Freeform Friday 21 - Apologizing to Adam Schefter

I was taking a break from blogging until the New Year. Then this morning I sent out this tweet:

@ScottHiga: Adam Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" What is he? Too professional to call the guy Matt? Just sit on it, Potsie

Adam Schefter is an NFL analyst for ESPN. I didn’t know why he was calling him Matthew; I’ve never heard him called Matthew before. Then Adam Schefter replied to me by tweeting this:

@AdamSchefter: RT @ScottHiga Schefter sounds like a tool when he says "Matthew Hasselbeck" Too professional to call the guy Matt? ... He prefers Matthew.

Then I had almost 50 people who I don’t know tell me that I’m a tool and that I got totally owned by Adam Schefter.

I couldn’t agree with them more.

I got caught up in the faceless nature of the Internet. If I knew Adam Schefter personally or if he was more to me than a face on the television screen, I wouldn’t have called him a tool and posted it on Twitter. If I knew Adam Schefter personally I would have simply asked why it is he calls him Matthew instead of Matt. I fell prey to the anonymity of the Internet, though, and responded inappropriately and poorly. I thought I was just making a joke that four of my friends would enjoy. I forgot that while Adam Schefter doesn’t know me or care what I think, he probably doesn’t like anonymous attacks any more than I do.

So I apologize to Adam Schefter, even if he never reads this or cares. Regardless of his paying attention, I was still wrong.

Some of those 50 people who responded to me might suggest that I’m only apologizing because I got caught; they would be right. Had Adam Schefter not called me out to his 380,000 followers, life would have continued and I wouldn’t have felt the need to apologize. But because he did, my action has been cast in its proper light and I can see that I was unequivocally wrong. I am sincerely sorry and I look at this as an opportunity to learn from a mistake and not make it again. That’s the nice thing about apologies, even when they fall on no ears, we can still grow from them.

Theology Thursday 26 - 700 Miles of Effort

I went on a blind date once and I had to drive about 20 miles in order to pick her up. 20 miles is about the maximum distance I’d travel to meet someone I don’t know. Had my blind date lived 25 or 30 miles away, I might have just said no; the date didn’t go that well so maybe I should have.

I don’t want to travel that far to see people I know, much less someone I don’t know. Yet every Christmas I’m reminded of how far the magi travelled in order to see Jesus. The magi were most likely from Babylon and they would have made a 700 mile journey to Bethlehem in order to see Jesus.

Seven hundred miles.

That puts me to shame.

Sometimes I don’t want to drive 10 minutes to church.

Sometimes I don’t want to wake up 15 minutes early in order to spend some time in the word.

Sometimes I don’t want to disconnect from Facebook and pray.

If I had been one of the magi (I am “Oriental”) I would have set the cap at about 40 or 50 miles. If the newly born king was 50 miles away I would have gone, but anything more than that and I would have stayed at home and done all sorts of hood rat things with my magi buddies.

We can learn something from the magi. They were so intentional about seeing Jesus; no distance was too great to keep them from worshiping the newborn Lord. Their effort begs the question: how much effort am I putting into spending time with Jesus? We don’t have to travel 700 miles to spend time with Jesus, but even today it still takes effort and intention. And if we want to really spend time with Jesus, if we want to sit at his feet and worship him just as the magi did, we have to make the effort.

Leadership Wednesday 29 - Get Serious About Fun

This week our church’s staff had its annual Christmas party. In my three Christmases on staff we’ve had a nice lunch at church and sang some songs. This year, though, we went to a local deli for lunch and then headed to the bowling alley to knock over some pins. Our senior pastor, Rob, wanted to be sure that our team was making time to just have some fun. And, as you can see in the picture below, Rob made sure that he was having fun.

It’s easy to get caught up in the task of leadership. Leadership is a serious business, or at least it should be if what we’re leading has any value. I spend a lot of time in vision and planning meetings, learning from our past mistakes to make a better future. Leadership is about creating a better future through our businesses or organizations and we need to take that task seriously.

But it’s also important to have some fun.

We need to go bowling, we need to wear silly hats, we need to laugh and have a good time. Gathering a team together, without an agenda other than having fun, goes a long way in building camaraderie. Having fun strengthens relationships, which will provide the foundation for the serious task at hand. And we’ll have a much greater chance of completing that serious task if we get serious about having fun.

How have you seen fun help your leadership and strengthen a team?

Topical Tuesday 34 - Winners Get Second Chances

Michael Vick is currently leading all players in voting for the NFL’s Pro Bowl. It’s great that Michael Vick is actually getting his second chance; he has appeared repentant and made the right choices since his release from jail. I worry, though, that Vick’s second chance wouldn’t have been so quick in coming if he wasn’t leading the Philadelphia Eagles toward the playoffs or racking up points for fantasy owners.

As a nation, I feel we can be very forgiving, especially when it comes to athletes. If athletes are repentant and seem to change, we can forgive them. The process of forgiveness can be accelerated, though, by winning. If Michael Vick wasn’t having an MVP type season I don’t know if he would be as far along in his second chance as he is. If he was still riding the bench or having a mediocre season, he might still be that “dog fighting guy” instead of that “guy who won me my fantasy league”.

Everyone deserves a second chance, but that second chance shouldn’t be based upon whether or not someone is a winner or a loser. The second chance should be based upon grace and the person’s willingness to change and embrace the new chance he or she has been given. We shouldn’t withhold grace and forgiveness based upon performance; we should freely give them to the winners and the losers, because when we do, everybody wins. (Except for my fantasy team, they’re still losers.)

Music Monday 37 - Unjust Christmas Songs

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ who described his mission as this:

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Jesus came to bring peace and justice; he came to set things right. Some Christmas songs reflect this truth. O Holy Night contains this line:

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.

But there are a lot more Christmas songs that reflect injustice and even encourage us to participate in those activities.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Everyone loves the story of Rudolph. He was invented for a Montgomery Ward coloring book and has since become as traditional as Santa Claus. Very early on, through the story of Rudolph, children learn that life isn’t fair.

All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.

