From the Heart

Most Important Day of My Life?

2012-01-26T21:03:00.001-06:00

So I'm sitting here and my wife is watching American Idol that she has DVR'd. I am working on my lesson for Sunday, and at times my mind wanders to what is happening in the TV. It is amazing just how many people sink all their hopes and dreams into this one event. One lady said this may be the most important day of my life.

I had to pause and consider that for a moment. How many of us are pinning all our hopes and dreams on that one and important day, the most important day of our lives. Here is the reality, today is the most important day of your life. Today is the only day we are promised. Today is the day to make the most important, to make the best. It is not graduation day, the day you turn 16, 18 or 21, it is not your wedding day or the day your children are born, the most important day is today.

So go...do good, love with reckless abandon, and be faithful to what God has created you for!

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My Next Thirty Years....

2012-01-17T23:09:00.001-06:00

Seems like there is a country song that starts like that. About two weeks ago I turned 36. I can safely say that 40 no longer looks as old as it used to...I would say that this depresses me but it does not. I have seen a lot of things and done even more in my first 36 years, I wonder what the next 30 or so will hold. I am immensely blessed and cannot imagine life any differently. Every time I think about how green the grass looks on the other side of the fence I am reminded that this is the side that God intends for me to be on.

Some times I wish I knew the future, how certain things will work out but perhaps it is best that I do not. Here are some things I hope for in my next 30...I hope I am a good dad to Isaac. I hope I am a better husband to Olsa. I hope I can be faithful to the calling God has placed in my life. I hope I am honorable and treat everyone with the respect they deserve and need. I hope more than anything though that the love of God that lives in me never departs and is always available when the world needs to see it the most.

May your day be blessed!

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Happy Birthday my son...

2011-10-14T07:02:00.001-05:00

I think it may be an extreme understatement to say that life is going to change today. For many years my wife and I have been anticipating a child. God has now blessed us now with a son. Today we will make the trek to the hospital and Isaac will be delivered via c section. We covet your prayers that everything goes well. This week has been a blur for me, so much I needed to accomplish, yet my mind was not quite on anything.

Stress has also become a more prevalent feature this week. I have not always dealt with it well, but am doing my best. I am humbled by the notion that in just a few hours I will be holding my baby boy. I will be holding a blank slate. A life that God has given to Olsa and I to mold and make. To love and care for, to prepare for life. Now that is scary!

I fully aware of the many people in our life that will love him too. People that will walk with us along this path and support us in the process. I know this will be an adventure, and I can't wait to get started. If you follow me on twitter (@joshuawhitson) check regularly for updates starting around noon, and I will also post to Facebook with pics and messages. Again pray for us.

At this moment more than any, the words of Robert (one of our leaders at CP) come to mind. "When a baby is born, it is a sign that God has not given up on us yet." Today this will happen many times here in Nashville, and so God is continually renewing his creation. But this one is a little more special...at least to me!

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What now....

2011-09-29T16:11:00.001-05:00

Well another baseball season has come and gone. September will go down as the worst in Red Sox history. When people think of great gaffes, no longer will they think of Buckner and him letting the ball roll through his legs at first base. Instead they will talk about the great collapse of September 2011. Where the Red Sox blew a 10 game lead in the wild card standings and missed the playoffs.

More than once today someone has said to me....there is always next year. Which is true, the sun still came up this morning even after watching that train wreck last night. And yes there is always next year, and if Epstein wants my input I have a few suggestions as to how to put a better product on the field next year. Task number 1 (in case he reads my blog) is pitching, Papelbon needs to go. We also need one or two more starters and some better mid-relief. Even though Aceves did a good job, he cannot do it all.

This morning though was a test of who are true followers and who are merely fans. Today as I picked out what I was going to wear I made a choice to wear my Red Sox t-shirt and I also donned my Red Sox visor. Because if you support a team, you support them when they are winning and even more so when they are losing. I have already received some flack for the loss (from my family mostly) but a blown chance at the post season won't drive me away.

So now what...I am thankful for football season. I have lots to watch and 3 fantasy football teams to keep up with. The real issue will be what to do once football season is over....but it won't be long and the pitchers and catchers will be reporting again. As the playoffs move forward I guess I will support Rangers, hoping they beat both the Yankees and Rays.

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Two Years

2011-09-16T10:27:00.003-05:00

Facebook randomly picks old status posts to show you. Right now it is trending 2009 on my profile. My status on this day two years ago was...Well, the brace is off, and I sure am a lot weaker than I remember. 12 weeks in a back brace may have allowed my back to heal and strengthen, but the rest of the muscles in my torso went to mush....I am relieved to have it off though.

The picture here is of me in that brace at Stallworth Rehab Hospital. In reality 2 years is not a long time, but it feels like a lifetime since that long summer. Days like today, with these reminders, I am extremely thankful for many things. I am thankful for my health. I still have many aches and pains, especially when the weather changes but overall I am in good shape. I still remember many of those people who I rehabbed beside that were not going to get much better. Puts things in perspective.

I am thankful for my friends and family that walked along side Olsa and I as I healed. Those who made things, wrote things, and were just present, all of this I am thankful for today. I am most thankful for my wife and her help and constant care during that time. Why things happen will or may always be a mystery. And I guess I could certainly question why that tree fell at that moment and changed four lives forever, but I know the end result. The end result is that in the midst of the bad things in life God was and is glorified.

Pressure

2011-09-15T15:40:00.004-05:00

We all love to see pictures like this from the Little League World Series. The jubilant players running the bases headed toward victory. I think it reminds us of the excitement we had when we were kids. It reminds us what joy and happiness really looks like.

I grew up playing little league. Well, I played two or three years and I was put out in the outfield where no balls where usually hit. I could generally find something to occupy my time, rarely was it baseball. I enjoyed the camaraderie of being on a team and such. I do not really remember but I don't think we were very successful. We never even neared the level of these teams that play for the World Series crown. Perhaps I was the weak link on my team...

I enjoy baseball, most who know me know this to be a fact. I like sitting down and watching these young stars play the game very well. Cheering is always easy when you are winning. But I am concerned about the pressure it puts on these kids. For some the entire weight of a nation is placed on their backs. They are sent forth with the duty of representing their country and bringing home that crown. That is a tremendous amount of pressure to place on an 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, etc. year old kid.

There is no way they can fully grasp the magnitude of these moments in their life. Nor can they adequately process how their parents and fans will respond. Yes there is always disappointment when they lose, and their should be the expectation that they will do their best and win. But pictures like this should cause us to pause and think. Is the long lasting effects of this loss on this kid worth it?

Yes, I know life is going to be filled with pressure and ups and downs for all of these kids. There is no way to escape it. There is no way to shield them forever. And yes they need to learn how to deal with and process it, but perhaps the international stage is not the place for it.

The reality of life is that the pressure can become immense. Often we feel like we are being crushed under the weight of life. There are no outs, no end in sight, work keeps piling up, etc. Never get trapped there. The most important thing you can do is find someone and talk about it. Allow someone in so they can give you a fresh perspective and a brighter outlook. Otherwise burnout is just around the corner....but that is a discussion for another time.

Arm Chair Quarterbacks

2011-08-02T16:15:00.002-05:00

The phrase "Arm Chair Quarterbacks" is used to describe those who watch football on the weekends and who always think they could do better than the quarterback, coach or the rest of the team for that matter. There is always one on every crowd, and I, myself, seem to fall into this role at times. Especially when the Red Sox are playing, might I add they are on fire at the moment...best record in the majors for the month of July. I do not think it is any coincidence that my son, Isaac, will be born in October the same month that the World Series will be played. What was I talking about....

Recently there have been many things happening in the country and the world that everyone seems to have opinions about. In this country our government officials have been battling over a debt ceiling and whether to raise it or not. I am 35 years old and this is the first time I have heard the terminology 'debt ceiling'. The cynical part of me wants to believe it is such a big deal now because we are heading into a major election year, but I also know it is a big deal regardless.

As the debate has raged on in Congress and the White House, the airwaves and Internet have been blown up with opinions supporting all the positions. Every Joe on the street thinks they have the best solution and that if it is not done the way they think then the opposition is uneducated and hates the children of America. While I may not agree with all politicians or any politicians for that matter, I know this...they have a job to do. I do not believe any of them take it lightly. Although they all may do a lot of posturing and apparent double speak in front of the cameras, they still have to look at themselves in the mirror and accept what is looking back.

One of the other issues getting a lot of play on the Internet right now is the investigation into the crash of Air France flight 447 that crashed after it departed Rio De Janeiro for Paris on June 1, 2009. Much speculation has surrounded this crash. The plane seemingly disappeared while flying through stormy weather. Debris was finally found floating on the ocean. Little has been know until recently when the black boxes were discovered on the sea floor and are now being analyzed.

I have been following the crash and the subsequent investigation. It seems that almost daily new reports are coming out about what did or did not happen. Just this morning there was a story talking about the conversation between the pilots during the last few minutes of the flight. The makers of the plane want to blame the pilots. The airline wants to blame the airplane. In reality the end result will be a mix of those two positions. Regardless of who is blamed for the crash 228 people lost their lives that night. The pilots did the best they could and demonizing or questioning them at this point will not bring anyone back. This reality does not quiet the aviation message boards that are lit up with, sometimes, ugly discussion and finger pointing.

It begs the question, why is there always a rush to tear down those with whom we disagree? Why the rush to assess blame and point fingers. Now I am not suggesting a blind eye be turned and truth not be brought to light so plane crashes can be prevented and crippling debt will not be visited on our children and grand children. What I am suggesting is that somewhere in the process we have forgotten how to disagree and still be civil. We have forgotten how to be friends in spite of our differences. We have forgotten that at the end of the day there is but one important thing, God and his kingdom. Once we lose sight of our roles as ministers of reconciliation we lose sight of what really matters. May God forgive us!

Other's Toys

2011-07-15T11:05:00.001-05:00

Going to the beach is always an interesting event here. From the old men and their speedos, the old women and their bikinis, to the younger generations with their own unique ideas of 'style'. To be fair it is the same when you go to an American beach. I remember a few years ago being at Panama City Beach with my family and seeing a guy wearing a thong, that's right a guy in a thong. And I think I would take an old guy in a speedo any day to a dude in a thong.

Anyway, whenever we come we bring various beach toys and floaties for us to use while we are here and then leave then here. A few days ago we went to the beach, we had all our stuff setting out, the kids were playing and then this couple came and sat down near us. They had a young son, probably 3 or 4. They brought toys with them for him to play with but he saw one thing in particular that we had that he wanted.

We purchased these water guns that are simply made, whoever came up with them made a mint. They are simple yet extremely fun. He saw the kids playing with them and wanted them. He would come over and try and get them and his mom would bring him back and try to interest him in his toys. But he wanted none of his toys. He just would not be satisfied until he had what he wanted.

Now this mentality can be both good and bad. It can be bad because we are never satisfied. For most of us, our lives are consumed with stuff. And we keep buying more and more stuff, because we can never seem to be satisfied with what we have. Marketing people have this figured out and love the fact the we have insatiable appetites. I am always amazed at how 'simple' life here is in Albania. Do not read that as a negative either, because they are happy and satisfied. They like being together and enjoying life. I think we, Americans, are missing the boat here and we are engendering this bad mentality in the next generation.

There is a positive here though. Being satisfied lends itself to becoming complacent. It lends itself to a life that is less than full or fulfilling. It ought to be no secret that God has created you for something specific and your life will seem less than full and satisfying until you live into the reality. So in a very real sense God lets a feeling of un-satisfaction dwell in our hearts until we seek and find his will for us. Until then we will always be looking at other people’s stuff, life and accomplishments and wanting to be them instead of us.

A Giant In My Own Mind

2011-07-03T13:43:00.001-05:00

From my first visit to Albania I have always stuck out like a sore thumb. I am, this is no secret, a large man. My height alone makes me an imposing person, but add to that my weight and I become a bit of a, for the lack of a better term, freak here. My first visit this was very hard for me to over come. I always felt like people were staring and laughing at me.

I have always felt a certain awkwardness that comes with being larger than most. Growing up I deflected this through humor I rationalized in my mind that if I could get people laughing at my jokes or crazy behavior then all attention would be diverted from anything else. Those of you who know me know that I still like to joke around and cut up and I guess this is carry over from my younger years.

I am smaller now than I have ever been since I have been coming to Albania. Yet I still find myself always looking around and checking to see who is looking at me and if they are making fun. I do not guess I will ever outgrow this feeling of insecurity that I have. It is one of those things I have just gotten used to and try to work around.

The bottom line is that as a child of God I should live into the reality that he loves me in spite of my outward appearances. Each and everyone of us is a unique creation of God. He loves us whether we are tall or short, large or small, white or black. Of course there are things about my appearance that I will never be satisfied with but how I look does not determine my self worth nor my standing with God. At some point I will have to get over the fact that I am a giant, especially if it is just in my own mind.

Friendship, Family, and more...

2011-07-03T13:38:00.002-05:00

As most of you know Olsa, Najada and I are in Albania for the next three weeks. We spent the first day with one of Olsa's best friends and her family. Her along with Olsa's uncle met us at the airport when we arrived. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they all reconnect after being absent, physically, from one another for over three years. From the moment they saw each other, they hugged, kissed and shed some tears, then the conversations started and and have not stopped since. Except for sleep, I think.

This got me thinking about relationships and how they truly make life worth living. Many of these people I have only met or seen six times and have spent very little time with, but they treat me as family all because of their relationship with Olsa. This should be a signal to those out there who think that life can successfully be lived alone. Now I am not referring to whether one gets married or not, I am referring to deep personal relationships that can obviously happen in or out of marriage.

Jesus, especially in the book of John, spoke about the importance of friendship. Paul, modeled excellent friendship in his relationship with Barnabas. So it seems to be a reality that friendship is something that we should all seek to have, both as the giver and receiver of the blessings.

The Friday night we arrived here, we all went out and sat on the balcony of a nice restaurant and had an excellent meal. I could not help but get caught up in the wonderful time everyone was having, even though I could not hardly keep up with the conversation. I sat back at one point and peered out into the night sky, looking at the stars. As the laughter roared around me I thought of many of you at home who I a proud to call my friends. I look forward to see you again or hearing from you again in a few weeks. If you are devoid of any real relationships its time to start building them because life is much better with them.

Two Years...

2011-06-22T23:10:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday I took a short ride north of town to Valley View to spend a little bit of time with the campers from HYM that were enjoying their week of summer camp. I did not make the trek this year to Valley View, instead I took my small group and went to Horn's Creek in Cleveland, TN.

Upon arriving at camp I noticed some improvements that had been made since the last time I had been there. Most notably, to me, was the hill side that had been cleared off behind the dining hall and the parking lot/drive way. I went inside and had lunch with them and then slipped out so I could survey the hillside and tree that had almost taken my life two years ago. You see today, June 22nd, is exactly two years since that night.

The picture above shows all that remains of that tree. The last time I was on site most of the tree was still laying in the edge of the woods, but now all has been cleared away and just the stump is left. I walked up the little hill and looked all around it. I took three or four pictures and marveled. The tree was huge at the base and is still charred black from where the lightning struck it. There are many times when I recall the difficult time that ensued this accident.

Just the other day I went to a local hospital to see a lady who was in SICU following heart surgery. I knew going in that she was still on a ventilator and was in extreme pain. Now I go to hospitals a lot and see people in various dispositions of pain, but something struck me a little differently this time. As I walked through the ICU a strange feeling washed over me and as I walked into her room and saw her struggling with the breathing tube I was right back there in ICU myself all over again.

I got a little aggravated at myself because I felt like I was past it and should have been able to handle that situation. I went back again today to see the lady, they had removed the tube but she was still in tremendous pain. I feel for people in that place, as I walked through the ICU I could not help but peer into each room and wonder what pain was filling them. I am not sure I will ever fully be over it or past those feelings that creep in from time to time.

Whenever I sit and ponder the accident and the days that followed strange things often come to mind. Like I can distinctly remember waking up Tuesday morning, the morning after the accident, and slowly looking to my right to the bed beside mine. I was in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt and was in a large room with many beds separated only by curtains. In the bed to my right was the nurse from camp who was in the accident too. She had a neck brace on and was this unable to turn her head but I saw her looking at me. We made eye contact and she asked me how I was doing. By sheer instinct I said, "I'm okay", I then chuckled a little realizing the humor and said, "I'm okay as I can be".

And that is the truth, I'm okay as I will ever be. I have aches and pains that come and go with the change of the seasons and evidently I have some emotional scars that rise and fall at certain times. But nonetheless, I am okay, because regardless of how bad it was God was there with me then and he his here with me now.

