuit, and in our teaching of God.