What games do reindeer play? I imagine all the reindeer standing out in the snow picking teams for dodge ball and poor Rudolph just standing there until the end, both captains fighting over who would have to have Red-Nose on their team.

Rudolph was singled out because of a birth defect. He was born with a red nose and there was nothing he could do about it. But, instead of hiding it or begging his parents to get him rhinoplasty, Rudolph embraced his nose and it eventually led him to greatness. Life isn’t fair but if you work hard and have an exploitable physical deformity, good things can happen.

Winter Wonderland
I really like Winter Wonderland because it’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to living in an actual winter wonderland; it was 80 in Southern California today. I also like the song more now that I’m married because I have someone with whom to conspire by the fire. There is a peculiar line in the song, though, that exemplifies the unjust nature of life, even during the Christmas season.

In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown.
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kiddies knock him down!

What the crap? Who are these rogue children running through this alleged wonderland knocking down snowmen? Snowmen take a lot of effort: snow has to be piled, carrots have to be acquired, buttons have to be removed from clothing. But, after all of that hard work, some punk kids from the neighborhood come and knock Mr. Snowman down. In the punk kids’ defense, clowns are creepy and deserve any abuse they get

Jesus did come to break chains, release the oppressed and set things right. That work began with his birth and continues today through his followers. Even when we celebrate his birth, though, it’s good to have reminders of what exactly he’s setting right. So every time we sing about an ostracized red-nosed reindeer or a prematurely destroyed snowman, we can thank Jesus for his birth and the way he is rebuilding and recreating this world.

What other hidden meanings can you find in your favorite Christmas carols?

Freeform Friday 20 - Preaching Lions

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader releases to movie theaters today as Hollywood continues to cash in on the popularity of fantasy epics created by The Lord of the Rings. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I probably will. I most recently read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on our honeymoon and it was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I replicated and enlarged the cover of the book onto a sandwich board to wear in our school’s book parade. I felt pretty classy having a classic on my board while all my classmates had those flash-in-the-pan Goosebumps books on theirs.

I remember reading a review for the last Narnia movie, Prince Caspian; it said that the movie was all right but that it was a little too “preachy” at certain points. I assume the reviewer meant that the parts about Lucy needing to believe in Aslan even when no one else would were too preachy. It makes sense, though, that a movie heavily marketed to Christians would be a little preachy; Christians like preachy.

Most every week Christians go to church, gather together, sing some songs and listen to a preacher. Christians get preached at all the time.

I go to church and listen to the sermon every week.

I listen to myself give a talk every Tuesday night.

I got to conferences and listen to people give messages.

Sometimes I even download sermons and listen to them throughout my day.

Christians like being preached to, even if it’s coming from an anthropomorphized lion who is analogous to God. I don’t know if The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be any good, but I am sure that it will have some preachiness to it; and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Maybe someone will see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader just to be entertained, end up being intrigued by the story of a lion who can renew and recreate, and then perhaps that intrigue will push them to want to hear some more preaching in a church on Sunday.

Leadership Wednesday 28 - Elizabeth Edwards and Legacy

Sadly, Elizabeth Edwards died yesterday. Elizabeth Edwards was the estranged wife of former senator and presidential candidate John Edwards. In her death, Elizabeth Edwards is being remembered for her commitment to social justice and her resilience in facing life’s struggles. In recent years, those struggles have included cancer and a cheating husband. Looking back across Elizabeth Edward’s life, it’s easy to see that her legacy will be different from that of her husband, John Edwards.

In 2008 I really liked John Edwards. I believed in his message of social reform and meeting the needs of the less fortunate. For once in my life I had emotionally invested in a political candidate; for the first time I had a dog in the fight. When Edwards didn’t move past the primaries I still held him in esteem as someone who cared about the things I cared about and wanted to enact some change. That all changed, though, when he confessed to having an affair while his wife battled cancer. My view of him degraded further when he confessed that he had fathered a child with his mistress, a child he had initially denied and disowned.

In this couple we have the opportunity to see how our actions will affect our legacy. Elizabeth Edwards will be remembered as an extraordinary woman, full of grace even in the midst of difficult circumstances. John Edwards, for all the good he’s accomplished and might accomplish in the future, will have a difficult time shaking his reputation as a liar and philanderer.

The scary thing is that our legacies can be defined by a single mistake. Leaders attempt to do good and make the world a better place but all of that hard work can come crashing down because of one poor decision. Moral failures hurt our ability to influence others and enact the changes that we would like to see in the world. Because of this fact, I view my life as standing on the edge of a knife; I know that any poor decision, any moral failure, could tip me over and unravel everything I’ve worked so hard to attain.

Our choices influence how we will be remembered. And even though we won’t be there to hear our own eulogies, we should want them to be good, full of reflections on the positive impacts we made in this world. Those positive impacts will be a lot easier to recognize when there aren’t any poor choices or moral failures covering them up.

What value do you see in thinking about your legacy?

Topical Tuesday 33 - Chili Cheese Fries

I spent most of the day Sunday waiting to get word from my sister that she was in labor and going to the hospital. On a day full of false alarms that call never came. As Alycia and I waited, though, she went out to get some lunch. At my request she went to The Hat and got a cheeseburger for me and we shared an order of chili cheese fries.

I know chili cheese fries are unhealthy; there is nothing redeemable about them other than their taste. But, in that moment of weakness, that’s what I wanted and that’s what we got. There are a lot of foods that are bad for me yet offer no temptation. There are other foods, though, which are bad for me and tempt me to no end. Here are some of those foods.


Chili Cheese Fries
The aforementioned chili cheese fries from The Hat are delicious. What’s not to love about French fries piled high with chili and melting cheddar cheese? The best part about The Hat’s chili cheese fries is that when the order is up, the shredded cheddar cheese isn’t melted. But by the time the fries make it to the table, the cheese has completely melted and transformed into one calorie-infested mess of tastiness.