The Perfect Fit

2011-05-23T09:25:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I have a few quirks. That was a rhetorical statement, no comment needed. Whether it be my love for corn nuts and chocolate milk, my affinity for shoes or my love for odd sitcoms like Scrubs. I have the same level of attachment to my hats that I do to shoes. I have a wide selection of hats. Many of them I do not wear because they do not fit well. You see I am always searching for the perfectly fitting hat. It is a lot like shoe shopping. I have learned that if the hat does not fit right in the store then it will never fit right. I have made that mistake more than once with both shoes and hats.

Every once in a while I find that perfectly fitting hat. When I do I will wear it out. I have done this with more than one Boston hat. They generally feel best once they are faded and about a year old. I am currently without that perfectly fitting hat, I have pretty good Boston hat right now and I recently purchased a nice Sounds hat. But neither of them fit the bill of fitting perfectly.

This idea came into my head today as I watched an IMAX movie about the perfect wave in Tahiti. It was a really interesting movie that featured the world surfing champion and a local surfer from Tahiti. The local is known worldwide and he won't take just anyone out to surf the 'demon' wave. At one point they were sitting on the shore waiting because the waves were just not coming that day. He basically said you just have to be patient because you cannot control the waves.

Now if you have read this far you may be shaking your head because perhaps you expected more than a lecture on patience. But I think that is here we find ourselves. Waiting and being patient are in short supply in our 'me' focused world. What is worse is the overall feeling of being entitled to having our desires filled immediately. Waiting is rarely part of our bag of tricks. This is why I have a closet full of shoes and hats I will not wear.

Too often we sit back and take stock of our lives and we lament instead of being satisfied and happy. We lament dreams unfulfilled, we lament situations that are bad and show no sign of getting better, and list goes on and on. We could easily look back and see the wondrous things God has done when we just had patience and let him work. So I pray for an extra measure of patience for you today, may you rest this day in the arms of God, because that is the only place we will ever fit perfectly.

Change

2011-05-16T16:38:00.003-05:00

It is safe to say that the only constant in life is change. Regardless of you place in life, life is always in flux. No one is immune from this reality, especially not me. As most of you know, 2011 has already been a year filled with many changes for Olsa and me. At the beginning of March I assumed the role of pulpit minister at Central Pike. I have been blessed to work with this congregation for the past 11 years. Up until the end of February I had the awesome responsibility of caring for and teaching the youth of this congregation. In March God placed the opportunity to become the preacher here in front of me. I willing took up this role and am very much so enjoying myself.

As with any new position there has been a tremendous learning curve. I have in no way mastered the ins and outs of this new position in just 3 months, and the reality is that I hope I never fully master it either. That way I always maintain my humility and understanding of who is truly at work in me. This move by itself is tremendous amount of change, and perhaps enough for one year, but not for us.

In March Olsa and I discovered she was pregnant. We have been (sometimes) patiently waiting for this child for about five years. God is good! I have full grasp on the fact that my life is indeed about to change significantly. But as with the change of position at church, I welcome the level of craziness that is about to hit us. Does it mean more stress? Yes! Does it mean more late nights? Yes! Will it be worth it? Without a doubt! Pray for us as we eagerly await October 20th!

9 Billion

2011-04-27T10:15:00.003-05:00

If you are even remotely a football fan, you have been keeping up with the labor issues that are consuming the NFL right now. The latest collective bargaining agreement has expired and so now the owners, NFL and the players are arguing about how to move forward. The main sticking point is how to divide up 9 billion dollars. That is hard for me to wrap my mind around, 9,000,000,000. Just to be clear, no one is losing money in the NFL, the players are well paid, all the owners are millionaires.

From the outside it looks like a bunch of greedy children arguing over extra candy. I am not going to act like I understand all the arguments from both sides. But at some point the question has to be answered, how much is enough? Which leads to a discussion about needs versus wants. We rarely talk about how little we can live on, instead we talk about how much we want/need. I use the pronoun 'we', because we are in this together. I am no different. I drive a big truck that wastes too much gas, I have too many clothes, and shoes, I have a smart phone, etc. All of these things are undoubtedly luxuries, and things I could do with less of or without totally.

When we take stock of our lives we could all do with a lot less. So we must return to the issue at hand, what to do with 9 billion dollars. We could improve our schools. We could improve our health care system. We could improve....well too many things to list. The bottom line is that a lot of good could be done, and it just seems silly to squabble over football revenues when so many greater issues are at stake.

April - Child Abuse Awareness Month

2011-04-12T16:54:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, my wife is social worker whose focus in her profession is caring for children. Prior to meeting her I was, like most of us are, always enraged when I saw or heard about children being abused or neglected. Since I have met her my eyes have been opened to the vast plague that abuse is on our young people. Wrap your mind around these statistics:

- Five children die everyday as a result of child abuse.
- 90 % of those kids sexually abused know the perpetrator in some way
- 68 % of kids who are sexually abused are abused by a family member
- Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level
- 30 % of those abused as a child will abuse their own children
- the estimated annual cost of child abuse and neglect in the U.S. is over 104 billion dollars.

These statistics are from 2007 and can be found at this website.

All of that is put forth to say this, April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and we (you and I) need to be proactive and be part of the solution. Not bury my head in the sand and hope it gets better. Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee has the following information on their website, it would be good if we took the time to educate ourselves.

What is Abuse and Neglect?

Child abuse and neglect affects children of every age, race, and income level. However, research has identified many risk factors relating to the child, family, community, and society that are associated with an increased risk of child abuse and neglect. Studies have also shown that when multiple risk factors are present, the risk is greater.

Young mothers and fathers unprepared for the responsibilities of raising a child; overwhelmed single parents with little support; and families placed under stress by poverty, divorce, or a child’s disability are all at greater risk. Some families are stressed by worries about employment, health, substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, or are simply unaware of how to care for their children’s basic needs.

These circumstances, combined with the inherent challenges of raising children, can result in otherwise well-intentioned parents causing their children harm or neglecting their needs.

There are four types of child abuse

Neglect
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Emotional Abuse

Neglect: Occurs when a parent or caretaker allows a child to experience avoidable suffering or fails to provide basic essentials for physical, social, and educational development.

Physical Abuse: Occurs when a child suffers a non-accidental injury that may include severe beatings, burns, fractures, bruises, welts, or other physical problems.

Indicators of Physical Abuse:

Unexplained bruises or burns
Repeated injuries or injuries inconsistent with explanation
Excessive fear of parent or caregiver
Unusual shyness

Sexual Abuse: Occurs when an adult or older child exploits a child for sexual gratification. Sexual abuse includes fondling, sodomy, child prostitution, incest, and forcing or encouraging a child to participate in pornographic activity.

Indicators of Sexual Abuse

Pain and irritation of the genitals
Torn, stained or bloody underwear
Genital discharge
Sudden changes in behavior
In young children, preoccupation with genitals

Emotional Abuse: Occurs when a parent creates a negative environment for a child.

Indicators of Emotional Abuse

Speech disorders or eating disorders
Flat spot or bald spot on infants head
Poor relations with peers
Habit disorders such as biting, rocking, head banging

How to report abuse and neglect

To Report Abuse and Neglect contact the Department of Children’s Service at :

1-877-54ABUSE(1-877-542-2873)

Tennessee requires all persons to make a report when they suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of children.

The task of winning and losing - staying humble

2011-04-11T21:54:00.002-05:00

I am not sure how many professional golf fans there are among my readers, but this past weekend was one of the most celebrated and well known golf tournaments of the year. The Master's was played and as always Tiger Woods was all everyone could talk about. His arrogance shined through once again as he was questioned in the week leading up to the tournament about who was the best golfer in the world. He did not miss a beat and smirked at the same time while he quipped that he was indeed the best golfer in the world. The same question was posed to Phil Mickelson and he refused to answer and in no way insinuated that he was the best. Tiger's lack of humility and Phil's grasp of it is not the focus of this post though.

Instead one only needs to look up the leader board from these two and see a heart breaking story unfold. Rory McIlroy began the final round up four or five strokes ahead, and was on track to be the second youngest player to win the coveted green jacket. Unfortunately when he made the turn to the back nine he gave up six strokes on three holes and his hopes of a green jacket were wiped away. I came across an neat story today that spoke to McIlroy's humility, you can read it here.

McIlroy's entire demeanor after his poor showing is astounding. Much more mature golfers have acted a lot worse, and will continue to do so. I appreciate his and the winner's, Schwartzel, actions. As the story points out McIlroy answered all the reporters tough questions after his collapse with his dignity intact. Tiger could learn something from this young man, and the rest of us could too.

Bracketology

2011-03-25T10:04:00.002-05:00

Every year as March begins I jump into the fray with the masses and print off a bracket and fill it out. I felt fairly confident going into the first round. Then some Cinderella's started dancing, and everything went down hill from there. Last night when Duke lost it was the nail in the coffin of my bracket. I picked Duke (a shout out to my brother) to win the championship. Oh well, there is always next year!

I am beginning to take a liking to the Butler team. I really enjoyed their run last year and I hope they go all the way this year, but no I did not pick them. I enjoy seeing a young coach doing great things with his team. Looking at the two teams in last years championship, they were quite opposites. Coach K at Duke, a national powerhouse, goes out and selects from the best of the best to fill the open slots on his team. He has the luxury of picking and choosing.

In contrast, Coach Stevens from Butler, has to take what he has and make a championship contender out of them. And he does. Life is very much so like that for us. Rarely do all the cards fall our direction, and so we must play with the hand that has been dealt us. For church that means we learn to live with each others oddities and work together. Too often we choose the easy way out and go somewhere else. Too often we fight instead of compromise. Too often we abandon our calling for our comfort!

What's that sound? That's the sound of my shredder disposing of my bracket. Thankfully opening day of baseball season is just 6 days away! Go RED SOX!

WHAT?!?!?!

2011-03-15T16:20:00.003-05:00

I realized today, thanks to some out there in the cyber world that it has been over 11 days since my last post. So much for posting weekly, guess I should keep my resolutions to myself! Just kidding, I know I should be more diligent here. Also these ads on the right panel, I do not pick what goes up there. When I logged in a minute ago there was an ad for the Mormon church. I am not supporting them, someone else has control over that.

So I was reading a news story this afternoon and I had to pause and say...WHAT? So I re-read it, a few more times and just shook my head. You can read the story here if you like, but this is the gist of it. A guy is out drinking and driving with his step-daughter in the car with him. He has a nasty wreck, running his vehicle into a tree. He proceeds to leave the scene of the crime, do you remember the step-daughter in the car. He left her in the wrecked vehicle. She was trapped inside, the paramedics got her out but she later died at a local hospital.

It turns out that this guy has five previous DUI convictions. How self absorbed do you have to be go out drinking with a child in the car with you? How insane do you have to be to leave an injured, helpless, defenseless child in a wrecked car as you make your get away? The fish at my house cannot control their environment, I do. I choose when to feed them, I choose whether or not to change their water and filters. They are at my mercy.

Kids are the same way. They cannot control what food you provide for them, they cannot control the music you listen to or the habits you have around them. Parents, they are your responsibility. No amount of excuses and apologies will ever make up for the life that was lost because of this man's irresponsibility. Many of us may never make a fatal choice such as this man, but we do need to be aware that everything we do affects them.

American Idol...really?

2011-03-04T20:52:00.002-06:00

I am unsure why I am drawn to this show. I was not a fan of Simon, but I was not sure the show could make it without him. However, I find this new panel to be quite good. I think what draws me is the incessant need people have for the approval of others. Now I understand the immense nature of this event. Lives are changed forever through this and I get that. But come on, really? I do not mean to be mean about these contestants because I feel that they are a microcosm of humanity as a whole.

We seek approval and esteem in places that make no sense. Make no mistake that I am right there too. I constantly desire the approval and love of those who I should not care about. Let me make something clear...we should only seek the approval of God. The name "idol" is correct for this show, because success becomes our idol, approval becomes our idol, anything but what God offers us becomes our idol. It's not like what God is offering is less than what we seek in the world. In fact what God offers is so much more.

So why do we settle? Why do we give in to what satisfies only the flesh. The reality is that all but one on American Idol will be told no. All will have to walk out the door and feel like they failed. But with God we don't ever have to walk out the door and wonder if we are loved. We don't ever have to wonder if he cares, if he is there. We do not have to make idols out of our insecurities because God offers us all, we just have to accept it.

Memories of the snow

2011-02-10T06:05:00.004-06:00

I know that as 2011 dawned that I promised weekly posts here at my blog. I apologize for not following through with that. Life is crazy right now and will only get more so once March arrives. It is early Thursday morning. I would normal not be up now, but my beloved dog decided to wake us up at 5 a.m. So I got up with him and have been up since then. The crazy thing is that I will not be going anywhere for a while this morning because of the snowy weather. Normally Jake would find himself outside, but the weather people on channel 2 just mentioned that it is 11 degrees outside so he could not stay out. So here I am, updating my blog.

As Olsa and I sat in our warm house last evening watching the coverage of what turned into a 3 or 4 hour commute for some it reminded me of the snow storm back in January of 2003 that we got caught out in. I was working in LaVergne and she was interning at Agape which is located down near Harding road and I-65. The snow started falling at around 9:30 that morning, I left work to pick her up at 10 a.m. We walked in the door of our apartment at around 8 p.m. It was a tough event, we spent several hours just sitting in traffic on Briley Parkway.

As I watched the news last night I could not help but feel really bad for those stuck out in it. But it was one of those situations where there was not much advice to give. It was just a bad situation and it just had to be waded through. Often life is just like that. Sometimes life happens and no amount of advice can help. The only thing that can help is prayer and peace from God. I hope that you got home safe last night if you live in the middle Tennessee, and if you were stuck in traffic I hope it was not too bad.

The Contributor

2011-01-17T20:19:00.002-06:00

This past weekend some of us were out and about. A new governor was inaugurated here in Tennessee so many of the local art venues were open free of charge so we went out to sample the high society. While riding around we stopped at a traffic light downtown and there was a lady holding a sign advertising the Contributor. Now most anybody has complaints about the homeless panhandlers that can be found throughout our city. The complaint often is that they are just wanting a handout and will just go and spend whatever they get on alcohol or drugs. There is little doubt that in some or most cases that is an accurate assessment.

Thankfully things are beginning to change in this respect. I am not sure how long ago but some time in the recent past The Contributor came to town. It is a newspaper that is produced and printed with the express intent of helping those in need of help, help themselves. This is not a new idea, it is just relatively new to Nashville. According to the most recent edition there is a news agency called the International Network of Street Papers. There are 115 street papers in 40 different countries. So this is a well established effort.

The good feature of this program is that the papers are not free to people who sell them. The sellers are called vendors. According to the paper there are specific restrictions placed upon their vendors. First the vendor buys the paper for $0.25 and sells it for $1.00. Second, the vendor must be homeless. Third, each vendor is issued a badge with their name and an expiration date. They are to openly display their badge whenever they are selling. Fourth, there are no assigned selling locations, but they can earn high volume locations by selling high volumes. Fifth, they must be sober whenever they are selling. Finally they must never ask for tips, they can accept them but never ask for them. The papers are $1 and the bumper stickers are $2. In the article that I read they gave an email address and phone to call if a vendor is seen violating any of these standards.

I think it goes without saying that this is a good program. This is an opportunity to give a hand up not a hand out.

Hellllooooooo

2011-01-04T15:17:00.002-06:00

So I have been absent here for more than a month. I apologize for that, December was really busy and 2011 is off to the same start. I hope and pray that all of you had a wonderful holiday season. I pray that 2011 brings you closer to God and his goals for your life.

Today is my birthday, I am 35. The older I get the faster time moves by, I hope this year I can slow down a little, not likely!

I promise to post once a week, at a minimum in 2011. For my first post this year I thought I would share a poem with you that I came across recently.

Indispensable Man

Sometime when you're feeling important;
Sometime when your ego's in bloom
Sometime when you take it for granted
You're the best qualified in the room,

Sometime when you feel that your going
Would leave an unfillable hole,
Just follow these simple instructions
And see how they humble your soul;

Take a bucket and fill it with water,
Put your hand in it up to the wrist,
Pull it out and the hole that's remaining
Is a measure of how much you'll bee missed.

You can splash all you wish when you enter,
You may stir up the water galore,
But it stops and you'll find that in no time
It looks quite the same as before.

The moral of this quaint example
Is do just the best you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There's no indispensable man.

- Saxon White Kessinger

I hope that as you approach 2011 you will find ways to live out the life God has called you to, for his glory not your own.

Low Expectations

2010-11-19T10:45:00.003-06:00

I generally try and keep my level of expectations fairly low so when people act badly I am not surprised. On the flip side when people act 'right' I am always pleasantly surprised. I ran across two news stories this week that surprised me, in a bad way. The first one I found on Yahoo, you can read it here. The title is "Four in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete." This trend in our society is extremely alarming and disappointing.

