Theology Thursday 13 - RSVP to God

In our Crazy Love study group we were talking about how we experience God and what that looks like for different people. We discussed how we often limit experiences of God to these big emotional moments that seem to happen often in the Bible but not very frequently in our own lives. When we limit our experience of God to huge, flashy moments, we miss out on the opportunity to experience God on a regular basis, in the pedestrian things of everyday life.

To experience God in our normal, everyday lives, I have often talked about inviting God to be a part of our day. Wherever we’re at, whatever we’re doing, we can invite God to be a part of that. If we’re driving to school, we can invite God to be a part of our commute. If we’re working in retail, we can invite God to be a part of our interactions with customers. In our group, however, my friend, Ron, suggested that it was ridiculous to think that we can invite God to be someplace since he is already there. God is everywhere, so how can we invite him to be someplace he already is? Instead, Ron suggested that we should change our perspective and thought process: instead of inviting God, into our day, we should make the effort to sit before God in all that we do.

We can sit before God on our drive to school and we can acknowledge that we are before the throne of God while working; we just have to remember that we are always in the presence of our omnipresent God. In our discussion we used the analogy of listening to a lecture: the lecture is going on whether or not we pay attention, so it is up to us to listen, respond and engage with the lecture. The same can be said about God: he is always present so it is up to us to listen, respond and engage with him.

I am not entirely sure what entering the presence of God in our daily tasks looks like, but I would like to find out. I do know that it can begin with those spiritual disciplines that are already a part of our lives. I know that now, before I sit down to read my Bible, I want to take time to truly enter God’s presence and acknowledge that I am sitting before the creator of the universe, reading his word. When I pray I don’t want to begin with a haphazard greeting, but I want to picture myself stepping before the throne of God, acknowledging is infinite greatness but knowing that he has invited me there.

How do you step into God’s presence in your daily tasks?

Leadership Wednesday 15 - Leading Through Writer's Block

I woke up on a Wednesday morning to write a post for Leadership Wednesday. I sat staring at my computer, completely incapable of coming up with anything worthwhile to write. I don’t presume that I ever write anything worthwhile, but in this instance nothing was coming out, nothing at all. My mind raced through current events or conversations that I recently had, but nothing struck a leadership chord and I couldn’t think of anything to write.

After 30 minutes of blankly staring, I realized that nothing was going to come, no matter how deeply I stared at my monitor. So, I left my keyboard and went on with the rest of my day. As I was reflecting back on that experience, though, I saw a leadership lesson rising to the surface. I was unable and unwilling to persevere through my writer’s block. Since I mostly write for the practice and experience, my inability to persevere didn’t have any consequences. However, as leaders, when we fail to persevere, there may be a number of known and unknown consequences.

Perseverance isn’t an option for leaders; we must persevere. Perseverance isn’t required when things are going well and the world is as it should be, but neither are leaders. If nothing ever diminished or a opposed a vision, leaders could simply cast a vision and move on. As Bill Hybels says, though, vision leaks, and leaders must persevere even when they feel like giving up. If it’s just a stupid blog that nobody really reads, perseverance doesn’t matter. But, in the weightier issues that hold real value, perseverance is necessary, as are leaders who will see those issues through to the end.

Topical Tuesday 17 - R.I.P., Finances

I never had a piggy bank growing up and, even if I had, the money wouldn’t have stayed in there long enough to make a difference. I’ve never been one to save my money very well which, at 7-years-old isn’t that big of a problem, but at 28-years-old and seven months from marriage, it becomes a much bigger issue. Knowing that I need to learn more about controlling my finances, I enrolled in Financial Peace University. FPU is Dave Ramsey’s 13-week course designed to help people save more and get out of debt.