Chick-fil-A Sauce
I don’t know how the Cathy family invented Chick-fil-A Sauce but am I glad they did. I think Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays so people can go to their places of worship and praise their deities for Chick-fil-A Sauce. It’s kind of like honey mustard but it has a smokier, BBQ-like flavor that is hard to comprehend. I think I have a better shot at understanding the expanding universe than wrapping my mind around what makes Chick-fil-A Sauce so amazing.


Coke Zero
I gave up soda for almost five years. I was drinking 20 oz. bottles of soda like children drink Frappuccinos but then quit cold turkey. For five years I basically drank nothing but water and iced tea until I visited the Coke museum; in Atlanta five years of soda sobriety came crashing down. When I first started again, I mostly drank Coke; I never had a taste for Diet Coke. Then I got introduced to Coke Zero and my world was forever changed, like when I saw Paula Abdul’s Coldhearted video and realized I liked girls. I have no idea what chemicals make Coke Zero taste so good without any calories, but I like them, even though I probably shouldn’t.

I normally eat better than chili cheese fries and Chick-fil-A sauce but sometimes I just want to be bad. We shouldn’t make poor food choices frequently, but when we do, we should make them count. Don’t waste a bad food choice on a Big Mac or Hostess apple pie; save it for a Double-Double or a piece of pecan pie.

What foods tempt you the most?

Music Monday 36 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas?

Most Christmas songs are full of holiday cheer and a festive spirit. Even though we’ve heard them time and time again, Christmas songs can inspire us to really embrace the season.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year can make us believe that Christmas actually is the most wonderful time of the year.

Let it Snow can make us think that it would be a great thing for the heavens to dump 13 feet of snow.

I’ll Be Home for Christmas can make us long to be home for Christmas, in spite of the insanity that comes from family gatherings.

As I’ve been listening to Christmas music this season, I’ve noticed that one song, which should be full of Christmas cheer and merriment, actually isn’t. A song titled Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas should be a lot merrier than it actually is. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas sounds like it’s full of cheer and merriment but it’s actually composed of brokenness and tears.

In the song we’re told to have a merry little Christmas because our troubles are a very real and present reality. These troubles which are not out of sight, these troubles which are not miles away, have been darkening the months leading up to Christmas. But now that it is Christmas, we can be merry and light while making the Yuletide gay.

The song also encourages us to reflect on the “golden days of yore” because the days we are currently living are so much worse than the olden days. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is like looking through a high school yearbook and thinking that those days were so much better. Instead of inspiring us to be present in this holiday season, it asks us to reflect on the better times of yesterday: like when Wham! was making Christmas hits or Furbies were flying off the shelves.

So be sure to have yourself a merry little Christmas because, according to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, life is hard and whatever your golden days were, they are much better than today is.

What Christmas song most inspires you for the season?

Freeform Friday 19 - Zombie Jesus

I’m planning on starting a new blog in January. The axiom is to write about what you know so my new blog will be focused on the intersection between Christianity and nerd culture. I’m very much a Christian and I’m very much a nerd. It’ll basically be Nerdy Stuff Christians Like but I think I’ll come up with a better name. In advance of launching the new blog, I thought I’d write some preview posts to give a flavor for its direction.

I have the opportunity to lead a number of small groups as well as have lots of conversations about Jesus. Given the opportunity, people like talking about Jesus and reflecting on who he is, what he did, what he’s doing and how he’s affected their lives. And while it may seem nonsensical, in a number of these small groups and conversations, the idea of Zombie Jesus gets brought up.

Zombie Jesus is based on the fact that Jesus died and rose again. Normally, when something dies and comes back to life, we think it belongs in Zombieland more than a children’s Sunday school class. When people start thinking about Zombie Jesus they’ll ask me what I think. I don’t think Jesus was a zombie; here are some reasons why.

1. Zombies Scare Me
I’m freaked out by zombies; they legitimately scare me. I really want to watch The Walking Dead because I hear it’s a great show. My fear, however, cripples me and keeps me from tuning in. So Jesus can’t be a zombie because he’s not scary. He’s the perfection of love, grace, compassion and peace; I’ve never seen a loving, gracious, compassionate and peaceful zombie.

2. Zombies Eat Brains
Imagine a world run by zombies. All the food: groceries, fast food and fine dining would be brain-centered. Zombie Soccer Mom would load her kids into their Zombie Suburban and head to Brain-fil-A and get some brain nuggets. (I definitely think Brain-fil-A would have a spleen mascot telling all the zombies to “Eet Mor Brayns”) Zombies eat brains but Jesus ate food. Part of his being fully human was his need for sustenance; we often see Jesus enjoying a meal with people, meals of fish and bread, not brains.

3. Zombies’ Greatest Threat is a Shotgun
If you’ve ever played a zombie video game, you know that the best way to kill a zombie is with a shotgun blast to the head. What makes a shotgun so effective is its ability to kill a zombie without much need for accuracy. I’ve shot a gun once before but I’ve been led to believe that I could survive a Zombiepocalypse with a little more cardio and a big shotgun. So Jesus couldn’t have been a zombie because shotguns didn’t exist in the first century.

4. Zombies are Dead
By their very nature, zombies are dead. Whether they’re labeled as “the walking dead,” “the living dead” or just “reanimated corpses” the focus is on them still being dead. Jesus is not still dead. In Luke 24 the angels ask Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary why they’re looking for the living among the dead. Jesus isn’t dead; he isn’t even among the dead. Jesus conquered death and gives the opportunity for new life.

I’m glad Jesus isn’t a zombie because if he was going to church on a weekly basis would be quite the traumatic experience. Also, I’m glad that Jesus isn’t a zombie because through his resurrected life we have the opportunity for a new and transformed life. And while I am glad that Jesus isn’t a zombie, it would be cool to see him do the Thriller dance.

Theology Thursday 25 - The Little Drummer Boy

Alycia and I were listening to Christmas music and "The Little Drummer Boy" came on. Alycia told me that she thought "The Little Drummer Boy" was the most theologically correct Christmas carol. I told her she was ridiculous because there is no record of there being a drummer boy in the stable with Joseph, Mary and Jesus. I also told her that a song with the word “ass” in it can’t be theologically sound. Then she gave me the look that makes me feel like a little kid who just got in trouble.