I am not sure that there is any other way to say it, but we, God's people, are failing in this area. Aside from the fact that the divorce rate is the same in the church as it is among non-believers, and this is a big issue. It seems that those that are staying married are too quick to jump into the fray and complain about and tear down their spouses. There is something wrong with this picture! In our small groups, Bible classes and private conversations, are we lifting up our mates or tearing them down?

The reason I mention those venues is because if we easily tear down our marriages here among God's people how more willing are we to do it out in the world? I do not have wade very far into the muck and mire of the world to find plenty of people unhappy with their marriages and willing to destroy their spouses, but that should not be us! Our marriages should be so deeply rooted in God and his love that it shines through and the world cannot help but see God alive and at work in us.

I pray that you take some time today to think of your marriage and thank God for the person he has given you to walk through life with. Take some time and pray for the desire to give yourself wholly up for God and your spouse. If we can reclaim the blessing of marriage then we can move out into the world and share the joy with them. If we don't take this responsibility seriously then time a study like this is done 60% of the next generation will not see the need for marriage and eventually this God given institution will fall by the wayside.

The second disappointing news story I came across was almost crippling to me. I found it on MSN, you can read it here. Honestly, this sickens me. I really enjoy some of the comedic content of the sitcom 'Scrubs'. I tend to watch the reruns when they are on, but there was an episode that is similar to this story. I was severely disappointed as one of the main characters on the show, often jokingly, spent an entire episode debating whether or not to abort his 'accident'.

I have never been in a situation where such a decision needed to be made, but the levity with which 'Scrubs' approached it and this couple online are doing it is depressingly disappointing. I appreciated the way the author of the MSN news article began, "You need a license to drive a car -- but you don't need a license build a website where you can post sonograms of your unborn child and ask the Internet to vote whether you abort or keep your unborn child." I am in no way suggesting government regulation of the public's reproductive actions but we, as followers of Christ, must make a stand here.

If you are so inclined, go to the news story, follow the link to the site and vote. As the story noted, this may just be a publicity stunt by Pro-Choice advocates but it demands our response. What can be our response beyond just voting here? Well, I no longer think we just sit in our pews and condemn abortion. We can no longer have our 'choose life' license plates or bumper stickers. We must be willing to engender a community of God's people that welcomes in these children. Now I am not saying we must all go out and adopt kid tomorrow. We are not all gifted to handle such things.

What I am saying is that abortion is often a last option when people feel like they have no where else to turn. We, as a people of God, should always be an option. We should live in such a way that when people, regardless of what they are facing, feel they have no other options, they know God's people will care for them. May God have mercy on our silence and inaction, and provoke us to be the community of his people that are making a difference, here and now.

Restless

2010-11-08T14:43:00.002-06:00

I'm restless, my wife always worries when I say that or sit with that far off look in my eyes. It is hard to explain. I just feel like there is something else. Life never goes as you would expect it to, and perhaps that is good. It is good to know that I am not in control or steering this ship, God is. I guess that is the reality of where I am, I am trying to do things and make things happen in my time. The restlessness I get often happens when I don't let God be God. I often pray that I am more satisfied, and that God be sovereign in my life, but I feel like I am living in this tension.

Perhaps this is how God wants it to be. If I get too comfortable in this life I loose the anticipation for Jesus' return and the awesomeness that is to come. So my prayer today is may God's will be done here like it is in Heaven and come Lord Jesus, quickly. The restlessness and anticipation is wearing me out! May our God direct your paths today and watch over you always.

Satisfied?

2010-11-01T20:55:00.002-05:00

I hope you are still praying for little Caleb Brown, the progress is slow and this must be terrible for his parents. So continue praying.

Right now I getting out every morning and walking a mile and a half or so. I generally walk a mile and then I go get Jake, my dog, and walk him. I would like to think that I have a good bit of patience, but walking my dog drains it all away. He is not wild nor does he fight against the collar and leash, but he likes to pull a lot. It struck me today as I was walking him that he is never satisfied. I walked him for a few weeks and I got tired of him pulling so I decided I would shorten the leash and teach him to walk at my side.

I tried this for a week and finally got tired of having sore arm from him straining against me. So I have gone back to letting him strain at the end of the leash. I watched him as we walked today and noticed that he was always straining to sniff past the end of his reach. He is never satisfied to look and sniff around in the five foot radius around me. No matter how I scold him or pull on the leash he never quits straining.

I wonder if we are not like that sometimes. Now I don't think God is up there with a leash pulling us back from the edge, but I wonder if sometimes we just are not satisfied. God has created us for a place and a time. He created us with his goal in mind and sometimes we miss his plan because we are so intent on getting more. Either life is about getting more or working for the future. There seems to be little comprehension that maybe today is what we should be living in and for.

When our jobs become about saving for retirement and paying the bills we miss everyday chances to be the presence of God in this fallen world. When any activity becomes about us and what we can accomplish or achieve, God and his purposes are lost. So I encourage you to slow down. Slow down and see who God has put in your life at work, or at play or at church that needs you to be present for them. This requires that we practice one of the most basic tenants of Christianity, selflessness.

As we learn to practice and embrace a self emptying way of life God will be able to use us. He will draw us along and use us in his ministry of reconciliation. He will allow us to help him redeem this world.

Caleb Timothy Brown

2010-10-24T21:07:00.004-05:00

Those of you in middle Tennessee have probably heard about little Caleb and the horrible accident. In case you have not, Caleb and his family were hiking a few weeks ago at Fall Creek Falls. While they were hiking a rock/boulder fell and hit Caleb in the head. He received some severe trauma to his head. He is currently in a hospital in Chattanooga making small strides. Caleb's parents have set up a Facebook page where continuous updates are posted.

It may go without saying but his situation is quite severe so please pause now and pray. I can also only imagine how utterly terrifying this must be for all involved. Shortly after my accident I had to undergo surgery on my left foot. I awoke after that surgery to find my self restrained to the hospital bed and with a breathing tube down my throat. I do not mind telling you that I was scared. I remember seeing Olsa and my dad at my bed side and feeling a certain amount of calm.

Though my and Caleb's situations are different, they have kept him heavily sedated because of his injuries. Every day they are withdrawing the sedating medicine so he will wake up and the doctors will be able to assess the extent of his brain injury. Without speaking to the injuries he has, this process of waking up for him will be extremely difficult for many reasons. He will be hooked up to monitors and IV's. There is probably a breathing tube in his throat to help him breathe. Not to mention the injuries he will be dealing with. The trauma will be just as intense for his mom and dad as they have to watch, helplessly, as their baby suffers.

Some may ask, where is God in all of this? Why has he not acted? Could you imagine going through such an event without God? Can you imagine going through such an event without God's people at your side and praying constantly for you? I cannot, and I have walked some of this road. So if this is the first you have heard about Caleb stop and pray. Join the ranks of those who are kneeling before the Father and petitioning for God to stay with this family. To be in that room with the mom and dad, and to be in that bed with Caleb. To continue to heal little Caleb. Will you?

Freedom

2010-10-13T10:11:00.003-05:00

I have been absent from this blog for a few weeks. One of the reasons is because my work laptop crashed a few weeks ago. A good friend repaired it and now I am trying to reinstall everything and get back up to speed. He was able to recover or save all my data but was unable access my Outlook files and save them. So I have lost all my outlook addresses, correspondence and calendar from the past three years. If you read my blog please send me your email address (to josh@centralpikecofc.org) just in case I do not have it. Here is a side note, back up your computer files, I was lucky and my files were saved. The other reason I have been absent is because I was in a short course last week. I have been buried in books and papers. I began this post with the prof was lecturing, I thought it might be a good idea to wait until I could give this my entire attention.

Much of the world seems to be focusing right now and for many months on Chile and the miners who were trapped underground. Last Tuesday night they began pulling the miners one by one out of their "tomb". As I sat in class last week I could not help but watch (via the Internet) the jubilant scenes as each miner climbed out of that tube to greet his loved ones.

As I watched there were so many things coming to my mind. One news story talked about when the first rescuer went down into the mine. They say that as soon as he got out of the tube the miners mobbed him and, presumably, poured praise and adoration as then end was now in sight. This makes me ponder our lives. We have been given this amazing gift of reconciliation with God through Jesus. There is a world at our door step that does not know the love and peace that comes through Jesus. Yet the world is searching, it is searching for something or someone to give them love, peace and acceptance.

Imagine if we bore faithful enough witness to the Kingdom of God that people anticipated us coming to them so much that they mobbed us because of the rescue offered to them through God. Instead it appears to be quite the opposite. Instead of followers of Christ being anticipated and wanted around we sometimes are scorned and reviled because of the hate and rhetoric we bring.

As Alex said in his sermon there are only two choices for the next life. We have been given this amazing gift and it is imperative that we we share it in such a way that God is glorified and the world is drawn to him. There are many more parallels to be drawn from this event and I think I will save them for a future post. Blessings!

Hmmmm....

2010-09-20T16:04:00.002-05:00

Two posts in one day, don't think you should get used to it. I failed to mention in my earlier post that today is my parent's 41st wedding anniversary. So very proud and thankful for both of them! May God bless them with 41 more years together!

As I came back from lunch and a trip to the dump, I noticed a news story on the front page of Yahoo. It was talking about a renowned atheist named Christopher Hitchens. Although this is the first time I have heard of Hitchens, evidently he has spend most of his adult life trying to prove his theory that religion, in his words, poisons everything. Atheists have always drawn my interest even though I have not spent much of my life dealing with them or learning about their belief structure.

This article was not an attack on religion nor was it an attack on Hitchens. This past June Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The cancer is spreading in his body and he knows he does not have much time left. Now there may be some of you out there hoping that this will drive him to his knees and open his eyes to God, well that just is not happening. Chemotherapy is robbing him of his strength and vitality so he is becoming less active but he is not becoming religious.

Those that know or know of Hitchens from the religious community have designated today, Monday, September 20, 'Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day.' Hitchens is more amused by this than anything. According to the article, he also knows that those praying for him today fall into three categories. First category of people are praying for his painful death so he can go on and go to hell. His response to them is the same. The second category are those who are praying that he will become a believer. Like I said earlier that is not happening.

Yet there is a third group praying today, those who are praying for his healing. This category he appreciates, he thanks them even though he believes what they are doing does him no good at all. Where do you fall into in these three categories? As I read the article I too prayed for Hitchens. I prayed for his healing, I prayed for one more day for him. My motivation is also for his soul so I guess I could fall into either one of the last two categories.

I consider the first category with great sorrow. Jesus did not die on the cross so we could have the opportunity to push non-believers into hell. I think it is that skewed mentality of hate that drives people from Jesus rather than to him. May God give us the eyes to see more clearly that the love displayed on the cross should mark our lives not the hate that drove the nails!

You can read the full article HERE.

UGH!

2010-09-20T10:53:00.002-05:00

Well, the baseball season was a bust for my Red Sox this year. I am still a fan, but I know when it is over. Hopefully sometime this off season the powers that be in the Red Sox front office will do something to strengthen our pitching staff and find a capable closer. I have been looking forward to football season starting and week one the Titans did really well, but man did they stink it up this week! Our defense has proved that it is a formidable force, but we are hurting in the quarterback position. That and the Steelers appear to have a pretty good defense. Guess we will have to wait and see what happens next week.

Anyway, I hope and pray that the LORD continues to bless you and watch over you this week!

10 Years!

2010-09-13T15:51:00.002-05:00

This year I have passed or marked three major milestones in my life. As many of you know June marked a year since my accident at church camp. I am still healing in some ways and am just thankful to God for his help through all of this. On the 2oth of May, Olsa and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. This has been an amazing 10 years with my awesome wife and I could not have made it to where I am today without her.

Last Saturday I took a group of kids from here at Central Pike to Bible Bowl. We had a great time and I am soooo proud of these kids. It was 10 years ago around Bible Bowl time that I officially started ministering to the youth here at Central Pike. It is hard to believe but some of the kids that I work directly with now were just wee little tikes when I first began at CP. I am proud to have been able to stay with this church and work for this long.

I am not sure what my intention was when I first began here. I started out as an unpaid volunteer, then became part-time, and final moved into a full-time postilion. During this ten years I have transitioned from secular work to full time school. I was able to complete my undergrad in Bible from LU. I then transitioned to full time ministry and also now able to pursue my MDiv. This has been an exciting time and although there have been rough spots and nights when I was unsure what I would do next, I do not regret my time here. Olsa and I have been immensely blessed and look forward to what the future holds, whatever and wherever that may be.

All glory, honor and praise to God!

Busy

2010-09-07T11:19:00.003-05:00

I just realized that I have not posted anything since the 18th of August. For those of you who read this blog regularly I apologize! I will do my best to keep up, but this Fall is going to be a beast. Prior to my accident in June of '09 I was taking 9 hours per semester in grad school. Since the accident I have been building back up and this semester I am back to 9 hours. Let me tell you this is going to be a tough semester! I fully expect to love all my classes, but I am taking Hebrew this year. I want to learn this language, but languages just do not come easy to me. For example, I have been married to my awesome wife for ten years but have yet to master the Albanian language.

This week is going to be an exceptionally busy one. We had a lovely Labor Day weekend with some of Olsa's family up north. The weather was crisp but nice, they told us that they will turn on the heat next week! We attended Rochester Hills C of C and had a wonderful worship experience. So that makes this week already a day shorter, I have classes on Tuesday and Thursday, then Bible Bowl is this Saturday, and I get to preach on Sunday. I am looking forward to next Sunday night when I can relax a little.

I hope you do not hear this as complaining, I have chosen to do all of these things. If I did not love the kids of Central Pike I would not push Bible Bowl. If I did not love school I just would not go, and if I did not love preaching I would not do it. It's just going to be a busy week. God has blessed me with a job that is fulfilling, a wife that is a constant supporter and a passion for his people. Just pray that he gives me strength to make through this week.

That is the great part about our God, he is faithful. I used to have a friend that would say, if God brought to it, he will see you through it. Or something like that. I do not walk this world alone. Wherever I go, whatever I do, God is there. He will be with me in class, he will be with us at Bible Bowl, he will be in the pulpit with me on Sunday. For that I am thankful! Do you know this God?

UGH!

2010-08-18T15:29:00.002-05:00

Anybody else tired of the Brett Farve thing yet? Is he going to play? Is he not going to play? Who cares?! I thought that LeBron James was the most self-centered athlete on the planet, but oh no! There are many on that list, Albert Haynesworth, Brett Farve, LeBron James. I'm not a hater, I enjoy the talents these athletes bring to their sports, but come on. God gave them these talents so that he may be glorified, not Brett, Albert or LeBron.

I guess this should give us pause to consider whether we are honoring God with our talents. He has equipped us for a specific role in his Kingdom. This role we will fill is not about making money, not about accumulating stuff, it is not about prestige. It is about HIM! May we all walk humbly in the shadow of our God!

Good read

2010-08-18T15:03:00.002-05:00

In the midst of all the interesting dialogue about the mosque in NYC and the mosque being opposed in Murfreesboro, I came across this BLOG with a good, balanced approach to the issue. I encourage you to give it a read.

Anger

2010-08-11T11:13:00.002-05:00

By now most you have heard about the Jet Blue flight attendant that lost his cool last week and exited a plane via an escape chute. If you have not heard about this you can read about it HERE. I am not sure how to react to such an incident. Losing our cool is never a prudent thing to do. I have long believed that anyone who can cause me to lose my cool or become angry own or controls me. So I endeavor to maintain a certain level of coolness about me even in the face of provocation.

Another nasty video turned up this week of a lady losing her cool because she could not get chicken mcnuggets during breakfast hours at McDonalds. If you have not seen this you can view it HERE. Hopefully once this lady comes to her senses she will see the error or the stupidity of her actions.

These two separate incidents bring to light a difficult thing, working with the general public. Every job I have ever had has been working directly with the public. I never cease to be amazed at how some people can act. And so instead of tossing stones at these two individuals let's take a moment to look inwardly and see how we are perceived by the world.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is ask someone close to us who will be honest with us. Because often when we look in the mirror we either see all good or all bad, and neither of these extremes are entirely true. Some of the tough questions that need to be asked are, "how do I treat those who serve me throughout the day?" "Am I always nice and appreciative of those working hard around me?" "Do I have a firm grasp on the fact that life is not about me?" These are just some sample questions, because we all know people who are impatient in all circumstances, who habitually tip badly, who think the rules do not apply to them, etc.

I can easily see how the above flight attendant lost his cool and exploded. It was probably because of someone like the lady in the second story. Let's not be like that, let's live lives that honor God at all times!