I’m very excited for what could happen over the next 13 weeks as I learn financial principles that I have probably never even thought of. Last night was our first class and I already have my first assignment: to put $1,000 into a savings account as an emergency fund within one month. I’ve never really thought about that before, I’ve saved some money, but I’ve never given myself a goal and a timeframe to reach that goal. In all honestly, $1,000 isn’t that much money but, to hit that goal, I’m going to have to make some changes, something I am more than ready to do.

As the class began last night I sent out this tweet: “1st of 13 weeks of Financial Peace University. I should have started P90X at the same time.” Someone responded to that tweet and said I should replicate the practice of people starting P90X, by taking a before picture of my savings account and then an after picture. I’ve decided to do that and post it here; I think that will add some accountability and take away the stigma of people knowing how little I’ve saved.


If you’re interested in my progress through FPU, check back here as I’ll be writing about the experience and what I’m learning.

Music Monday 17 - First Album

I got my first CD player when I was 13-years-old; it was very exciting for me. It was a large boom box proudly purchased at Circuit City, when your order would still come out of the back and down a conveyor belt. Until that point in time I had been living in a world of cassette tapes, almost wearing out the tape of the soundtrack to The Lion King. But when I got my first CD player I was ushered into a world of lasers and optical readers, which I would proudly inhabit for the next decade.

Along with my first CD player came my first CD. I had a lot of options back in 1994. The musical landscape was populated with the likes of Pearl Jam playing their grunge rock and Ace of Base trying to usurp ABBA’s throne as the most popular Swedish export not found at Ikea. Among the numerous musical choices at my disposal, though, one artist rose above all the others. The first CD I ever purchased in my life was none other than Alapalooza by Weird Al Yankovick.

In my defense, in 1994, I was firmly rooted in the nerdiest period of my life. I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation religiously, I played Magic: The Gathering every day and spent my time at summer camp that year reading the Star Trek Encyclopedia. So, in light of how I chose to live my life, a Weird Al Yankovick CD made perfect sense. I was a nerdy kid from the suburbs so I wasn’t going to be listening to Snoop Doggy Dogg and I hadn’t yet developed a crush on Lisa Loeb.

It’s a little embarrassing that my first CD was a Weird Al Yankovick album. I look back on that purchase as a significant moment in my life, though. It was the first CD I bought for myself and that purchase helped me shape my own musical identity, independent from whatever my parents listened to on the radio.

What was the first album you ever purchased?

Freeform Friday 10 - Settlers of Catan

I want a new drug, one that won't spill
One that don't cost too much or come in a pill
I want a new drug, one that won't go away
-Huey Lewis and the News “I Want a New Drug”

Thankfully, I’ve never been addicted to any substance in my life, except for the laughs of children. I’ve never once had to think about going to rehab, even though it seems like it might be fun to hang out in Malibu or Colorado with a bunch of celebrities. I’ve never found myself under the power of addiction, but the game, Setters of Catan, is giving me a small glimpse of what that might be like.

Catan is a game of strategy and expansion, which is difficult to describe if never played. The game involves resources, roads, dice rolls, settlements, cities, trades and victory points. In the end, like any game, it’s about winning, and that may be the greatest addiction of all. Catan involves a lot of strategy and a lot of luck, but most everyone has a chance to win. So whether a player has won numerous times or is still waiting for that first win, there’s always the possibility that victory lies within the next game.

I’ve honed my skills and strategy by downloading electronic versions of Catan for the Xbox and the iPhone; these versions only help feed my addiction. The electronic games are like a quick fix until I can sit down at a table and test my skills against human opponents. Those human opponents, my friends, aren’t helping my addiction either; they’re enabling me by volunteering to play every time we get together. I could stop playing if I wanted to, I just don’t want to. And you can try to make me go to rehab, but I’ll just say, “No, no, no.”

To what game have you ever found yourself addicted?

Theology Thursday 12 - Change Expectations

I’m starting a study group of Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love next week and I’m really excited about it. I’ve read the book before but, looking back, I didn’t invest as much in the book as I probably should have. I know a lot of people whose lives have been changed by God through that book, but I didn’t experience anything like that when I read it. I think that had more to do with my approach and lackadaisical attitude toward the book than anything else.