Alycia was right, though; "The Little Drummer Boy" is a simple song full of some of the most basic theology. The song is about a little boy who stands before the newborn Lord and plays his drum. He doesn’t have any other gifts to bring, just the desire to play his best for Jesus. And when we look at what we can bring for Jesus, that’s all he wants from us.

We’ve all been gifted and created with specific talents and abilities. God knit us together and gave us those talents; he just asks that we use them to the best of our ability for his purpose and his glory. I love the image of a timid boy worshipping Jesus by playing his little heart out. It’s a reminder that worshipping Jesus can be just a simple act of offering what we have to our Lord.

What Christmas carol inspires you to reflect on Jesus and your life with him?

Leadership Wednesday 27 - Big Fish in a Different Pond

I recently had the opportunity to visit a high school to speak at its Christian club. Even though I work with high school students and enjoy speaking to people, I was really uncomfortable. As soon as I stepped onto the campus I felt like a fish out of water, like I didn’t belong, and at any moment all the students would realize I didn’t belong and mock me accordingly. In a flash I felt like a timid, nerdy freshman again, avoiding eye contact and attempting to go unnoticed.

And while I didn’t necessarily enjoy the experience, it was a good experience.

At this point in my life I’m fairly comfortable at church and in settings related to church. Whether that’s running youth group, preaching in main service, meeting with other youth pastors or going to a conference, I feel like I belong; I am confident that I’m supposed to be there. Walking around on that high school campus, though, that confidence slipped away. I realized that in a very specific pond I feel like a big fish but there are plenty of other ponds where I’m nothing but a guppy.

It’s good for leaders to spend some time in another pond and realize that we’re probably not the fish we think we are. Staying in the same pond, I can begin to get a distorted image of myself; I can see myself as a pretty big fish. I’m not a big fish, though; I’m just a small fish who feels comfortable and knows my way around a certain pond. Hopping into another pond is like a cold splash of reality; that new pond reminds me of who I really am.

But who I really am isn’t all that bad: I’m not a guppy but I’m not a marlin either. God’s the one who has placed me in the pond where he wants me, the one where he thinks I can be most effective. Any effectiveness I have, though, isn’t going to come from trying to be a big fish in that pond; it’s going to come from relying on God to use me as he sees fit.

When have you ever jumped into a different pond and felt completely out of place?

Topical Tuesday 32 - My Grown Up Christmas List

When I was younger it was really easy for me to make my Christmas list. I would sit down with the JC Penny catalogue, go through it and write down all of the G.I. Joes that I wanted. That was it. The hardest part of making that list was deciding how to prioritize all of the G.I. Joes: did I want Snake Eyes more than Shipwreck?

Making a Christmas list is a little more difficult now that I’m older. It’s not difficult because I’m asking that no more lives would be torn apart or that wars would never start, it’s difficult because I have more expensive tastes and a budget to work within. When I was 9 G.I. Joes cost $4.00 so I was pretty sure I could get at least 5 or 6 for Christmas and feel really good about my presents. Now all the sweaters, watches, shoes and sunglasses I want cost more than $4.00, much more than $4.00. And on top of wanting more expensive gifts, I’ve also gotten to the point of adding items to my list that I need. That’s probably the most depressing part about being older at Christmas: toys and video games get exchanged for underwear and linens.

So here is my grown up Christmas list:

• Ray Ban Wayfarers
• A repair job for my broken PS3 (i.e. glorified Blu-Ray player)
• A new black watch, ideally a Movado but something from Diesel would do
• A bookcase
• Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve Irish Whiskey
• Steve Madden shoes
• Space Catan
• Sweaters from Express or Banana Republic
• Anything Star Wars Adidas

I’m not really planning on getting any of those items and I’m all right with that. I knew I wouldn’t get all of the G.I. Joes I asked for but it was fun to dream. In the end, in spite of my older, more expensive tastes, I’d be satisfied with a Target gift card and world peace.

Music Monday 35 - New Christmas Classics

It’s the Christmas season and I finally got to start listening to Christmas music. In the days since Thanksgiving the soundtrack to my life has been filled with yuletide cheer and wintry carols. As we were listening to a holiday Genius playlist, my wife complained that there isn’t very much variety in Christmas music. I was about to object when I realized that there were four different versions of “The Christmas Song” on the playlist we were listening to.

There is so little variety in Christmas music because most new Christmas songs are terrible. There are so many viable Christmas songs, religious and secular alike, that we hardly need any new Christmas songs; this leads to a lack of variety. I’d rather stick to the homogenous nature of Christmas music, though, than embrace every artist’s attempt at creating a new Christmas classic.

However, there have been a few new Christmas songs that have crossed the line from flash-in-the-pan to true Christmas classic.

“All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
Released in 1994, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has become a modern-day classic. The holiday season now feels incomplete without Mariah Carey’s seminal pop offering. I worked at the Gap one Christmas and this song was on the loop; I grew to hate the song because I heard it 1,359 times during an 8-hour shift. But the song is so charged with holiday goodness, that I’ve grown to love it again. It’s also interesting to note that Mariah Carey’s husband, Nick Cannon, was 14 when this song was first released.

“Last Christmas” – Wham!
I wrote about this song last year because I absolutely love it. I wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate Wham! when they were still together but that doesn’t mean I don’t fully appreciate them now. “Last Christmas” is the perfect break-up Christmas song because it’s built upon the hope that next year there will be someone special. I can only hope that “Last Christmas” cements its status as a Christmas classic when it plays under another gasoline fight in Zoolander 2.

And that’s it. I can’t think of anymore Christmas songs that have become classics. In the past 26 years these are the only two songs that have ascended the musical Christmas tree to rest atop it like a knitted angel.

What songs have become Christmas classics for you?

Freeform Friday 18 - Pumpkin Pie

I don’t like pumpkin pie.

And maybe you don’t like pumpkin pie as much as you think you do.