Go Read Something

2010-08-04T16:34:00.002-05:00

I really enjoy reading! It does seems strange for me to write this given the fact that in high school I could really care less about reading anything but the comics in the Sunday paper. Now that I have grown up and have become more refined ;-) I find myself reading all the time. I read in several different mediums, online I read the news, the sports and occasionally comics. I read theological magazines, sports magazines, I read almost exclusively theological books, save for some science fiction thrown in. I read many blogs and get a lot of informative newsletters sent to my inbox daily. I only wish someone had helped me enjoy reading a little more when I was a kid.

One of the bloggers I read regularly is Patrick Mead. Patrick is the preaching minister at Rochester Church of Christ in Rochester Michigan. Olsa has family up there so I get to hear him preach about once a year. He posted a blog recently that I think all should read about, well about reading. You can find it HERE. I am struck by how many people do not ever pick up a book. Now let's put this in perspective; I recently came in contact with an impressive couple that are doing great things in Afghanistan. They began an organization called the Lamia Afghan Foundation, you can view their website HERE.

They have a powerful story to tell about young kids growing up in Afghanistan with no access to educational material, but with a great desire to learn. They saw this need and are now seeking to fill it. All the while we sit here with tremendous access to libraries and bookstores yet somewhere between 35-52% of us have no desire to read. I guess we all know that this means that half of us never crack open the Bible either.

I am constantly on the look out for what I will be reading next. On the side panel of this blog you can see what I am reading, what I have read, and also what I recommend to read. I have at least five more books I want to read and just ordered seven books for classes this semester, and that does not even include all my classes, but this excites me! If you go to Amazon and look in the wish list section, and you search under my name you will find 15-20 books I want. Reading is such a blessing to me. It is through reading the Bible that I can wander through the beautiful imagery of God, through books I can experience the wisdom of others and the emotions of living life. I just struggle with how to pass this along, so go read a book, it will do you a world of good!

2010-07-28T09:34:00.000-05:00

Awww man!

2010-07-19T10:19:00.002-05:00

Well it finally happened! For those of you who have been in my office you know how clean challenged it is. Well, OK it is a mess! This morning I was trying to answer the phone and between me and the phone were two cups (one had liquid in it). And of course I spilled the one with liquid in it. So I have spent the past 30 minutes or so making sure nothing got ruined or is still wet. So go ahead and say I told you so, but unfortunately nothing got ruined (except for my mouse pad) so I doubt anything will change!

Istanbul Cafe

2010-07-15T10:46:00.003-05:00

Two posts in one day, don't get too excited. Most of you who eat out with Olsa and I regularly know that we like to eat at a few international restaurants. I wanted to recommend one to you.

Olsa found the Istanbul Cafe when she used to work at a place over off of Nolensville Road. We would eat there every once in a while when I was over there for school. Now we go over there just to eat at this place.

The food is good, the owner, Mahmet (sp) is a very nice guy. The restaurant is located just south of 440 on Nolensville Road. If you are looking for something that is a not just your usual food options I recommend you go try this out, you will not be disappointed!

How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

2010-07-15T10:17:00.003-05:00

I am not usually a fan of 'reality' television shows, but the ones that come on Discovery and the History Channel peak my interest. I have been watching the show Deadliest Catch for many years now. I am not sure what it is about this show but I can watch it for hours. I wish the language was not so colorful or that a scene could happen with having to hear the beep covering up some salty words. Olsa thinks I am crazy and that these shows are so boring. (I also like to watch American Pickers, its a show about two men who hunt antique bargains not about picking your nose!)

This season on Deadliest Catch one of the mainstays of the show died. His death hit the news wires back in February when it happened and just now they are getting to the point in the series where it happened. It has been interesting watching these hardened crab boat captains melt when they lose one of their own. A few seasons ago Captain Phil suffered from a blood clot in his lungs, this time he had a stroke and survived for a little while but eventually passed away. This did bring to light one of the inherent dangers of smoking. The doctors told Phil's sons that if they did not stop smoking they would suffer the same fate.

The past few weeks they have been reminiscing about Phil and his life. It is interesting to watch people sit around and remember on that they loved. They have been laughing a lot and shedding many tears. As I watched this past Tuesday night I pondered how I would want to be remembered. When I am gone what type of legacy do I want to leave behind me? That is one of those sobering questions that causes you to take stock of your life. It causes you to take stock of who you are and who others think you are. It is humbling.

A few weeks ago I was able to attend the summer lectures at Lipscomb. I recommend these to any and all, it is time well spent. The morning keynote speaker on Thursday was Kevin Owen, the pulpit minister at College Hills Church of Christ in Lebanon. As he was being introduced a story was told about him. He was being considered for a ministry position with a church. They were calling his references and one of his references said that the was the type of man he wanted to be like.

Now I am not sure if I am accurately conveying this, but consider this. When people think about the type of person you are, how you live your life and how you act and treat others do they want to be like you. That would seem to me to be the best legacy I could leave. That I might live a life that others want to imitate, but this is not some ego trip this is about God. And so I embrace the words of Paul at this point, Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

Camp, and other things...

2010-06-29T15:08:00.002-05:00

Well as most of you know I returned to the scene of the accident last week. This year I was able to spend the entire week and truly loved it all. My last post was about milestones, and this was another major one. This year I spoke on Monday night, I was supposed to speak on Monday last year. Even though Monday came and went without much fan fare the actual anniversary was Tuesday night. I am so thankful to God that I am not suffering from any form of PTSD. Other wise last week would have been a nightmare.

Camp was great, the kids were great, and the adults were great! On Sunday night Tom spoke about perseverance as we focused our week on being a hero. As I sat and listened to Tom I could not help but consider all that had transpired since last year and how I was able to persevere. Let me set this straight it was not by my own might but by the grace of God that I survived last year. As I got up to speak Monday night I told the group that the only way to persevere the ups and downs of this life is to surround yourself with Godly people.

This is how Olsa and I were able to make it. God's people surrounded us and covered us in prayer and support. There is no other way, I am not sure why anyone would want to weather the storms of life with out the family of God! I have mentioned here before a book, "90 Minutes in Heaven". He tells of his first trip to worship after the accident. They rolled him up front in his wheelchair, he was overcome with emotion and wrote that the only thing he could say was this, "You prayed and I am here!" This is my statement for the past year, all of you prayed and we made it. Thank you!

Milestones

2010-06-14T12:44:00.003-05:00

Well VBS is over and I think that everyone is getting caught back up on their rest. I do so appreciate all the hard work that went into last week. I achieved a major milestone last week in my recovery. I went to my last physical therapy appointment on Thursday. This week seems kind of odd because I have been going over to Vanderbilt for rehab at least once a week since Monday July 27th, 2009. I will now have 4 to 6 hours each week extra.

I would like to tell you that I am back to 100% but I am not. I am far enough along that my doctors feel like I can do the rest on my own. Next week I will return to camp. I have been back at least twice since the accident. The first time I went back, about a month ago, I stood and looked at the tree. I was amazed at how much of it remains in the edge of the woods. I was also amazed at just how big it really is...This year at camp I will be extra careful. No wandering around during storms or entering campers during storms. I am scheduled to speak again Monday night. Last year the accident happened just before I was going to speak. Tuesday night will be the actual anniversary of the accident.

I covet your prayers for the upcoming week. For all the kids and all the staff. Also pray for my wife, this past year has been harder on her than me and as camp approaches it is tough for her.

Long Week

2010-06-08T10:09:00.003-05:00

So I know it has been a while since I blogged, sorry about that! This is VBS week at Central Pike so we are all very busy. So here are a few tidbits:

- The oil spill in the gulf is saddening. It is killing wildlife, destroying beautiful oceans and beaches and is killing the livelihoods of many in the gulf. I think the politicians and the business world are too cozy, and now that something has happened everyone pointing fingers at each other. It is just a mess and it seems to be getting worse!

- I spoke at Central Pike on May 30, you can find the audio here. It was a holiday weekend so I expected the crowd to be light, we had 120 for the AM service we average around 160. I also spoke at the PM service, only 25 came back. I am not sure people understand how demoralizing that can be, I guess it is a good thing I get my self worth from God not from man!

I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start!

10 Years of Wedded Bliss!

2010-05-21T10:30:00.002-05:00

I guess I should have posted this yesterday! Yesterday was Olsa and I's 1oth wedding anniversary. Time has just flown by, over the past 1o days I have thought a lot about how things have changed and all the stuff that has happened. I fully confess that there is no one else in this world that I would rather spend my life with than Olsa. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, and sometimes she frustrates me! But above all she makes me a better person.

So thank you my beautiful bride for an amazing 10 years. I do not know what the next 10, 20 or 30 years hold for us, but I am ecstatic that I will get to spend it all with you! I LOVE YOU!

God of This City 2

2010-05-05T10:32:00.002-05:00

I came across this song on iTunes a few months ago and fell in love with it. After the past few days here in Nashville this song takes on a stronger meaning for me. Nashville and many parts of Tennessee have been ravaged by flood waters. I read a heartbreaking story this morning about a father and young daughter who died while he was trying to save her. There are so many more stories that are just flooding us with emotions right now. In the face of such destruction and devastation it is easy to become overwhelmed and freeze instead of jumping in and helping out.

There is one thing to remember in times such as this, there is no one like our God, and he is still God of this city. That is becoming abundantly clear as God's people open their hearts and show his love. So here is our task, remember God is still in control, the rainbow came out, now let's make a difference and show an increasingly skeptical world that God still rules our lives! Because greater things are yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city!

God of This City

2010-05-05T10:31:00.000-05:00

Feeeeeeeelingssssss....

2010-04-30T09:23:00.002-05:00

So my wife and I watch the news every morning as we are getting ready for our day. This morning an interview was shown with a woman who had an affair with a politician a few years ago. This affair was denied by all involved even after a baby was conceived. Now that the "truth" has come out and all the smoke is starting to clear everyone wants to tell their side of the story and be in front of the camera. The bad part is that every time this mistress gets in front of a camera she looks worse and worse. She remains unrepentant and proud of this extra-marital affair, mainly because they were/are in love.

She made a statement this morning that I believe is a bane on the society in which we live. She said, when asked if she felt bad about the affair and the subsequent break up of the politicians family, "I believe it was right because I followed my heart." She believed it was right because she followed her feelings and her feelings told her to do it. I am sorry, because I don't usually like to be this ugly, but that is just stupid.

If we do nothing in this life but follow our feelings we will get ourselves into a world of hurt. Imagine if you only made your children do the things that felt good to them. Some of them would never go to school, some would only eat candy and never healthy food. They would never brush their teeth or take a bath. We all have to do things that we do not feel like doing. We all also have to fight to not do things that we feel like doing.

I think that the bottom line is that feelings are not good guides for life. When I hear someone saying this is how I feel or this is just what I feel God leading me to do I cringe a little. I fully believe that God moves in our lives and causes us to feel things for his purpose, but God will never contradict himself and will never cause you to have a feeling that will lead you to sin. Feelings can be transformed for God because they are products of our hearts and minds. Listen to this:

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)

There is something to be learned from Jesus and his interaction with God in the garden. Jesus implores for God to take this cup of suffering from him, because he knew it would not feel good, and yet he humbled himself. So if you want to talk about how you feel and how that guides your life I need to hear about how you have humbled yourself to God and his will. Because perhaps sometimes we are trying to humble God's will to our feelings. There are some things that we are going to have to do in God's service that are going to run counter-intuitive to our feelings. Then it will be a matter of humbling ourselves and accepting God's will.

Golf

2010-04-19T09:28:00.002-05:00

With all the bad publicity golf has gotten over the past six months or so it seems like a good time to shed a little bit of positive light on the subject. The story at this link is an example of the good guys that are out there on the courses. There was a time when I enjoyed playing golf, I am not very good but I used to enjoy it. I have not been able to play since the accident, and the other day I was talking with a friend that I used to play with. I told him I was not sure how my golf game was going to be after not playing for a year, a back injury, and a shoulder surgery. To which he quickly replied that he was unaware that I had much of a golf game to begin with, ahhh you just have to love your friends!

Being Led

2010-04-15T11:38:00.002-05:00

As I have been recovering from shoulder surgery I have been spending some time listening to and reading a good bit of news. I have been particularly fascinated lately the story about Nadia Bloom. You can read about Nadia's adventure here, briefly she was lost for several days in a Florida swamp and survived. Her survival was a wonderful surprise and so was how she was found. The authorities in Florida had been looking for days and were having no success when Nadia was found by a member of her church who was out looking by himself. From the moment he came out of the swamp with the girl he has maintained that God led him directly to her. He said he prayed and God pointed him to Nadia and he found her. What a fascinating story!

Now there are those who are doubters or cynics out there who will easily write this off and claim it was all a matter of coincidence. But he is insistent that God led him to her. I think many of us claim to pray regularly and fervently, but how many are this eager to stand up and be this insistent when God answers prayers. Maybe it is because when prayers are not answered like we want them to be we think God merely does not answer. So when something good and rare happens we yield to coincidence before we yield to God.

Often times we are less likely to attribute good to God because we do not want to look foolish or simple. Society has dictated for centuries that religion is for the simple who cannot handle life. We desire status and acceptance from those we respect, and often we respect those outside of religion so when we lean on God they roll their eyes. As time progresses we allow them to impact us and lessen our reliance upon God. I hope and continue to pray that God moves and works in his world, and I also pray that we will always be strong enough to give God the credit.

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-04-06T10:53:00.003-05:00

No not Christmas, baseball season. Sunday night kicked off the greatest sports season of them all! I stayed up and watched the Red Sox come from behind and beat the Yankees. I know better than to brag much because there are a lot of games left to the played! But I am happy nonetheless!

My Shoulder

2010-04-01T15:27:00.004-05:00

I know, I know two posts in one day don't be too surprised. As I mentioned in my last update about my health I am going to have to have shoulder surgery. I went to see the surgeon on Wednesday and the news was better than I expected. I will be having surgery on Monday April 12th to free up or release my frozen left shoulder. An MRI a few weeks ago showed a tear in my rotator cuff. The doctor that I saw said that the tear is not sufficient enough to require surgery. Once they cut away the scar tissue and free up my shoulder I will go through intense rehab for about 6 to 8 weeks and then hopefully I will be done with rehab from the accident last June. The shoulder is the last major piece of the puzzle to be fixed. I will still have some work to do as far as climbing steps and walking but for the most part this incident will be behind me. Thanks for your prayers! They all made a difference!

Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month

2010-04-01T15:21:00.002-05:00

April is upon us once again, and thus brings child abuse awareness month. Child abuse is an awful plague on our society and we must take the time to be aware and to take action. I copied the following information from Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, their website is a wealth of information. Let us all take some time out of our busy schedules and be more aware of the children in our midst. This month I'll be wearing a blue arm band to raise awareness.

Report Abuse

What is Abuse and Neglect?

These circumstances, combined with the inherent challenges of raising children, can result in otherwise well-intentioned parents causing their children harm or neglecting their needs.

There are four types of child abuse.

Neglect
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Emotional Abuse

Neglect: Occurs when a parent or caretaker allows a child to experience avoidable suffering or fails to provide basic essentials for physical, social, and educational development.

Physical Abuse: Occurs when a child suffers a non-accidental injury that may include severe beatings, burns, fractures, bruises, welts, or other physical problems.

Indicators of Physical Abuse:

Unexplained bruises or burns
Repeated injuries or injuries inconsistent with explanation
Excessive fear of parent or caregiver
Unusual shyness

Sexual Abuse: Occurs when an adult or older child exploits a child for sexual gradification. Sexual abuse includes fondling, sodomy, child prostition, incest, and forcing or encouraging a child to participate in pornographic activity.

Indicators of Sexual Abuse:

Pain and irritation of the genitals
Torn, stained or bloody underwear
Genital discharge
Sudden changes in behavior
In young children, preoccupation with genitals

Emotional Abuse: Occurs when a parent creates a negative environment for a child.

Indicators of Emotional Abuse:

Speech disorders or eating disorders
Flat spot or bald spot on infants head
Poor relations with peers
Habit disorders such as biting, rocking, head banging

How to report abuse and neglect

To Report Abuse and Neglect contact the Department of Children’s Service at :

1-877-54ABUSE(1-877-542-2873)

Tennessee requires all persons to make a report when they suspect abuse, neglect or exploitation of children.

The tree that keeps on giving...

2010-03-17T11:35:00.002-05:00

I guess, given the current religious season that we are in, that one would assume that this post might be about the Cross or the Resurrection. I humbly admit that I need to post more about theological issues, but this is an update on my health and recovery since the accident last year. As would be expected life is slowly returning to normal. In February I was able to stop the blood thinning medication that I was on. They did an ultrasound on my leg and the clot was gone. I am slowly losing my limp, although it is prominent at various times. I am still not able to climb steps very well, but hopefully that will get better with time.