We should live with the expectation that God is going to work, that God is going to challenge us, that God is going to transform us. Often I find myself living without that expectation. I just go through my life thinking I’ll be the same person tomorrow, two months from now, and two years from now, that I am today; but God doesn’t view us that way. In Philippians we’re told that he began a good work in us and will continue that work until we’re complete. Unless we’ve reached completion, we should live with the expectation that God will transform us.

Maybe that means simply beginning every day with the mindset that God will change us, that there is some way, no matter how small, that we can be a different person tomorrow than we are today. Maybe it just takes a small reminder that God is doing a good work within us and we should expect to see the fruit of that labor. I don’t know exactly how live with the expectation that God can change us, but I’d like to figure it out; living with that expectation seems like a hopeful way to live.

How can we live with the expectation that God will change us?

Leadership Wednesday 14 - Mike Leach and Leadership

Mike Leach was fired from his position as head coach of the Texas Tech University football team. Leach was fired after allegations that he mistreated a player suffering from a concussion. There has been a lot of discussion about the situation and many fans of the football team are upset over Leach’s firing. However, there hasn’t been a lot coming from the players of their coach’s firing; none have really stepped up to defend or support their former coach.

Mike Leach is a good football coach known for inventive schemes and effective play design. However, it would seem that he wasn’t very good at leading people or getting his team to follow him. Had Leach been a more effective leader, perhaps he could have designed great plays and inspired his team to follow and support him, even after getting let go.

As leaders, there is a tremendous temptation to substitute leadership for prowess in other areas. As a pastor, I can’t allow my ability to preach or run programs to compensate for an inability to lead effectively. If we are called to lead, we need to hone and refine our leadership skills as much as every other skill required for the work we do.

How do you refine and hone your leadership skills?

Topical Tuesday 16 - More Resolute Resolutions

It’s the New Year and people are making their resolutions. There are all types of resolutions. Some of the top resolutions every year involve getting healthier, getting finances under control and spending more time with loved ones. Unfortunately, though, most New Year’s resolutions fail. People start well then, as the initial vigor and determination wear off, patterns and rhythms slip back to normal and resolutions turn into unfulfilled dreams. The problem with most New Year’s resolutions is that people try changing their outward behavior without transforming their inner lives and hearts.

Simply changing our behavior doesn’t work. We can give up certain foods, stop spending so much money and shave some hours off of our work week, but those won’t truly change us. Unless we change our hearts, motives and intentions, eventually our behavior will slide back to normal.

If we like to eat Taco Bell every meal and not exercise, getting a gym membership isn’t going to change our lives.

If we give into every impulse buy we come across, setting up a budget isn’t going to change our lives.

If we work 60 hours a week and spend weekends alone in front of the television, trying to have a family dinner once a week isn’t going to change our lives.

Simply addressing our outward actions does nothing to meet the root issues of our motives and intentions. Addressing outward actions may work for a week or a month, but eventually we’ll become creatures of our unchanged hearts.

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to motivate ourselves toward change. Simply changing our outward actions, though, no matter how motivated we are, won’t enact any lasting change. We shouldn’t just resolve to change our actions, we should resolve to change our hearts.

Changing how we feel about and interact with food will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to get healthier.

Seeking to gain control over our money instead of allowing our money to control us will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to better our finances.

Resetting our priorities and fitting work around those we love will have a longer-lasting impact on our resolution to spend more time with those we most care about.

If we really want to change, we can’t just resolve to address our actions. We have to peel back the layers of our lives and address our hearts, which ultimately feed our actions.

What resolutions have you made? How can you address the heart of the issue and not just the outflow of the heart?