I grew up eating my grandmother’s pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving. She would bake the pies, bring them from San Diego, and while my stomach was still bursting at the seams from turkey and stuffing, I would add a piece of pumpkin pie on top. For as long as I can remember we ate pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving; it was a tradition, as much a part of the fourth Thursday of November as turkey or stuffing. My only problem was that I didn’t care for the tradition of pumpkin pie; I didn’t really like it at all.

So two years ago as I was celebrating Thanksgiving with my sister in Texas, I told her that I wouldn’t be eating pumpkin pie and would appreciate if she made a pecan pie. Two years ago I took a stand and decided that I would no longer allow my Thanksgiving dessert choice to be dictated to me by convention and habit. I made the choice to break free from the bonds imposed on me by tradition and eat something other than pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.

It has been wonderful.

Pumpkin pie is kind of gross. It’s cold. It’s mushy. It doesn’t have much flavor. I doubt that anyone would like pumpkin pie nearly as much as they do if it wasn’t so directly connected to the Thanksgiving holiday. Who in their right mind would choose a slice of cold, wet, bland pumpkin pie over a nice warm piece of pecan or apple pie à la mode?

I don’t doubt that you like pumpkin pie. But maybe you don’t like it as much as you think you do. Take away the warm, nostalgic feelings associated with pumpkin pie and what’s left? Something that came out of a can, gets dumped in a pie crust and is only made edible because of a mountain of whipped cream.

You may feel like I’m attacking your childhood but that’s only because pumpkin pie has such a strong emotional connection to the family celebrations of our past. Pumpkin pie isn’t awful but it’s made a lot better by all the memories attached to it. There are a lot of pies out there that are good enough to stand on their own without the support of nostalgia. I’m asking that you give one of them a shot next year.

How do you feel about pumpkin pie?

Theology Thursday 24 - A Theology of Thanksgiving

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift comes from God.

Thanksgiving is a day to reflect on the many things for which we’re thankful. Thankfulness is incomplete, though, if we don’t show gratitude to the ultimate source of everything good in our lives. We can appreciate the good things in our lives and enjoy them and revel in them, but that appreciation, enjoyment and revelry should always lead back to their source: the Father of heavenly lights.

I’m thankful for my wife, but God is the one who orchestrated our meeting and marriage.

I’m thankful for my family, but God is the one who placed me there at the beginning of my life.

I’m thankful for my friends, but God is the one who gives them enough grace and patience to put up with me.

I’m thankful for my job, but God is the one who called me from one place to another at the right time.

I’m thankful for the roof over my head, but God is the one who provides for all my needs.

So in the end, anything for which we’re thankful ultimately leads back to God. He is the source and we should humbly offer our gratitude to him. If we take time to think about what we have, we’ll most likely see that we’re blessed beyond measure. The blessings we receive have nothing to do with us or our intrinsic goodness; they are rooted in God’s grace and his intrinsic goodness.

Every good gift comes from God so all of our thanksgiving should be offered to him.

What are you most thankful for this year?

Leadership Wednesday 26 - Mexican Toilets

I don’t like cleaning toilets.

That’s not a very controversial statement. It’s not like I said, “I don’t like The Beatles” or “I don’t like pumpkin pie.” Nobody likes cleaning toilets. Nobody likes getting on their hands and knees and scrubbing away at the toilet bowl line that has been there since the last time there was company over. Nobody likes cleaning toilets which is why leaders have to be first in line with the yellow gloves and Mr. Clean.

I’ve been on countless short-term mission trips to Mexico with my church. I was a leader for a number of those trips and at the end of every trip we would have to clean up the mess we had made. We stayed at a church so that meant sweeping, mopping, cleaning the kitchen, washing windows, picking up trash and, of course, cleaning the bathrooms. Cleaning a bathroom is bad enough, but cleaning a bathroom that has just been used by 20 high school boys for a week would count as cruel and unusual punishment in most states. Cleaning the bathroom was the worst job, which is why I always tasked myself with leading the team that cleaned the bathroom.

As leaders we need to be willing to do the dirty jobs, the ones nobody wants to do. We have to set the example and show that, even though we’re the leaders, we’re still willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the team’s goal. When I was younger I thought that leading meant telling everyone else what to do so I didn’t have to do anything myself. I’ve realized, though, that no one is going to listen to what I say unless I’m willing to roll up my sleeves and get to work. When we dig ditches, take out trash, stack chairs, or clean toilets, we show that we’re willing to do whatever it is we’re asking of those we lead. And when we set that example, those we lead will be more willing to do what we ask, even if it’s cleaning a toilet.

When have you been more willing to follow a leader who led by example?

Topical Tuesday 31 - Thanksgiving Dinner

This Thursday I’m going to eat a tremendous amount of food.

I love Thanksgiving; it is easily one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with family, I enjoy watching football, I enjoy the beginning of the holiday season but mostly I enjoy the food. I have been counting calories and watching what I eat for the better part of this year and I want that to continue through December and into the New Year. This Thursday, however, I won’t be counting calories as I enjoy all of my favorite foods of the Thanksgiving meal.


Stuffing
Stuffing is my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Some people don’t like stuffing and to them I say, “Get a DeLorean and go back in time to the Soviet Union where you belong.” There is so much difference in opinion when it comes to stuffing because there are so many different types of stuffing: cornbread, sausage, mushroom, Stove Top. I am partial to my mom’s stuffing and I’m already excited to eat it. If you don’t like stuffing maybe it’s because your mom has a bad recipe; ask me for my mom’s recipe because it’s awesome…and American.


Turkey
I think we settled on the turkey for Thanksgiving because nothing looks better sitting on a table. Norman Rockwell wouldn’t have been inspired by a rare prime rib surrounded by decorative squashes. Turkey isn’t that great but it looks good roasted, feeds a lot of people and provides days’ worth of leftovers. Fried turkey tastes better than a roast turkey and isn’t as unhealthy as you might think. Either way, turkey is good for Thanksgiving unless you’re the turkey. And, if you are a turkey, pray to your turkey gods that you get the Presidential pardon.