I still have two outstanding issues, first I am stiff and sore a lot. I can generally tell when the weather is about to change, because I wake up extremely stiff. The pain is manageable but always present in some way. The other issue is my left shoulder. About two or three months after the accident I started noticing a significant amount of pain in my shoulder and it started not working properly. Within a month of this onset my shoulder completely froze up. Ever since then my therapist has been working on it.

When I came off the blood thinners I asked my doctor to address this issue. He sent me to an orthopedic doctor. Last Friday I had an MRI and it revealed a rotator cuff tear. The tear explains the weakness but the lack of mobility will have to be addressed as well. So here is what this all means. I will have to have two procedures, the first one will be manipulation under anesthesia, they will sedate me, then they will go into my shoulder cut or remove the scar tissue and then move my shoulder around to free it up. A few weeks later they will go in and repair the torn tendon. Healing from the rotator cuff surgery should be three to four months. Bottom line, another summer disrupted by that tree that keeps on giving...

Let me say this though, I am a little discouraged right now, but our God is good and he will see us through this like he did all the stuff since the accident!

In moments like these...

2010-02-24T09:58:00.002-06:00

Well, if you are watching the Olympics there have been many news worthy story lines. There was the tragedy that struck before the opening ceremony. This was the luge accident that claimed the life of a young athlete from Russia. There was Lindsey Vonn and her winning gold in spite of an injury, Shaun White and his amazing ability on the snow board, and Apollo Ohno making history by winning seven medals. It seems like everywhere you turn there is a new story.

Yet last night there was a particularly emotional event. Canadian ice skater Joannie Rochette lost her mother just two days ago, and she decided to skate anyway. She probably will not win the gold medal, but perhaps that is no longer the point. It is in moments like these that you find out what you are truly made of, you find out whether or not you believe what you have always lived.

Rochette skated a beautiful performance, and at the end she broke down and wept. It was tough to watch because of the anguish she felt and showed on such an international stage. You never know how you will act in the face of such adversity, everyone will act differently and there is no one way to act that can be deemed correct. The point does not become so much how you grieve as how you move forward. For Rochette part of moving forward was putting on her skates and honoring her mother on the ice, for others it is just a struggle to put one foot in front of the other each day.

There was another, 'in moments like these', events last night. Dutch speed skater, Sven Kramer, was on his way to a gold medal and was misdirected by his coach and was disqualified. He did not know this until after he had finished the race and was beginning to celebrate. He was virtually inconsolable, and the coach was visibly distraught. Bottom line is that we are all human and we all make mistakes, this was just a really big event to make a mistake at. It is extremely understandable the anger with which Kramer reacted, he even called it the "worst moment of his career".

It is still yet to be seen how Kramer will act in the long run, but this may be something to watch. The media coverage of the Olympics is always spectacular, about a week ago a female reporter came up to Kramer and asked him if he would pronounce his name on camera. See there has been some confusion as to how to pronounce his last name, evidently it does not sound like the way you think it would. His response was, "no, what are you stupid?" Truly, in moments like these everyone finds out who you really are...

A Win

2010-02-08T15:57:00.002-06:00

Props to the New Orleans Saints and their win over the Colts last night. I was quite surprised I thought that Peyton and the Colts who walk away with it. This is one of those feel good stories, four years ago the future of the Saints and New Orleans was a little unsure. Now with this victory it seems the heart of that proud city is alive again. Sometimes you just need a win, and that is what they needed. I guess it could be considered a moral victory of sorts.

Moral victories are good things, and like the Saints sometimes we all need them. Life is full of ups and downs. It is probably good advice to never get to used to the highs or too distraught by the lows because life will soon change. It is unrealistic to expect life to always be up, but it sure does feel good when you get there. It is comforting to know that whether you are up or down God is always there.

So when you are up, praise God for the gift of joy, and when you are down praise him for the gift of presence!

Zingers

2010-02-02T11:24:00.002-06:00

There is a snack cake found in most convenience stores called Zingers. It is a little like a Twinkie but it is inside out. I do like them and they are quite addictive so I do not eat them much. I was reading this news story about some thieves who evidently liked them well enough to steal them. It is rather humorous, evidently they had a craving and would have gotten away with the Zingers but the snow gave them away. I guess that is what you get for not being able to control your desires.

I often read stories such as this and just laugh, because well, they are "dumb" criminals for they way they got caught. Also because it seems that impulsive desires rule their lives. Maybe we should take a minute and look inwardly. How many decisions do we make that are ruled by impulsivity? Retailers know that the best location for small unneeded merchandise is right near the cash register, because they know we will buy because it is there.

Same principle is true for our lives, we just got done studying through Proverbs here at CP. One Proverbs relates that it is better to be quiet than to speak up and let everyone know you are a fool. How many of us have opened our mouths on an impulse and ended up sticking our foot in it? Gaining control of our human impulses is key to following Christ. We replace our desires with his desires.

This ends up being a tough situation, trying to shut down the part of our being that causes us to act impulsively, but then once we adapt to Christ's way of life and thinking there are impulses we need to heed and act on. I cannot tell you the number of times I have walked or driven by someone knowing I needed to act yet I did not. This is a difficult thing because we find ourselves caught between who we want to be, and who we truly have become.

This Sunday I am going to begin a study in the Young Family/Adult class at CP based on the book "The Me I Want To Be" by John Ortberg. I am deep into the book now and I think it will be a good study. Come and join us if you can.

The Office (no not that one)

2010-01-28T12:58:00.002-06:00

I do watch the comedy series The Office that comes on NBC but I am not talking about that one. I am talking about the one I am sitting in now. For those of you who have stopped by my office the one word that probably comes to your mind is 'mess'. I am not known for keeping a clean office, very rarely do I get to see the top of my desk. Last week I thought I lost a thumb drive on my desk, only to discover that it was not even in my office. I am considering calling Mike Rowe and seeing if he wants to come and film a 'Dirty Jobs' episode in my office.

I would like to claim that it is not really my fault. There is so much stuff that flows into my office I cannot keep up with it all so it ends up in piles on my desk. I often spend a day cleaning off the top of my desk only to find it piled back up in less than a week. I wanted to take a picture of my messy office and put on this blog, but I cannot find the cord that attaches the digital camera to my laptop. I am pretty sure that it is on my desk somewhere. Oh well, I have heard it said to never trust a man with a clean desk, I guess at the very least I am trustworthy. I think I will put it on my list of New Year's Resolutions for 2011.

I do like my office, it is a little small, but it is mine. The one thing I am not as happy about is the fact that I do not have any windows. The offices here are located in the basement and so I have to go walk around to see what the outside world looks like. Usually this does not bother me, especially when it is hot out there and nice and cool in here. But in the winter, I do appreciate the heat, I guess the lack of sunlight or any outside light causes a change in my disposition. I think they call it SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Now some of you may disagree, we used to just call it the winter blues. Whatever it is I am ready for consistent warm weather and green grass. How about you?

Dare to Dream

2010-01-18T10:01:00.000-06:00

The Art of Apologizing!

2010-01-12T14:05:00.002-06:00

So as most of you know I am an avid baseball fan. I, like many others, was not surprised when Mark McGwire admitted to using steroids while playing baseball. We all knew ,even if he would not admit it. After McGwire fails to make it into the Hall of Fame again he finally decides to come "clean". This is great, he gets a load off his chest and we all get to say I told you so, but that is not quite how it went down. He admits to using the juice, even during the year when he broke the home run record, but when asked he stated that he does not think it impacted his home run hitting. Evidently McGwire was given a gift to hit home runs and the extra arm strength had nothing to do with it.

Some might say that the timing of this revelation is questionable and may be a plea to get into the Hall of Fame, but he shot himself in the foot when he tried to hold onto to his HR record. Whatever happened to just saying you are sorry and meaning it. No qualification, no buts, just I am sorry. I guess humanity has never really been able to just apologize, we can go all the way back to Adam. When he was caught with the fruit, his first reaction was to pass the blame. Why is that? Why is it that the idea that we are at fault creates an automatic response of finding someone else to blame?

I think it has to do with pride. The admission of wrong doing is in some way damaging to the ego and thus something we fight against. It is bad enough that this problem plagues our earthly relationships but it also hurts our relationship with God. For whatever reason we cannot accept the guilt or reality of our sin and instead must fight against coming clean with God. Too often it is the devil that is the recipient of blame. "The devil made me do it." "The devil put that thought in my head." No you may have been faced with a choice but you made that choice and the consequences are no ones but your own. May God grant us the ability to tear down the walls of excuses we have built and live in open and honest relationship with him.

2010

2010-01-11T11:15:00.003-06:00

Hello and welcome to 2010. Yes, I know it is the 11th! Well, 2010 has to be a better year than 2009 and I look forward to the challenges and triumphs of 2010. Olsa has told me that I cannot talk about the accident any more, and I am sure many of you are tired of hearing about it. So I will try and not refer to it in sermons and lessons this year. Of course she is not being mean but we are both ready for this all to be gone. Just a short note on my health, I am healing well. After the accident I made big strides in my rehab, and now the positive steps are smaller and less evident. I still go to rehab once a week, and I will be on blood thinners through the middle of February. My left shoulder is giving me trouble, but after I get off the blood thinners I will be able to get some shots that will hopefully help. My back still aches and my left leg/foot hurts regularly, but I am making progress. Now onward and upward.

We started 2010 here at Central Pike with a study through the book of Proverbs. We have committed to reading a chapter a day, we are studying it in our Bible classes, small groups and sermon time. If you are interested you can find the study materials on our website. It is a great way to start the year, and hopefully it will put us all in the habit of being in God's word daily. I hope this year has been great already and I pray that God blesses you in amazing ways!

Warning - Soap Box Post

2009-12-17T10:43:00.002-06:00

So here is an issue that has been agitating me for a few months now and I must let it out! I think the cell phone was a needed invention. Being able to always be in touch is important. I have long felt like the ability to always be in touch has come at the price of us losing our manners. Generally it bothers me when people go to restaurants, banks, stores and cannot hang up their phone long enough to carry out the business at hand. I believe this behavior communicates that service personnel are unimportant.

I become even more disappointed when I go to a movie and hear a phone ring behind me and someone answers it. Answering it is bad enough, but then they talk at a regular conversation level like they are the only ones in existence. I did not pay $8 to hear you talk to uncle Al about his car, take it outside. If you are ever talking to me and my phone rings I will not answer it, I think it is rude. If you do this to me know that it bothers me. Now if you get a call you have to take excuse yourself and GO answer it. I get especially agitated when my wife calls me, I answer and all I can hear is her carrying on a conversation with someone else. Generally I will hang up or tell her to talk just to me.

All that is not my soap box, this is, hang up and DRIVE. Because of my rehab I have to travel downtown at least twice a week, and at least once a week I have a near miss with someone because they are talking on a cellphone. The biggest red flag for me is when I see a truck driver driving with one hand, shifting gears and holding a cellphone. This is not safe! Especially at interstate speeds. One day I saw a driver trying to pull his long truck out into a busy section of traffic on Broadway. It was nearing rush hour, there were a lot of cars, and he was going to have to block all three lanes of traffic in order to get his truck out. I looked at him and he was holding his cellphone while trying to do all the other stuff.

Most of you all know how much I value my Blackberry, and when my wife reads this she will have one critique, I tend to text and drive. I know this is perhaps more dangerous than talking and driving. So this is my commitment to you I will quit looking at my BB when I am driving and will definitely stop texting immediately. If you call while I am driving I will put you on speaker phone or return your call later.

Safety First!

A Charlie Brown Xmas Tree!

2009-12-04T10:16:00.007-06:00

For the past 8 years Olsa and I have purchased a real Xmas tree. Last year as we took down the tree we noticed that the stand leaked water onto our hardwood floors. So I decided that we would not get anymore live trees and instead purchase an artificial one. So as the season rolled around this year Olsa began looking for one. We have used Craigslist before so she decided to look there. She looked for several weeks and found one that was tall enough, 7.5 feet, was pre-lit and was a good/fair price. It was still sealed in the box so we thought it was a good deal.

Well....we unpacked it on Wednesday and boy were we surprised.

I did not realize that they made artificial trees that looked this shabby. The limbs at the bottom, where they should be the longest are less than 12 inches long, it is sparsely filled. Over all it looks like the one Charlie Brown picked because he felt bad for it. Every time I walk by it I just have to laugh. Oh well, maybe next year!

A Weekend Getaway

2009-12-01T12:26:00.002-06:00

Friday is never a good day to go see my doctor. In the past six months his solution has been to admit me to the hospital. Thursday, November 19th I began to feel bad. I had chills, a high fever, body aches and a massive headache. I got in bed, and took some stuff because I thought I had the flu. Called my doc and he wanted to see me the next day. I must say that I have an injury from the accident back in June that will not go away. This was what my doctor was worried about. After a flu test and some blood tests it was determined that my injury had gotten infected and so on Friday afternoon, November 20th, I went back into Vanderbilt hospital.

Now my dad, always being the joker commented that this would be a nice getaway for Olsa and I. HA HA! I am starting to joke now that I have my own room at Vandy, Dr. Womack just calls them up and tells them I am coming in and they get my room ready!

Seriously, this infection has knocked me down, again. I got out of the hospital on the following Monday. During my stay they drained about a liter of fluid and ran antibiotics through an IV non stop. I was shocked at how far down I was, I spent all of last week on the couch or in bed. I made it to the office yesterday, but after an afternoon at the doc and rehab I went home and got in bed. When the accident happened the docs warned us that I would be dealing with this for at least a year, and it appears they know what they are talking about.

I am on the mend again. Hopefully this will be the last setback, but either way we will keep plodding along. Thanks for you prayers and keep them coming. God is good!

Let me say this, I have an excellent doctor and I would highly recommend him and Vanderbilt to anyone!

Albania

2009-11-13T09:41:00.005-06:00

I must be honest, when I first met the woman who would become my wife I had to find a world map in order to determine where her home country was located. Since 1999 I have been to Albania 4 times. I have always been treated well there and have been welcomed with open arms by her family.

Every Sunday morning my wife watches CBS Sunday Morning as she is getting ready for church. This past Sunday morning they were reporting on a Jewish family who had been saved from the holocaust by being hidden in Albania. Below is the clip from that show. It points out two things, first the hospitable nature of the Albanians but also gives us a different view of Muslims. We are not that far removed from the horrific shootings at Fort Hood, and with such tragic events we, as humans, tend to label entire groups of people when one of them does something wrong. Yes there are branches of the Muslim faith that seeks to destroy all human life that does not agree with them, but these are extremists.

Following the 9/11 attacks several Muslim groups spoke up and denounced the attacks. We have the same extreme factions under the umbrella of Christianity, i.e the church form Kansas that pickets soldiers funeral and holds signs that state "God hates fags" and "Thank God for I.E.D.'s". We do not like being swept up in a prejudice view of God that is fostered because of miscreants like these. So perhaps we should not be so quick to judge, because we never know where our next helping hand might come from...

These Muslim Albanians took in these Jews, who did not believe like they did, and hid them from the Nazi's. The religious landscape of Albania has changed dramatically since the 1940's. As is mentioned in the news piece, a brutal communist dictator took over in the late 1940's and cut Albania off from the rest of the world. Churches were destroyed or turned into municipal buildings and the government became "god". The current generation is beginning to be re-introduced to God and Christianity. Pray for them, that they may get to know the God of love and mercy.

****I tried to embed the video here but it did not work. Click this link to see the video. The title is "Hiding In Plain Sight".*****

Movies

2009-11-09T17:10:00.002-06:00

I am definitely not an avid movie watcher, we only go when Olsa really wants to or when we take a group of kids. So we rent movies occasionally and last Friday we rented Year One with Jack Black. I don't know why I constantly get drawn in by commercials, but Jack Black's movies are generally horrible and this was no exception. I do not recommend it, it's basic comedic draw was to make fun of the stories in the Bible. So 20 thumbs down from me!

On a brighter note, the group that produced Facing the Giants and Fireproof are planning another movie. I believe sometime around November 15th they will unveil their next project, I look forward to this movie!

For those of you interested, this past Saturday I stopped using my cane. This was a big step, and now I am closer to being fully recovered. The Lord has been good to me, and I thank him and praise him!

Preaching

2009-11-03T12:54:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday I was able to preach again for the first time since my accident. I must admit it was a bit more difficult than I imagined it would be. I made it through it though. You can go here and listen to it.

Just for fun!

2009-10-27T11:22:00.002-05:00

Last week while we were at the beach my dad received the follwoing in an email. He read it to me and since I don't like to forward stuff I thought I would post it here. A new picture is on the way, and an update on my condition is forthcoming. Pray for me as I venture into the pulpit for the first time since the accident this Sunday morning.

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

MEN ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE--

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM SUCH SIMPLE CREATURES.