Music Monday 16 - iTunes Top Songs for 2009

iTunes was one of the greatest and most influential inventions of the last decade. The ability to purchase music with the click of a button is amazing. iTunes also allows us to get a very clear sense of what was popular in music in any given year. We can feel the pulse of the year in music by looking at the top downloads in iTunes. So, for better or worse, here are the top ten downloaded songs in iTunes for 2009.

10 – “Use Somebody,” Kings of Leon

I know it may not make me very cool, but I really like this song a lot. So, if any hipsters with their messenger bags and scarves want to give me a hard time for jumping on the bandwagon late, I’m all right with that. They can just find some new indie band to like until the band gets big enough to lose its indie status.

09 – “Dead and Gone (feat. Justin Timberlake),” T.I.

I’ve never heard this song but Justin Timberlake could release a record of him playing spoons and reading A Tale of Two Cities and it would still be cooler than anything I’ve ever done. Also, T.I. should work out a deal with Treasure Island in Vegas; it seems like a marketing slam dunk. He could sing this song while all the pirates and sirens (strippers dancing on deck) perform their show.

08 – “The Climb,” Miley Cyrus

Again, I’ve never heard this song. I’m going to assume it’s the follow up to Billy Ray Cyrus’ hit “Achy Breaky Heart.” This achy breaky heart might be broken, but it’s choosing to climb back up and learn to love again. Powerful stuff. Thanks, Miley.

07 – “Party in the U.S.A.,” Miley Cyrus

Back-to-back hits for Miley; she’s 17 and has already surpassed her father’s greatest achievement. If Miley grew a killer mullet, Billy Ray might as well just give up. I saw the video for this song and the boys in The Sound of Music had longer shorts than Miley.

06 – “Just Dance,” Lady GaGa & Colby O’Donis

I love Lady GaGa. I was told by a friend in April that I would like Lady GaGa and I wasn’t disappointed. I feel like I should be more embarrassed for liking Lady GaGa than I am, but all of my musical shame is reserved for Celine Dion.

05 – “Gives You Hell,” The All-American Rejects

It’s encouraging to know that the fifth most downloaded song last year is about spiteful revenge. Instead of this song, I’d much prefer the auditory equivalent of a puppy and a kitten playing with each other; that song would be much cuter. Even cuter than the dreamy lead singer from The All-American Rejects with his blue eyes and Frodo Baggins hair.

04 – “I Gotta Feeling,” Black Eyed Peas

I’ve never heard this song. I hope it’s a cover version of this song, which is itself a cover.



What’s that? It’s nothing like that? Never mind, then. Why would anyone want to cover perfection anyways? It’d be like someone covering "Under Pressure." That’s right, I’m looking at you My Chemical Romance and The Used.

03 – “Poker Face,” Lady GaGa

I’m going to be honest, I like Lady GaGa but it looks like someone poked her in the face with a hot iron. I’m not the most attractive person in the world either so maybe I should adopt her strategy of wearing ridiculous outfits to draw attention away from my face. I could wear a Muppet on my head or a dress that looks like the solar system and have the number three most downloaded song.

02 – “Right Round,” Flo Rida

Flo Rida? I wonder if he’s from Wyoming. If I was going to name myself after a state I would name myself New Hampshire. That way, when someone called me “Hampshire,” I could get all offended. I’d say, “Hampshire? Excuse me, I’m New Hampshire. Don’t confuse me with that backwards little hamlet, Hampshire.” Then the person would apologize and I’d throw my ascot around my neck and storm off, swinging my riding crop in the air.

01 – “Boom Boom Pow,” Black Eyed Peas

There are people who devote their lives to finding mythical beasts. They go all over the world looking for clues that would help prove the existence of beasts like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster. Those people are wasting their time because a group comprised of at least two mythical beasts had the number one downloaded song in 2009. Black Eyed Peas has four members, one of which is a vampire and one of which is a dragon. It’s unbelievable that there hasn’t been more commotion over two mythical beasts living, performing and recording music in this day and age. Almost as unbelievable as a song titled with three monosyllabic sounds being number one.