Cranberry Sauce
Thanksgiving is full of foods that are only consumed on the fourth Thursday of November. I have never had cranberry sauce outside of Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving leftovers. I don’t even know if they sell it year-round or of it just makes a special appearance once a year like the McRib. Either way, there is no lazier side dish than cranberry sauce. A trained monkey could serve cranberry sauce as long as he knew how to work a can opener. Cranberry sauce is an afterthought of the Thanksgiving meal, proven by its presentation in the exact shape of the can in which it was packaged.

What part of the Thanksgiving meal are you most thankful for?

Music Monday 34 - The Beatles

I slept in last Tuesday and missed the hype leading to Apple’s announcement that The Beatles’ music was finally going to be available on iTunes. From what I saw on Twitter after the announcement, the announcement didn’t live up to the hype.

I have a confession to make: I don’t think The Beatles themselves live up to the hype.

I recognize that The Beatles are one of the most influential bands ever and that music today would be much different if they had never existed. That being said, I’ve just never really found the time to get into their music. I wasn’t introduced to them at an early age and, by the time I could make my own musical choices, I had already decided to make U2 the center of my musical universe.

So I find myself in a weird place of recognizing the greatness of The Beatles without actually acting upon that knowledge. I’ve got some of their songs in my iTunes but I rarely go out of my way to listen to their music. So I end up just nodding my head when people talk about how good The Beatles are without having any idea what they’re talking about.

What position do The Beatles hold in your musical universe?

Theology Thursday 23 - 10%/90%

In Acts 4 we see the early church surrendering what they own to God, selling what they have in order to give to the church and meet the needs of others. As I was reading through this chapter I began to think of my own generosity to God and whether or not my possessions are surrendered to him.

By the grace of God I have been faithfully tithing for almost two years. It’s a good feeling to read through a passage like Acts 4 and realize that I have been faithful to God in my finances; he asks for 10% and he gets 10%. When it comes to tithing, I’ve always viewed that first 10% as God’s and then the other 90% as mine. Recently, though, I began to see that none of it is mine; the 10% or the 90%.

If I want to be faithful to God with my possessions and finances I can’t give him 10% and spend the other 90% on hookers. I can’t write my tithe check and then cash out everything else and hit the bar for one wild night. Everything I have belongs to God and I need to make sure that I’m spending and budgeting in a way that honors him, with the 10% and the 90%.

The 10% is easy; that automatically goes to God. It’s more challenging to look at the remaining 90% and see how God could be glorified through what remains of his provision. It may be more challenging, but it’s also has the potential to be 9 times more rewarding.

How do you strive to honor God with the remaining 90%?

Leadership Wednesday 25 - Seth Godin

I was speaking with my supervisor today when he brought up Seth Godin. I have a confession to make:

I don’t like Seth Godin.

Now to be fair to Seth (not that he cares an iota what I think about him), my attitude about him is based on a single talk I heard him give at the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta. I may have been tired from staying up too late to watch the Cubs in the NLDS, but I wasn’t that intrigued by what he said and I was distracted by the number of images in his PowerPoint.

I’m beginning to realize, though, that I should give Seth a second chance. A lot of people I respect consider his blog a must-read every day. As a leader I need to be willing to swallow my pride, get beyond an initial impression and admit that I might have missed something the first time around. Seth Godin may end up being my own personal Yoda: I underestimated him at first but he could end up being one of my greatest teachers.

Have you ever written someone off only to change your mind and learn from him or her?

Topical Tuesday 30 - Men's Retreat

This past weekend I went to our church’s men’s retreat and had a great time. The only problem was that I wasn’t expecting to have a great time.

A few months ago I was invited to give two talks at the men’s retreat and I agreed (I have a hard time saying “no” when someone asks me to speak). Unfortunately, as the weekend drew nearer, I realized that my attitude about the retreat was getting worse. I wasn’t looking forward to the retreat and I was beginning to regret that I had agreed to speak. In my mind I was coming up with all sorts of excuses for why I didn’t want to go.

I was busy and didn’t want to spend a weekend away from home.

It wasn’t going to be much of a retreat for me because I had to worry about speaking.

It was going to be emotionally draining spending time with that many men and having to play “pastor” all weekend.

These excuses had left me with a terrible attitude; all last week I would complain to anyone who would listen. Then some time on Friday as I was getting ready for the weekend, I realized that I should probably have a better attitude about the weekend. My bad attitude was going to get in the way of anything good happening for me or through me and it needed to change. So I set my mind to changing my attitude and it changed.

I had a great weekend even though I wasn’t at home.

I felt refreshed from the time away even though I had to speak.

I shook off the role of “pastor” and just enjoyed myself hanging out with the guys.

We like to think that our attitudes are dictated by external forces, that if we have a bad attitude it’s because of something else “out there.” The reality is we have way more control over our attitudes than we would like to admit. We can determine whether or not we’re going to have a good attitude or a bad attitude regardless of external forces. We just have a hard time admitting that because it means we have to take responsibility for our attitudes.

And while it’s true that we have to then take responsibility for our attitudes, it’s also true that we can find the power to change those attitudes for the better. We have the power to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and change our attitudes. I’m grateful for this ability because it led me to have a great weekend at the men’s retreat, made even greater because my bad attitude had kept me from expecting it.

When have you convinced yourself to change your attitude?

Music Monday 33 - Christmas Temptation

I am a tempted man.

I feel like Joseph standing before Potiphar’s wife, with her giving me the eye and that “come hither” look.

I’m not being tempted towards infidelity against my wife. I’m being tempted towards infidelity against my own standards and principles.

Over the past few years I have clearly defined my personal standard on when it’s appropriate to begin listening to Christmas music. There is a certain season for Christmas music, which begins after Thanksgiving dinner and continues through Christmas day. Outside of that time period, Christmas music should not be played and it should be avoided at all costs.

Not only have I laid down this standard for my life, but I have also been very vocal about this standard. I posted to this blog about it, I have told friends my views, I have told people I don’t know my views and I have loudly ranted against the practice of playing Christmas music too early when I hear it the day after Halloween. However, now that I have taken this firm stand, I am being tempted to listen to Christmas music early.

I want to make a Genius playlist based off of Little Drummer Boy.