YOUR LAST NAME STAYS PUT. THE GARAGE IS ALL YOURS. WEDDING PLANS TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES. YOU CAN NEVER BE PREGNANT. YOU CAN WEAR A WHITE T-SHIRT TO A WATER PARK. YOU CAN WEAR NO SHIRT TO A WATER PARK. CAR MECHANICS TELL YOU THE TRUTH. THE WORLD IS YOUR BATHROOM. YOU NEVER HAVE TO DRIVE TO ANOTHER GAS STATION RESTROOM BECAUSE THIS ONE IS JUST TOO ICKY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO STOP AND THINK OF WHICH WAY TO TURN A NUT ON A BOLT. SAME WORK, MORE PAY. WRINKLES ADD CHARACTER. WEDDING DRESS $5000, TUX RENTAL-$100. PEOPLE NEVER STARE AT YOUR CHEST WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO THEM. NEW SHOES DON'T CUT, BLISTER, OR MANGLE YOUR FEET.

ONE MOOD ALL THE TIME!

PHONE CONVERSATIONS ARE OVER IN 30 SECONDS FLAT. YOU KNOW STUFF ABOUT TANKS. A FIVE DAY VACATION REQUIRES ONLY ONE SUITCASE. YOU CAN OPEN ALL YOUR OWN JARS. YOU GET EXTRA CREDIT FOR THE SLIGHTEST ACT OF THOUGHTFULNESS. IF SOMEONE FORGETS TO INVITE YOU SOMEWHERE, HE OR SHE CAN STILL BE YOUR FRIEND.

YOUR UNDERWEAR IS $8.95 FOR A THREE-PACK. THREE PAIRS OF SHOES ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH. YOU ALMOST NEVER HAVE STRAP PROBLEMS IN PUBLIC. YOU ARE UNABLE TO SEE WRINKLES IN YOUR CLOTHES. EVERYTHING ON YOUR FACE STAYS ITS ORIGINAL COLOR. THE SAME HAIRSTYLE LASTS FOR YEARS, MAYBE DECADES. YOU ONLY HAVE TO SHAVE YOUR FACE AND NECK.

YOU CAN PLAY WITH TOYS ALL YOUR LIFE. ONE WALLET AND ONE PAIR OF SHOES--ONE COLOR FOR ALL SEASONS. YOU CAN WEAR SHORTS NO MATTER HOW YOUR LEGS LOOK. YOU CAN 'DO' YOUR NAILS WITH A POCKET KNIFE. YOU HAVE FREEDOM OF CHOICE CONCERNING GROWING A MOUSTACHE.

YOU CAN DO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FOR 25 RELATIVES ON DECEMBER 24TH IN 25 MINUTES.

NO WONDER MEN ARE HAPPIER!

Update

2009-10-12T10:20:00.002-05:00

Hello all,

It has been a little while since I last updated my blog here, sorry about that! We are in a period of mourning here at Central Pike and I would be remiss if I did not spend a few minutes remembering our dear sister Cindy who has gone on to her reward.

To Mark, Emily and Jeannie, we mourn with you as you walk through this period of loss. To the Lewis family and the Moore family we grieve with you as well. To us Cindy was a friend, a teacher, a Christian sister,but to you she was a loving wife, a caring mother, a wonderful sister and a beautiful daughter. Words cannot do justice to sustain you during this difficult time, and we can only hope that our actions of love and support can aid you in the coming days, weeks, months and years.

Cindy was a quiet lady, very reserved and seemingly peaceful, but that was a cover for her competitiveness when game nights came around. Cindy was highly intelligent and would eat your lunch in a game that required intelligence. One of Cindy's biggest passions was Bible Bowl. Each year she would be right in the middle of it all teaching the kids and writing questions. She even designed most of our t-shirts. She will truly be missed.

Perhaps most of all, and most importantly, Cindy loved God. Even when going through the darkest of days she did not abandon her faith, and now her faith has been realized. She and her entire family serve as examples to us. Thank you Cindy for your friendship, your love and your presence we will miss you!

Brace Free

2009-09-18T10:42:00.002-05:00

This past Tuesday I was able to get out of my back brace, PRAISE GOD! I saw the spine doctor and the foot doctor, both were very happy with my progress and released me from any further visits unless I needed them. I am extremely happy with being out of the back brace, but my muscles in my torso all went soft during the 12 weeks I was in the brace. So it is going to take some time and work to get my stability back. I have a good therapist and he is helping me immensely.

On a sadder note, our dear sister Cindy Lewis is in the closing stages of her fight with cancer. Mark posted on Facebook that his heart is broken, and we stand right there with him. I covet your prayers for the whole family as they walk this road. A few years ago when this all started Mark and I were emailing back and forth and he told me that life without her would be unimaginable, and he quoted a line from a movie, "she completes me". Now that may seem sappy to some of you, but this is reality. So as you gather with your family tonight hold them tight, let them know how much you love them and cherish your time with them.

Please pray for them! After Mark posted Joey posted the following scripture:

"In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

1 Cor. 15:52-57 (NIV)

New Picture

2009-09-04T10:52:00.007-05:00

As you can tell I updated my picture. I believe this was the first day I was able to attend worship after the accident. I think it was the first week of August. I do have my turtle shell on, it is under my shirt. Getting back to my church family has been awesome, many of them/you have been amazing in you support of me during this time. Thank you for that!

11 days and I will be free of this shell. It is going to be a wonderful day! I also wanted to post some pictures of my rehab team (I hope they don't mind) at Stallworth. This has been a difficult time but the care and attention I have received from Vanderbilt has been awesome. From the nurses down to the maintenance men who helped me stay cool after they put me in this shell, everything has been great.

The guy in the green is Sheldon, he was my OT. he was a great man, a believer in Christ and constantly talked about what God was doing. The guy in red is Dave, he was one of the rehab techs, he had the task of helping me stand and hop/walk each day.

This Jenn, she was my Physical Therapist at Stallworth. She was a great motivator and did some tremendous things for me while I was there. I attribute where I am today to Sheldon and Jenn.

This is Alan, he was a PT student from TSU that was doing one of his clinical rotations at Stallworth while I was there. He was excellent as well, he worked with me daily, helping me stand and hop/walk everyday, worked with me on strengthening my upper body and motion in my legs.

The first morning that I was at Stallworth these three people came into my room determined to get me out of bed and into a wheelchair. They succeeded, and believe me it was quite a task. From day 1 they were committed to getting me mobile again. I am going to the outpatient rehab clinic at Vanderbilt. My therapist, Corey, has been great. His doing some tremendous work to get my left foot working again, and after I lose this brace he'll help me get my back, back into shape.

These are just a few of the amazing people who have helped me along the way. One person you won't see in any of the pictures is my awesome wife, Olsa. She is always taking the pictures. She hardly ever left my side during the first week and while I was in inpatient rehab she managed to do her job and stay most nights with me. Her devotion to me is truly a testament to who she is and I continually thank God for her. I know there are so many others I need to mention, my mom stayed every night that first week with Olsa in the trauma unit waiting room. My dad drove back and forth from Cookeville each day. Now that I am home my mother-in-law, Najada, tends to my every need so that Olsa can work. I appreciate the guys who built the ramps at my house, without them I would be home bound. I would try to list more, but I would leave someone out. So just know that I sincerely appreciate everything everyone has done for me and my wife during this time. Mostly I am thankful to God, through the midst of this I have been ministered to by the body of Christ in ways I could never have imagined. God was with us in that trailer, he was with us in the trauma unit, he was with us at rehab, he was with me through the blood clots, our God is faithful and always will be. All honor and glory to HIM!

Update

2009-08-28T12:11:00.002-05:00

Hello all, I know it has been a while since I updated my blog, sorry about that I have been a little side tracked. For those who did not know I spent about 8 days in Vanderbilt a few weeks back after I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my left lung. It came as a result of a large blood clot in my left leg, the one that was injured in the accident. Other than having to lay in be for 8 days there was no other real set back to the hospital stay. I am now on Coumadin and will be for at least 6 months.

I am progressing well. In rehab yesterday I did more than I have done since the accident. In 18 days I will get rid of this turtle shell and be allowed to start walking. It is still going to take many months of rehab to get me back to pre-accident form. One good note, since January of this year I have lost nearly 100 pounds. I know this seems improbable but I was dieting hard prior to the accident and had lost over 40 lbs. Since the accident I have lost in the area of 60 lbs. I promise I am eating well. By the way I would not recommend this as a weightloss plan. There are less painful ways to lose the weight.

Continue to pray for Cindy as she endures the chemo treatments!

Moral Dilemma

2009-08-04T10:03:00.003-05:00

As most of you know I am an avid Boston Red Sox fan. Aside from the recent slump they have been having it has also been a disappointing week because of the positive tests by David Ortiz for PEDs. Now I have been hard on Manny and A-Rod because of their PED use and now I must be honest and hard on Ortiz. As Olsa and I got read to go to rehab yesterday she got my RS/Ortiz shirt to wear and I had to say no. I have to be constant or my words are empty.

I hope the truth comes out and Ortiz is truthful or I will be extremely disappointed, and it may change my view of the Red Sox. PED's have been a black eye on MLB and it is time to expose all 104 names, let everybody be truthful and then let's move one.

June 30 - July 23: Stallworth Rehab

2009-08-04T09:19:00.002-05:00

After spending over a week in the hospital I was moved to Stallworth to begin my rehab. I was immediately impressed with the staff when I got there. They were extremely attentive and helpful. I was assigned to a rehab team and they were in my room early the next morning getting me ready for rehab. The first task was getting me to sit up in a wheel chair. I quickly found out that this was going to be painful. For some reason my tailbone still hurts when I sit up for a long time. I went through three chairs before they found one that I was comfortable in. About a week later I got my power chair, which was awesome and gave me some independence.

I had some really great therapists, Jenn, Alan and Sheldon. Jenn was my PT and Alan was a student doing an internship. They had me standing in less than a week and walking/hoping within two weeks. Sheldon was my OT and he was extremely helpful in getting me to do regular everyday tasks. There were other techs that helped out, JP & Dave were helpful and appreciated. I also watched this team do some amazing things with some men who had almost zero mobility and had them up and walking. Words cannot express my appreciation for these people and the help they gave me!

When I first moved to rehab I shared a room with a man who was recovering from hip surgery. He had been in rehab for at least three weeks. he and his wife were nice, but he snored and kept his TV on all night so sleeping was difficult. They started moving me using a Hoyer lift so they looked for a room with a lift in it. They only had two, and one was a single and I thankfully was moved into it. It was great because Olsa was able to stay with me and I was able to sleep all night long except when the pain would not allow it.

After a week my therapy team told me I would be in for 4 to 6 weeks, but I made good improvement and was able to leave after three weeks. This has been a long and life altering experience. I have learned a lot about me, my family and my friends during the past month. I am sure that a lot of it will come out in blogs, but a lot will come out in my teaching and preaching.

I want to thank all those who sent me a card, prayed for me, visited me and helped out in some way. God has blessed me through you and I can never repay you for how you have blessed my life. I am not through with this yet, I have several months of rehab to go and it will be the middle of September before I get all my braces off. Please keep praying, and contacting me everything helps!

May God richly bless you today!

Finally Home

2009-07-27T20:57:00.003-05:00

I came home last Thursday, July 23rd. This was one month and a day after the accident. Being home is great except for that it is much harder than I anticipated that it would be. I will be going to outpatient rehab tomorrow this will be my first outing since coming home, pray for me and Olsa!

June 26 - 30 Trauma Unit

2009-07-27T20:43:00.002-05:00

I spent a few more days on the trauma floor and then was moved down to the surgery step down unit on the 9th floor. The care changed once I moved to a different floor there was one nurse for about ten patients. It was good though because Olsa could stay with me all the time which eased her mind. I soon became overwhelmed by the outpouring of care and concern. Cards began to flow in and have not stopped yet.

Also I was constantly amazed by who came to see me. Several of my teachers from Lipscomb stopped by, one of the Elders from the Sycamore congregation in Cookeville stopped by with his wife. But all along members from Central Pike have been a constant support and presence. Going into this experience I hated needles and still do, but I was poked and prodded with needles non-stop. I think I had about 13 IV's by the time I moved out of the hospital. I also started getting shots twice daily for blood clots. These have continued, once a day, even though I am home now.

June 25 - Trauma Unit

2009-07-19T12:44:00.002-05:00

Today was the big day. I was woken up early and Olsa and I went down to the surgery waiting room together. Several people came in and spoke with me. My surgeon, the anesthesiologist and my wife ran down the spine surgeon who was making decisions about my back. They told me the surgery was simple and I would be back in my room by late morning. Last thing I remember was someone putting an oxygen mask over my mouth. I woke up several hours later with a breathing tube still down my throat. Not only was the tube still in both my arms were strapped to the bed.

Evidently when I went to the recovery room after surgery I woke up too early and started fighting with them and trying to pull out my tubes. So they put me under again and strapped me down. I think I woke up late afternoon. Every time I saw someone they told me to calm down and stay calm. I remember seeing Olsa and dad. Since I woke up early they had to sedate me again and bring me out much slower. Finally I was wide awake and they pulled out the tube, which was not pleasant.

My problem after surgery caused me to lose my private room. I was moved back to a large room with many patients. I also lost my cooling blanket. I saw the maintenance man again and he brought me a machine that blew cold air on me. This was an eventful and difficult day for me, but I made it through! Thanks to all who visited me and have been praying for me!

June 24 - Trauma Unit

2009-07-15T16:11:00.004-05:00

The nurses made me stop eating at midnight because I was scheduled for surgery that afternoon. So I was back to the swabs and a cup of water. My injuries began to become more real, at least the pain was. They gave me morphine through an IV and I had the trigger. At first it was set up to give me a dose every ten minutes. I could push the button (and I did) as often as I wanted. When it gave me a dose it beep once, when it was not time it would beep several times. Olsa would fuss at me when I would continually push the button, I guess she did not want anyone to think I was hooked.

The medicine kept me in a semi-conscious state so I was in and out. A lot of people came to see me. The doctors would come by and would talk to me, but I was really unable to talk back. During the night a young man (19 yrs old) was brought into the trauma unit after a motorcycle accident. As I floated in and out of consciousness I heard them work on him and eventually heard them tell his family that he would lose one of his legs. That helped put things in perspective.

Again some time in the afternoon they told me no surgery so I was able to eat and drink again. Thanks to my wife's persistence I was moved to a private room on the trauma floor. This room was excellent. Olsa was able to stay with me. I soon found out that my new turtle shell was extremely hot. I mentioned that to my nurse and thanks to him and one of the maintenance workers I received an awesome treat, a cooling blanket. This blanket had a liquid in it that was circulated through a machine that cooled the water. It was GREAT!

That afternoon the doctor wanted an x-ray of me in the turtle shell. So they took me down to x-ray and transferred me to a bed/table that would put me into a seated position. This was an extremely painful experience, but it was the first time I sat up in several days. I guess the doc was happy with the x-rays because they left the shell alone. Olsa brought me some food and just the smell of it made me nauseous.

The nurse gave me some stuff for the nausea that, once it mixed with all my other drugs, made me a little loopy. Olsa and my mom had an enjoyable afternoon and evening as I entertained them with my antics. I barely remember that so I am not sure it happened;-). That day ended with chocolate milk and my cooling blanket. Each and every day many people came to see me and bring me things. I cannot overstate how helpful and uplifting every one's attention has been. THANK YOU!

June 23 Trauma Unit

2009-07-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

Before leaving the ER, 9 staples were put in a laceration on top of my head. Shortly after midnight, I was moved to the 10th floor, the trauma unit. Information about my injuries were being revealed to us. After all the x-rays and CT scan, it was revealed that I had several cracked ribs on my right side and that my right lung was punctured. When I woke up in the camper, I knew that something was wrong with my left leg, and at the hospital I was surprised to find out that my injuries were only in the lower part of the leg. It was determined that my fibula was broken and that the bones on top of my foot were severely broken, requiring surgery. They knew there was something wrong with my back, but wanted to have an MRI completed to determine what exactly was wrong.

Since I was going to need surgery on my foot and possibly on my back, they were still not allowing me to drink anything. So I was relying on the wet swabs to quench my thirst. The trauma unit is an interesting place. I was in a large room, the receiving area, where patients were divided only by curtains. There was one nurse for every two patients. Barbara, the nurse from camp, was later placed in the slot next to me, so we were able to keep up with her. I had excellent care the many days that I was in the trauma unit. The nurses were attentive, knowledgeable and skillful. At some point I was taken back downstairs for a CT scan.