I want to hear Old Blue Eyes singing The Christmas Song.

I want to pretend not to like All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey but secretly listen to it in my truck.

Alas, it’s only November 15 and Thanksgiving is 10 days away. So even though I’m being tempted, almost beyond what I can bear, I need to stay strong. I could fire up my iPod, plug in my headphones, get lost in my own personal winter wonderland and no one would know. I could compromise my standards, abandon my principles and begin listening to Christmas music right now. But like any sin, if I give early Christmas music listening that foothold in my life, who knows where I’ll end up? It starts with Last Christmas on November 15 but ends with Baby, It’s Cold Outside in the middle of July.

When do you start listening to Christmas music?

Freeform Friday 17 - The Grace of God

Andy Stanley is one of my very favorite communicators; I have heard him speak numerous times at the Catalyst Conference. He brings new light to scripture as he draws insight for the Christian life and leadership that I had never seen before. Most of my interaction with Stanley’s thoughts and ideas have been within the realm of leadership, so I was excited to read a book of his that fell outside those boundaries. The Grace of God is not a leadership manual but an examination of biblical history and God’s grace which runs through it.

In The Grace of God, Stanley turns his keen exegesis to the subject of grace instead of leadership. He examines how the grace of God was present from the Garden through the early church and beyond. The book shows how God’s grace has always been present and highlights the lessons we can learn about grace from people like Rahab, Jonah and the repentant thief crucified alongside Jesus

There wasn’t anything particularly earth-shattering or paradigm-shifting in The Grace of God. The book feels like a sermon series on grace that was turned into a book. That isn’t a slight against the book; if it is based on sermons then they were great sermons. A book like this, though, seems to be more encouraging and edifying than thought-provoking and challenging. As an encouraging and edifying book about God’s grace, though, The Grace of God does superb job of examining grace biblically and applying those lessons to our everyday lives.

This book was provided for me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Theology Thursday 22 - Average Expressions of Love

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” – John 12:1-8

I preached a sermon on this passage and suggested that Jesus was worthy of extravagant expressions of love. Just like Mary extravagantly expressed her love for Jesus by washing his feet with expensive perfume, we should be willing to extravagantly express our love for Jesus in any way we can. This isn’t so much a reflection of us, but a response to who Jesus is and everything he has done for us. He came to the earth, ushered in the kingdom of God and made reconciliation with God possible through his death and resurrection. Jesus has done everything for us and he is definitely worthy of extravagant expressions of love.

As I reread this passage, though, I began to realize that often times I’m not ready to give Jesus extravagant expressions of love because I’m not giving him average expressions of love. Looking at Mary’s sacrifice it’s easy to think that we should go out and do something completely extravagant and over the top for Jesus like donating a large sum of money to World Vision or signing up for a long-term mission trip. But how can I think about giving Jesus extravagant expressions of love when I’m not even giving him average expressions of love?

Reading the Bible.

Spending time in prayer.

Obedience.

These are some average expressions of love, the things that we should do on a regular basis to show Jesus that we love him. If my life has been less than obedient then how can I expect to really offer an extravagant expression of love to Jesus? What’s worse, is that if my life has been lacking average expressions of love then I might try to cover up that fact with some extravagant expressions of love.

Jesus deserves our everything because he gave his everything. Sometimes, though, we get so focused on giving him the big, extraordinary things, that we miss giving him the small, pedestrian things. Average expressions of love should be the prerequisite for extravagant expressions; if I can’t spend time in prayer on a daily basis then I should figure that out before moving onto something bigger. Something bigger only happens a few times a year, like an anniversary or Valentine’s Day in a marriage. We shouldn’t simply hold out for the extravagant expressions of love for Jesus, but should strive for average expressions of love for Jesus on a daily basis.

Leadership Wednesday 24 - Cross My Heart, Hope To Die

In a recent episode of Modern Family the Dunphy family competes to see who can abstain from technology like cell phones, computers and video games the longest. To sweeten the competition the parents, Phil and Claire, promise to reward their children if one of them wins; to their oldest daughter Haley they promise a car. Much to the dismay of Phil and Claire, Haley wins the competition and expects to be rewarded with a car. As the episode ends, however, Phil and Claire tell Haley that they didn’t mean what they had said and she wouldn’t be getting a car.

As leaders, when we make a promise, those we lead expect us to follow through on that promise. Our leadership can’t be like the recently concluded elections, full of hollow promises that never go anywhere. People are jaded by politicians because they hear all the promises but never see those promises fulfilled. This promise unfulfillment is almost expected in politics but shouldn’t be present in our leadership.

When we commit to something, when we promise something, we need to follow through on that commitment or promise. If we’re unsure if we can follow through on something, then we shouldn’t commit to or promise it. It’s tempting to promise those we lead the world, to show them that we’re moving forward; but if we can’t follow through on that promise we’ll hurt our credibility and damage the relationship.

When talking about the future or the potential for whatever endeavor we’re on, we should be honest about the potential and hopeful for what’s in store. But we can’t create a false sense of momentum and excitement by promising things we’re not sure we can fulfill. As leaders we need to create a picture for the future we’re trying to create without manipulating those we lead with hollow promises and empty commitments. We need to invite those we lead to help make that future a reality and commit ourselves to them instead of some motivating but ill-conceived promise.

Topical Tuesday 29 - Call of Duty Season

Call of Duty: Black Ops came out today and Twitter and Facebook were all abuzz. I was even reading tweets from people waiting in line for a midnight release so they could play it as soon as legally possible. As I laid down to go to sleep an hour before the game released at midnight, I realized that I’m not in my early 20s anymore and my life is significantly different than it was at the turn of the millennium.

In 2002 I would have been standing in line at midnight, waiting to get my hands on the newest and greatest video game. Even three years ago when Halo 3 came out, I was standing outside Gamestop until midnight, waiting to get my hands on Master Chief’s final fight. Now, though, with a career and a wife, those days seem so far away. The days of 5 hour gaming marathons that begin at 10:00pm are long gone; that’s just not my life anymore. And even though I love my life now, when I see a bunch of 21 and 22-year-olds staying up late playing video games, it makes me think fondly on that part of my life.