On that morning they took me down for an MRI. As soon as they started talking about doing an MRI I instantly kept telling them that I have to go to an open MRI machine. They took me down for the CT scan and MRI at the same time. They did not find an open MRI, but were able to find one that was bigger than normal. I kept telling them as they put me in the machine that "It would NOT work". The first time they put me in they had me put my arms down. I got stuck at the elbows and became very agitated.Then they had me put one arm above my head and put me in again. I told them I didn't like it, but it would do. My nurse was with me and he said, "I'm going to give you something for the pain", and that's the last thing I remember because he gave me something to knock me out. I woke back up as they were pulling me out of the machine. Very thankful that I had been asleep for the entire thing.

The further I get away from the actual events, the less vivid they are in my mind. At some point that night I believe I went to sleep, or maybe they medicated me enough where I was able to pass out. The visiting hours in the trauma unit were frustrating for Olsa and downright strange. They were 1-5a.m. 9-11, 1-6, 8.30-10p.m. I woke up sometime Tuesday morning faintly aware of where I was, and soon reminded by the pain. I kept asking for something to drink and they kept telling me there was a possibility for surgery. Later that day, I was bumped from surgery so they allowed me to start eating and drinking. This is when I found out just how great the trauma unit was, because chocolate milk was available to me whenever I wanted. They did however caution me that I would have to stop eating and drinking due to possible surgery the next day.

I don't think I have ever fully grasped the extend of my injuries, nor the reality that I might have not made it out of the camper. That afternoon, several came to see me from church and expressed their gratitude that I had made it. One of my brothers came from Chattanooga, unfortunately I was not lucid enough to talk with him. The pain medication was very heavy. Every time I turned around they were giving me medication, shots, checking everything. For a person who does not like needles, I sure spent a lot of time with them in the past few weeks. That evening I received my 'turtle shell'. I don't remember much about it, other than them moving me around it and it was extremely painful. They put it on me and tightened it down and it was like full body armor. Evidently the MRI revealed that two of my vertebrae had been crushed and deformed in the accident. The purpose of the back brace is to immobilize my back and give my back time to heal. They say it will be 12 weeks. Those of you that know me, know how hot nature I am, and this back brace/turtle shell, adds about 50 degrees.

June 22nd - the E.R.

2009-07-09T19:34:00.002-05:00

Before I was loaded into the ambulance I was able to see Olsa. I touched her hand and told her that I loved her. They loaded me up, put an oxygen mask on me and told me to calm down. They began by cutting off my favorite dress shirt. When you are as big as me it is hard to find clothes that fit well and look okay. When the EMT started cutting my shirt I almost asked her not to, but I was hurting a little too much. Then she began cutting off one of my favorite pairs of shorts. I got hooked up to all these machines. We were getting ready to leave and they asked us to wait because one of the others needed to be transported with me. Soon they loaded Jason in the ambulance beside me. The only thing that Jason said to me was, "sorry to leave you hanging in there, I had to get help." It took me a few moments to figure out what he meant. Jason felt bad because he had to leave me in the trailer to go get help.

I have learned a lot of things over the past three weeks, but I have never blamed anyone or anything for what happened.I have learned that I have little or no control over things in this life. I feel bad because I think that Jason is suffering a little because he did not get hurt much in this accident, but I want him to know that I appreciate all he did and all he will do for me.

The ride to the ER seemed like it was on an old country road, every bump hurt and I moaned and groaned. We did arrive at Vanderbilt quickly and then things began to move quickly. I was taken into a treatment room. By this time I was extremely thirsty I kept asking for water, but they told me I could not have anything until they could figure out the extent of my injuries. They offered me these swabs dipped in something that tasted like mouthwash. I went through all they had quickly and soon they brought a cup of water for Olsa to dip the swab in and put in my mouth.

They needed picture or x-rays of everything. Unfortunately this meant that every time they took me to a new room, they wanted to move me from one gurney to another. Each move was extremely painful. I assume that I had at least 50 x-rays and 1 CT scan that night. I had a gash in my head that required 9 staples. Soon info began to flow in that I had broken ribs (which explained the pain), my lower left leg and foot were broken and something was wrong with my back.

I was allowed to have two people in the room with me. Olsa was one and they made me pick who the other one was. I knew that people would rotate in and out so I asked for my dad. Now my mom will not allow me to live that down. I soon found out that the waiting room was full of people from Central Pike. By this time it was nearing 10 pm and they were all there waiting to hear that I was okay. That was extremely humbling, the outpouring of love, prays and cards has been overwhelming. God is alive and well in all of us.

This night ended with me being moved to the trauma unit on the 10th floor. I was still not able to drink because the extent of my injuries was still not known. I give thanks to God for his grace and mercy the road is long ahead of me but I have many to walk with me. About a month ago I wrote about my wife, but since this accident my wife has raised the bar and has become more than I ever could have imagined. Thank you, Olsa! Thank you, God! Come back tomorrow and I will add some more!

Ouch!

2009-07-08T19:53:00.003-05:00

We worked, planned and prayed for several months so that camp would be a success. I was quite nervous, I was anxious for my group to blend well with the group from Hermitage and have a good time. We set up on Saturday, and arrived on Sunday ready to go. Sunday went extremely well and Monday was a success except for a storm that prevented the guys from swimming in the afternoon. Monday night was rock band night, and everything was going great. As the competition went along I kept noticing the clouds moving rapidly outside and the big trees swaying in the wind. I became worried so I went and told Jason that we needed to find out what was going on with the weather.

Jason, Barbara (the nurse) and I left the mess hall and headed for the only place where we had a television, in the nurses trailer. Mike (one of the cooks) met us as we were walking and joined us in the trailer. Three other young ladies followed us too. When we got inside we turned the television on. The television was of little help so I called my dad; i had just hung the phone and put it back into my pocket. It started hailing and the girls asked what it was I said hail and they said we need to get out of here. Those three young ladies left I turned my attention back to the television and that is the last thing I remember.

I woke up some time later, I could not get a deep breathe, my left leg ached and it was dark and I was wet. There seemed to be a lot of commotion outside. I was trying to remember where I was and why I was there. I could feel the tree right above my head. I remember Brad being down at my feet. He touched my left leg and it felt like it was broken. I was able to communicate with him, he told me where I was and what had happened. I then asked if my wife was okay. (They would not let her near me so I did not see her until I got into the ambulance)

I lost consciousness several more times until I was loaded into the ambulance. So here we were. The tree had fallen on the trailer, four of us were inside, three of us received injuries and were taken to Vanderbilt Hospital for treatment. June 22nd was day one of my stay here. Check back tomorrow as I try and relate this journey to you one day at a time.

A good wife

2009-05-31T14:38:00.002-05:00

I am sitting right now in a dorm room at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama. I was honored to be asked to teach at the Inspire youth conference that is going on here this week. I just finished my first class and I am now contemplating the rest of the week. This invitation, as much of an honor as it is, was a tough one to take. Mainly because it meant that I will have to be away from home and my wife for about five whole days. Now for some of you this may not seem like much, but I have a really great wife.

Every now and again I forget this and then something happens that brings it right back to my mind. This past May 20th, Olsa and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. The past nine years have been phenomenal, we have had our shares of ups and downs but for the most part it has been great. She loves me like I never thought another person could love me. I am not sure why, but God has tremendously blessed, I just hope I am blessing her in the same way.

It is hard exactly to put into words just how awesome she is. She is intelligent, level headed, hard working, and caring. She loves kids, loves to cook for me and still gets weepy when I leave for a few days. When I come home for work she meets me at the door and literally just wants to be with me. To my male readers I hope you find that special someone, because without my Olsa life would be incomplete!

I love you babe!

More baseball..but read on!

2009-05-12T14:45:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I have an affinity for baseball. I was not a "good" player growing up. As a matter of fact I think in total I played four seasons, maybe three of little league ball. God did not gift me to be a baseball player, he gifted me to be a fan of the BOSTON RED SOX! I stay up late and watch games, I read the sports news outlets. I ran across an interesting story the other day. There is a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants who is a religious man. At the end of every game that he plays he gives a signal with his arms. It is a crossing of his arms that is intended to look like angel wings or something like that. He does it as a sign of his Christian faith and as a tribute to his late father. He maintains that it is not to showboat or mock anyone, but just to be a tribute. Well, last week this story surfaces.

Now, this type of mockery is expected in most cases, most showboating players have a signature move they do. When someone wants to mess with them they mock them, but this seems to be a little different. Let me say that I do not follow the Giants, and am not a fan of Wilson, so I am on the outside looking in. Nonetheless it will be interesting to see how Wilson responds the next time he has to pitch to Blake in a game. This will be the true test of his tribute showing Christianity.

I am in no way against people showing their pride and allegiance to God and Christ in some outward way. I applaud people who want the world to know they love Christ. Several years ago I myself got a tattoo of a cross and a fish with Ephesians 2:20 under it. I have a real passion for Jesus and I desire for my life be a living example of one that has been crucified, and denied all for the glory of God. (I guess the point is lost if I have to explain it) Now the problem comes when my life or anyone else's life does not match their outward expression. This is why I say it will be interesting the next time Wilson and Blake meet in a game.

Traditionally if a team or pitcher feels slighted in any way the pitcher will plunk or hit an opposing batter. This practice inevitably leads to a retaliation from the other team and generally a fight ensues. (This a good example of why restorative violence is a myth) If Wilson is to be true to his theological convictions then he must forgive Blake, forget what happened and move on. This means no retaliation! This is a real life opportunity to show how the grace of God has transformed his life. Just like in the story of the unmerciful servant from Matthew 18, grace that is extended changes the receiver and makes him or her gracious. Otherwise it has had NO effect on any part of the life.

There was a guy that I worked with for a while who was a fairly vocal Christian. He was not ashamed of his view and would let people know what he believed. Except...when he drove. He had a vehicle and he placed a Jesus fish on the back of it. When he knew he was going to be in a hurry he would put down his tailgate so that no one could see the fish and he sped through traffic and cut them off. Seems to be a pretty good example doesn't it....What about us, how are we praising God with one hand while tearing down the Kingdom with the other?

AHEM......

2009-05-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

Ladies & Gentlemen....Manny Ramirez! (Click the name, read the story!)

A Double Life

2009-04-29T11:26:00.002-05:00

Regularly throughout my day I view various news networks via the Internet. I prefer this medium because I do not have to wade through all the hyped up rhetoric to just hear the news. I often run across stories that cause me to shake my head. I remember reading about some people who got into a fight after a youth basketball game. Two men were fighting and when a 15 or 16 year old girl tried to intervene one of the wives attacked her. Sometimes all I can do is shake my head and be amused when people honestly do not understand the current disposition of young people toward authority.

This week was no different, I was reading the news and came across this story. Now it was bad enough for grown men to be fighting in public, and it is definitely problematic that this man was a principle at a local school, but the response of the school official is downright baffling. "He also said Zago's status with the district will not change because these allegations don't affect his duties as principal." When I envision a community leader, such as a principal, I see someone who can always be looked to as an example. This statement seems indicative of a greater social ill of people leading double lives.

By a double life I mean most people have different persona's that they use in different situations. I guess to certain extent this could be necessary in certain instances, but the biggest problem I see is that some Christians want Christ to touch their life enough to save their soul, but not to change their actions. This is a double life. If Christ is anything to you, he is everything to you. There is no part of life that remains untouched by a real encounter and life lived with Jesus. This gentleman's actions at the speedway impact his ability to lead a school because his ethic has been compromised in a moment of anger. The awesome reality of Jesus is that though we often compromise the ethic of our lives, he is always ready and willing to forgive us and welcome us back.

Inspiration

2009-04-21T14:06:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday night a group of us from CP went over to Hermitage to hear Chet McDoniel speak. Chet was born with some physical abnormalities and has a powerful testimony. He has a tremendous outlook on life and was truly a blessing to hear him and his dad speak. He has definitely overcome some amazing things and through it all he has chosen to be happy. He has a wonderful family and is determined to bless others for God in this life.

As I sat and listened to him I could not help but be amazed at myself and how quickly I can get unhappy when things do not go my way. We all have things in our lives that have not turned out like we wanted them to. At one time we had dreams and wishes that never came to fruition. How are we dealing with those things? Are we accepting them as part of a greater existence or are we bitter? When I graduated high school I had a plan for my life, and I am no where near that original plan today. I could be bitter that I am still working on my education as I reach my mid thirties, I could be bitter that I am just now getting around to settling into life, but I would not trade all the blessing I have right now for anything I wanted to accomplish then.

I am proud of who I have become through the blessings of God. I am immeasurably thankful for my wife and the church family that God has blessed me with. I choose to be happy, I choose to be satisfied, and I choose to trust that God can handle the rest!

Go RED SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Drawing a Blank

2009-04-08T09:29:00.003-05:00

I read several blogs regularly and some of the writers can write about anything and everything. I just cannot do that I have to moved or inspired to write. So I have not posted in a few weeks because I lack both inspiration and time. My classes are coming to a swift conclusion so I have a lot of school work and there is always plenty to do at CP. Check back regularly, who knows when the inspiration will strike. I hope you have a great day!

Oh by the way, GO RED SOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of Touch!

2009-03-24T09:36:00.002-05:00

In light of the present economic situation many are tightening their financial belts and looking for ways to live on less income. Sunday morning in Bible class someone mentioned that we need to be more thankful for how blessed we truly are. I could really not agree more, I do not know about you, but this morning there was a roof over my head, clothes to wear, running water, and plenty of food to eat. Many in our community do not have access to any of these things. In our present state of blessedness it may be easy to become disconnected from what is going on right around us. Some of us can lament the loss of some of our money in the stock market or job benefits and some of are even suffering from job loss. These are all real and painful things for us, but we are still extremely blessed, if for no other reason than we have God and he has us!

There are many in our community and in our world who are totally disconnected from what is really going on though. I ran across this story and was amazed at how truly disconnected this woman is from reality. Now imagine $53,000 a week to live on. Now it is obvious that she lives a pampered life and is not affected by reality too often. We cannot be like this. We may never be this disconnected but we should really examine our lives and be quick to praise God instead of lamenting the things we do not have. God is faithful, he will take care of us!

Innocence & Honesty

2009-03-16T09:57:00.002-05:00

This past Saturday Olsa and I were out and about and we had Abbey with us for a while. We stopped to have dinner at a local restaurant. We had a good time eating and spending time together, and as I was paying the check and we were getting ready to leave Abbey began crying. It was just out of the blue, we were perplexed because she seemed to be having a good time. Olsa pulled her close and asked what was wrong and she said she missed mamaw. Mamaw is what she calls JoAnn. She has gotten very close to JoAnn because she stays at her house often and has been around her since she was a baby. As most of you know Paul & JoAnn are in Africa for two weeks.

Since Saturday I have pondered Abbey's actions. I think it is safe to say that I was a little amazed by her actions. There is something extremely refreshing about children. Many of the most cherished attributes of children are always visible, which runs in direct contrast to how we as adults generally act. You can always count on kids to be honest. Abbey did not have an qualms about admitting that she was sad because she missed JoAnn. I often wonder why it is that we as adults often try and hide the reality of who we are or why we act like we do. Somewhere along the line we decided it would be better if the world around us saw a version of who we are instead of who we truly are.

Abbey was also not shy about showing her emotions. Now sometimes kids can become overly dramatic and cry to get their way (which Abbey can do on cue). There was nothing to be gained by her crying in this instance but just to release the sadness she was feeling. How refreshing it would be for us if we could just release all the pent up emotions and sometimes just sit down and weep, mourn and wail. They did it in the Bible, it should be an option for us too.

Amazingly the sorrow was over as soon as it began. She released it and it was gone, now it may come up again, but she is free to express it and move on. Some of us can't get past the release of emotion. We blow up emotionally and live in it instead of moving on. There is much we can teach the children in our midst, but the reality is that we have much to learn from them.

So I encourage you, let people in and let them see who you really are. Cry if you need to, it will do you some good. But then it is time to move on....

Bad News

2009-03-11T10:12:00.003-05:00

During these trying times it would not be unusual for many of us to get really dejected and disappointed. We are thoroughly inundated with bad news everywhere we turn. I was still reeling from the news of a minister killed while preaching, when I heard about a man going on a shooting rampage in Alabama seeming to kill people indiscriminately. Just this morning there is news of a killing rampage in a high school in Germany. Every time I turn on the television or view Internet news sites it seems like the economy is getting worse and I think the news people are enjoying it because they never talk about anything good. My mind races over the cases of children being abused, homeless people being shot randomly, the jobs that my friends are loosing and the list goes on and on. I say enough, it's time to turn off the television and refocus our minds.

There is little, if anything, that I can do about all these bad things that are going on, but there is a way I ought to be responding to it. We cannot control the world, but we can control how we react to it. As I see it, one of the greatest things that our world currently needs is hope, and this is where we come in. I have said this many times to the small group that I lead, we need to be instilling hope in the world. This idea is not original to me, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

We do not have to look far to see that hope is in short supply. So now is our chance, now is the time to rise up and honor God with our lives. I encourage you to sit down with those who are weeping and mourning, mourn with them, but do not allow the devil to have the last word. Give hope to the hopeless, help to those who are hurting and let the peace of God reign in your life. Let me be clear, let's not just give hope in the form of words, but rather let's put our faith into action, step out of our comfort zones and help someone.

Midst all the bad stuff that we have seen this week, comes a bright spot. I was reading the Channel 5 website and came across this story. It begins with heartbreak, I was moved to tears as I read this little girl's story. But for her hope came in the form of some adoptive parents who, for the first time, showed her what it was like to be loved. There are people who are right on your doorstep that need hope, your gesture may not be as big as the one this family did, but do something. If we sit silently by while people hurt and waste away from a lack of hope we have lost a chance to help and honor God.

Truth

2009-03-03T15:06:00.005-06:00

Truth is an illusive and tricky thing at times. Listening intently to the words people use will often tell you more about the "truth" than the sum total of their statements. I ponder this today because this morning as I was getting ready for work I was watching ESPN. They have an ongoing three day series on steroid use in professional sports. This coming on the heels of A-Rod's admission that he used "performance enhancing" substances during his career. Today was day 2, and they focused on the fact that most of those that get caught say that the drugs do not give them that much help. As a matter of fact most claim their "God given" talent as the reason they are successful.

ESPN set out to dispel this myth with today's report. They interviewed many athletes who had used the drugs and had gotten significantly better in a short amount of time. The gave two or three examples, not just one of the dramatic improvement. Still yet, many pro athletes that get caught with their hand in the cookie jar claim that "if" they did it, it did not help much. You see the truth is much trickier than many perceive, especially when it is tied up in fame and money. I maintain that the future would be immensely easier on these athletes if they would just say, yes I did it and I am sorry.

You can see A-Rod's press conference on many internet media outlets. During his press conference he did not tell the entire truth on more than one occasion. It seems like if Barry Bonds would just admit to steroid use he could move on, but there is too much at stake. Can you imagine, too much at stake to tell the truth.

I really do not want to make these men out to be void of any kind of personal ethic. I think that they were once young men with dreams of making it big, and that has clouded everything else in their lives. The same can be true for all of us, we can become so fixated on achieving a certain goal that we can convince ourselves that whatever it takes is what God wants for us to do. God wants us to be successful in life, he wants us to enjoy life, but he wants us to find that success and that joy in him. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." Matthew 5:6 (TNIV)

Winterfest

2009-02-24T14:31:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take some of the older kids here at CP to the annual Winterfest youth rally in Gatlinburg. I have been before and I was definitely looking forward to it, and I was not disappointed. There are so many good things that revolve around this event it is hard to know where just to begin. As much as I can say about how good it was for the 4 girls that we took up there, I needed the weekend too. It seems that I all too often get caught up in the "work" that I need to be doing on Sunday mornings that I rarely get to sit down and worship. I am not sure when the last time I sat through an entire service with my wife was.

So this weekend benefited me and her, because we were allowed to worship our God together without many distractions. Enough about me, I hope the experience the girls, further known as the CP 4, had was moving. The had the opportunity to worship with 6,000 other believers and take part in the biggest Church of Christ worship service in the world on Sunday. They got to hear capable speakers and see teens who are making a difference in this world. They got to look around and see other kids their age and see that they are not alone.

As with anything that is done, fault can be found because we are all human. But whatever insignificant issues can be raised, I can give you 100 more reasons why it was a good event. Let me leave you with this picture. The theme for the weekend was L1 - Love God & L2 - Love Neighbor. During the first session on Saturday we talked about L1, and during the second session we talked about L2 To close the second session, Jeff Walling (the speaker) called the oldest Elder in the building (over 70) to the stage and he washed his feet. He did this to give the kids an example of loving those who have led the way and cared for their souls. Then we sang for about 15 minutes while the opportunity was given for the youth there to wash the feet of the leaders with them.

I was moved by what I saw, all over the convention hall there were chairs and the appropriate items for washing someones feet. I watched kids move around and find their leaders and express love and appreciation in a way that not many of us dare consider today. Jesus said that life is all about these two things, loving God and loving others. As I look out at most of the teens I see today I see kids who are jaded and apathetic to most things in life. With this perspective it is not hard to become pessimistic about the future, but last Saturday night I saw teens who were moved to something beyond themselves. All because they spent a weekend in Gatlinburg!

Evangelism 101: Live a Life that Honors God!

2009-02-12T10:06:00.003-06:00

LIAR!

2009-02-04T11:15:00.005-06:00

Thought that might get your attention!I like a good laugh as much as the next person, I really enjoy being happy and sometimes I go to questionable ends to get a good laugh. Some of our friends have a little girl who spends a lot of time with Olsa and I. She is a joy and sometimes a little difficult but we are nonetheless blessed to have her and them in our lives. When she comes to our house there is one particular board game that she wants to play. It is a version of Monopoly that is about dinosaurs. For some reason she loves it even though not all the pieces are there and we have to make up the rules every time we play. As you play you get to collect cards with dinosaurs on them and on the back of the cards it gives basic facts about the dinosaur on the front.

To use it as a teaching experience we started reading the backs of the cards so she could learn some interesting facts. One day we were reading the back of one of the cards and it was a carnivore. I told her that carnivores eat meat and that they like to go to carnivals. (I am chuckling as I write this). You know carnivores - carnivals. For some reason this stuck. If you were to ask her about carnivores she will tell you that they eat meat and like to go to carnivals. Now I can hardly contain my laughter when I hear her say this, but what have I really taught her?

Have I taught her to lie? Have I taught her that as long as it is funny it is okay? Maybe that is a little harsh, but one day she will discover that this is not true and then what will she think? Twice in the New Testament we can read, "Let your yes be yes and your no be no." (Matthew 5:37 & James 5:12) Each time the emphasis is that we need to be people of our word, regardless of the situation. So now I will go about trying to undo a humorous but questionable "fact" I have placed into the head of a precious little one. If she picked up that just from a few words, imagine what she is learning from my life...

Central Pike

2009-01-19T15:03:00.003-06:00

I do not regularly mention Central Pike nor advertise upcoming events enough. We had an awesome event here last Friday night. We had a free showing of the movie "Fireproof". If you have not seen this movie yet it is time to see it. The movie itself is excellent, and will impact your marriage regardless of how long you have been married. To go along with the movie we are having a men's class on Wednesday night where we are working through the Love Dare book. There is also an exciting women's class going on right now, it is a DVD class that is led by Beth Moore and it is on Esther.

On Super Bowl Sunday we will be hosting our second annual Super Men's Day following the morning worship service. We will have plenty of great food, games and enjoyable fellowship. All men are invited! That will be February the 1st. Last year Jeff Jones won the "Super Men's Day" trophy so we need a big turn out to make sure that someone else walks away victorious this year!

A New President

2009-01-19T14:07:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow will be a historical day for America. A new president will be sworn in, and not just a new president but an African American president. The significance of this event will be both far reaching and historically important for years to come. We as Americans should all be celebrating this event because it signifies, hopefully, a new day in race relations in America. Slavery, racism and all the long standing effects have been a black eye on America and this is our chance to move on. To move on past the fear that drives bigotry and the ignorance that fuels racism. It gives us a chance to embrace the words of our founding fathers that "all men are created equal."

This does not seem to be the reaction I am hearing from some though. Instead of embracing this monumental occasion we remain fragmented along political party lines. We may not now or ever embrace all or any of the positions of President Elect Obama, but we as Christians have an example we must embrace and display. Shall we be like the ones that are moaning and groaning? Shall we be negative and backbiting toward this new administration? I think not, there are several instances in the New Testament where writers exhort their readers to live in submission to the authorities established in this life. (See Romans 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-26 or Titus 3:1-2). Now these passages are not blank checks of loyalty to be written to earthly governments. Anytime the powers and principalities of this world no longer glorify God we must move peaceably against the grain.

Unless Christians work productively and act productively in this world we find ourselves in we will not have much impact. And this is where the real rub lies. Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount gives us a charge in how we live our Christian lives among those who are of the world.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
[14] "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [15] Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)

I am not telling you that you have to like President Elect Obama. I am telling you that the world is watching, what are they seeing? Are they seeing a life that glorifies God or a life that feeds on the divisions of this world. Are they seeing peacemakers or hatemongers? Life is tough, there are very few things in life that you will always agree with, but little of that matters. What matters most is how we react as sons and daughters of the King. One final note, when we give our lives to God and become his children we no longer live in a democracy, we live in his Kingdom, ruled by Him. This does not release us from the day in and day out lives that we live here in America, but it does govern the way we live. Just something to think about.

Politics

2009-01-14T10:33:00.004-06:00

I have been witness to our political system for over 30 years. I have taken an interest in it only during the past 14 or 15 years. I think I can say with a certain amount of surety that our system does not work very well. Perhaps this may be the understatement of the year, but recent events have cemented this in my mind. Yesterday began a new "era" in the state of Tennessee, the Republicans hold control of both the state House and state Senate. So everyone knew there was going to be changes in the leadership of both bodies. Change already took place in the Senate last year when the long standing Lt. Governor Wilder was ousted in favor of a Republican. This was accomplished via the defection of one Democratic Senator, I believe it was a Senator from Clarksville. This did not set well with the Democratic party and if I am not mistaken they took her most recent election victory away from her and awarded it to another Democrat.

Now, leading up to yesterday all the Republicans in the House were gathered together and all were required to sign a pact to vote for Rep. Mumpower for Speaker of the House. Once the Democrats realized Rep. Naifeh was not going to be re-elected as the Speaker of the House they began maneuvering to find someone to vote for. They did, a Republican. Once the votes came down it took the defection of one Republican to win the vote, and he, Rep. Wiilliams, defected and he is now the Speaker of the House. Let me recap, the Republicans wanted to control both houses. They do, there is a Republican Senate leader and a Republican Speaker of the House, all should be merry and bright, right?

Unfortunately not, following the vote shouts could be heard from the gallery. Many are calling Rep. Williams a traitor. It makes me wonder who is really running our government. Because if the goal was to put a Republican into the position then all should be kosher. It seems to me, as an outsider, that it wasn't about whether or not it was a republican but just that the person elected was not of the Democrat's choosing. This is disappointing because Rep. Williams' word is no longer valuable, the motives of both sides are extremely questionable and no one seems to be concerned about what is right for the people of the State of Tennessee. It really boils down to the struggle for power, a struggle that has been going on since the inception of humanity.

No one can deny that Adam and Eve's sin of disobedience revolved around the human nature to want power. The serpent enticed them with vision of being like God. That carrot was just too great for them to turn away from. This desire for power causes us to do awful things often in the name of God or in the name of what is best. Power thirsty people will destroy anyone in their path. As will happen in the case of Rep. Williams. I am afraid that this is a worldly value that we as Christians have adopted as okay, and it is not.

The sad reality for the scenario above is that now instead of productive leadership fro the people of Tennessee there will be another year of partisan politics. Rep. Williams will be kicked out of the Republican party and they may try and steal his next election just like the Dems did to their defector. I guess it could be worse...If you would like to read more about this story follow this link.

What do you hope for in 2009?

2009-01-05T15:18:00.002-06:00

I had the privilege of preaching for the last two Sundays of 2008. I thoroughly enjoy the process and it being the holiday season there was even some added events for me to think about. I titled my sermon for the 28th, "What I Hope for in 2009." I would relive it all for you right here, but instead if you have the time go here and listen to it.

I would like to hear from you about what you hope for in 2009...Live a comment if you are compelled to.

The Table

2009-01-05T14:56:00.003-06:00

Have you ever been surprised by something? I mean genuinely surprised? I know this may sound strange but even though I am a minister and make part of my living by standing in front of people and talking I am an introvert. I do not gain strength and energy from being with large groups of people and public speaking, especially preaching, wears me out. If I preach twice on a Sunday I am exhausted by time the final amen is said. It is a strange phenomenon because the process of writing a sermon and delivering it is brings me so much satisfaction and motivation, while at the same time it drains most of my stamina away. So getting up and speaking is, to a certain extent, difficult for me. It become even more laborious when emotion gets the best of me. For whatever reason God has made me with a tender heart and sometimes I cannot help but show it while I am speaking. The first time it happened I was genuinely ashamed and more than a little surprised. There was a time when the shame of this caused me to fight against it, but no longer. I am who God created me to be...

This past Sunday morning there was a man at CP who got up to preside over the communion time and during his thoughts his emotions got the better of him, and I was moved right along with him. He was not weak, and did not embarrass himself, rather he entered into the moment with all the weight and seriousness that goes with it and it all peaked at the same time. I am proud of him, we live in a society that dictates that men are less than men if they show the slightest hint of emotion and I declare that this is wrong and denies the very existence of God and the blessing he has been to us. When we gather together where else should it be more evident that we are truly connected to our God than during our community worship time?

I am proud of you, brother. Do not ever be ashamed to let others know how much God means to you and how important moments like the one when we gather with God, Jesus and the whole church at the table are to you. Because it is in moments like those that you really find out who you are.

Stop Looking

2009-01-03T14:44:00.002-06:00

For all of you who are diligently looking for my glasses, stop looking I found them, and oh yes, my voice has made its reappearance as well. To all of you who regularly read my blog, check back on Monday I will once again commit to regular updates, and thanks for reading! Hope God richly blesses you in 2009!

Lost

2008-12-30T11:00:00.003-06:00

No this is not a blog about the TV show, I am not a follower of that series. I am however a big fan of losing things. I spent most of my day on Saturday preparing for a sermon for Sunday morning. I went to get my haircut and somewhere between my office, the barbershop and the house I misplaced my glasses. They are not super strong but they are useful, so they are lost for the moment. Also on Saturday I thought I lost my check book but that was just a matter of me putting it in a n unusual place. Yesterday we went to Memphis to do some tourist stuff and when I got home I could not find my keys, again it was just a false alarm and I had placed them in an unusual place again. Along with my glasses I have lost another extremely important thing, my voice. When I began preaching on Sunday morning my throat was scratchy and by the time I was through I was extremely hoarse and by Monday morning I was speechless. Aaaahhh the joys of winter time! and of getting older Hope you have a great day!

Worship Wars

2008-12-19T11:16:00.004-06:00

As most of you all know I am an M.Div. student at Lipscomb University. I started the program this past spring and I hope to graduate by 2012, no that is not a joke. I have just completed my second semester and I must say that I thoroughly enjoy the whole academic sphere. I particularly enjoy the opportunities I have to spend time with other ministers and seekers who are diligently working in the churches in the surrounding areas. On a recent night following my last class of the semester I was chatting with a fellow minister and we began talking about worship styles. He mentioned a church in his town who has two worship services going on at the same time in the same building. This is in an effort to appease two groups of people who want to worship in two different styles. I am not sure if this is the correct solution or not, because at some point one of the groups is going to want to control the other group in the name of what is "right".

Now read carefully the last sentence, in my humble opinion worship style is not the issue, control is the issue. I have heard over the past few years about a large church (not of my tribe) that has drastically dropped in numbers, has had very public legal issues, and are now about a 1/4 of their attendance just two years ago. The reasoning I have heard is that the trouble ultimately began because of a new worship service with a different style was started and one of the groups wanted to control both thus mutiny erupted. Does this seem right? Or does it seem a little too inward focused? Forget the inward focus, did Jesus die so I could control HIS church? Are these issues important enough to you to split a church? What do think Jesus may be more interested in, how we worship or how we treat each other? If our horizontal relationships are fragmented will our vertical relationship remain intact?

God had some pretty tough words and punishment for Israel along these same lines. The prophet Amos had a strong message; evidently Israel was convinced that since they observed the correct laws and took the Sabbath off then they could do whatever they wanted to do the rest of the week.

"Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, saying, 'When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?'-skimping the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat." Amos 8:4-6 (NIV)

Now leaving the treatment of the poor to the side for a while, this has something to say about Israel's attitude toward worship. The felt like as long as they got it "right" they could do whatever else they wanted to do for the balance of 'their' time. This seems to strike at the root of the current worship wars. So what if you have all things about worship 'correct' if you use your rightness to strong arm and abuse your fellow believers.

I have intentionally not spoken my belief on what is or is not okay to do in worship. Simply because we are too focused on the what and how instead of on the one we are worshiping, God. As part of a class assignment in my undergraduate studies I was required to attend worship services outside of my church family. This lead me to extremely rigid, liturgical services and to extremely free flowing or progressive services. After observing the spectrum the only thing I can suggest is that most people seem to 'do' worship as an chore and most fail to connect it to the rest of the week. I am not sure what the future holds for this war, but we all must become more concerned about each other and less concerned about being "right". Or more churches will split and more of the world will walk away shaking their heads and seeing that we have nothing to offer but fighting and complaining, which ironically is what they are trying to escape from in the world.

Happy Holidays!