There’s a difference between thinking fondly on a period and attempting to recreate that period. When we try to recreate a period of time or a season of our lives, we end up neglecting our present for a past that can never occur again.

I often feel this way about ministry.

Six years ago I was in the middle of an amazing season of ministry, working alongside some of my best friends and making a difference for God’s kingdom. That was an amazing season but it’s gone; it can never happen again. And instead of thinking about those days and trying to recreate them in my current ministry context, I need see what new thing God wants to do today. I’m on a great team and God wants to use us to make a difference for his kingdom. Why would I hold onto the past when God has an amazing present and future already laid out?

What part of your past do you think about holding onto?

Music Monday 32 - SMS (Shine)

It’s easy to populate a list of my favorite music videos.

Thriller. Sabotage. Take on Me. Virtual Insanity. Like a Prayer.

I think I’m going to have to make room on that list for David Crowder Band’s video for SMS (Shine).



The video is impressive for a number of different reasons. The video was created without the use of digital effects and took 2,150 man hours to complete. And while the production is impressive, I am more struck by the beauty and emotion of the video.

I can’t think of any music video which has elicited as much of an emotional response as the video for SMS (Shine) has. Sure Thriller is an amazing music video and Sabotage is hilarious, but there was never a deep, moving, emotional connection with those videos. SMS (Shine) makes me feel something. It helps me to see not only the beauty in life but also the beauty in loss. Life inevitably leads to loss, but when we lose something, the loss provides the opportunity for new life once again.

I know I’ve had these thoughts before, but to have them spurred in such beautiful and visually stimulating way almost makes them new again.

What music videos have connected with you over the years?

Topical Tuesday 28 - Nice Things

I visit some websites that run special deals for certain items over the course of a few days. Depending on the day, you could find deals on clothing, toys, luggage, watches, jewelry and sunglasses. Deal, though, is a somewhat relative term. Instead of paying $80 for a pair of jeans, you might be able to spend $40; or you could get a $120 pair of sunglasses for $70. In a case like that, you could save yourself 50% on something reasonably priced. However, I was looking at some watches yesterday, and I could have bought a $2,800 watch for $1,399. That’s still 50% off but not much of a deal.

I was telling Alycia how someday it would be nice to be able to just buy a watch like that, to see a good deal on a really nice watch, and throw down $1,500 to purchase it. I like watches and I like sunglasses and I wouldn’t mind having really nice watches and sunglasses. Alycia is a much better person than me, though, and she said she’d much rather spend that money on something like a well for people without access to clean water. If I ever did but a $1,500 watch, every time I wore it, I would be reminded that I spent a large sum of money on myself instead of thinking about others first.

Looking around my apartment, I realize that there are a lot of reminders that I spent money on myself instead of thinking about others first. I’ve got books, video game systems, movies, sunglasses, watches, shoes and more clothes than necessary. How can I reconcile having nice things when so many in the world go without the basic and necessary things?

Is it wrong to have a nice watch?

Is it wrong to have a big TV?

Is it wrong to have a cool pair of shoes?

This whole year I have been wrestling with the desire I have to buy stuff. I like buying stuff; it’s so much fun. If I could, I would spend all of my money on shoes, watches and sunglasses. This year I have been curtailing that desire in order to live within a budget and have some financial peace in my marriage. However, curtailing the desire doesn’t mean the desire is gone; I still want nice things and I don’t know if that’s wrong.

It’s all rather moot at this point, though, because simplicity has been forced upon Alycia and me; all the desire in the world doesn’t mean I’m going to get a $1,500 watch or even a $150 watch. Maybe God will use this season to show me how to live simply and enjoy it, allowing me to live simply even when it isn’t a matter of necessity. Maybe God will be so productive and effective with this season, that by the end I’ll want a well in Africa more than a $1,500 watch. At this point, though, I’d take wanting them the same.

How do you reconcile having nice things when so many in the world go without basic and necessary things?

Music Monday 31 - Headphones

I may be a grumpy old man but I don’t understand why people walk around wearing headphones all day. I enjoy listening to my iPod as much as the next person but not at the cost of interacting with people on a regular basis. Whenever I see someone who constantly has headphones on, I think that they’re not interested in interacting with the world around them. If I didn’t want to listen to someone or talk to someone, I would definitely put on some headphones; it’s the musical version of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. And while I sometimes feel like I don’t want people to disturb me, I don’t think it’s good to go through life always listening to headphones.

However, I have recently purchased a lot of new music and I’m having trouble listening to it all. In the past month I’ve gotten new CDs by Maroon 5, Lincoln Park, John Legend & the Roots, Ray LaMontagne and Brooke Fraser. That is a lot of new music and I haven’t really found the time to listen to it all. I had plenty of time to listen to music when I was commuting to Pasadena twice a week for school and driving around all day for work. At this point in my life, though, when I drive 10 minutes to work and sit in an office, I don’t have as much opportunity to listen to music as I once had. This reality has made me think that I should start wearing headphones all day long.

Think about it. I could plug my headphones in as soon as I woke up in the morning and never take them off. I would get 16-18 hours of listening time every day, more than enough to listen to my new music and even mix in some old music. I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone at work, I wouldn’t have to talk to the baristas at Starbucks and I could easily ignore any solicitors outside of Target. The beautiful thing about constantly wearing headphones is that I could still be heard but I just wouldn’t have to listen.

Don’t bother telling me about your day, I’m listening to someone sing about hers.

Don’t bother telling me about ways to help those in need, I’m listening to someone sing about social justice.

Don’t bother telling me about ways to strengthen our relationship, I’m listening to someone sing about love.

If I listened to music all day long, I would get to choose what influenced me; I would get to choose what input I received. And if I didn’t like the message, if I didn’t like the beat, if something was too challenging, then I wouldn’t have to listen to it. If there was any prophetic voice calling me out to change my ways and make a difference, I could just turn up the volume, look interested and nod my head in agreement.

Topical Tuesday 27 - Creating Space

This evening at Endeavor I gave a message out of 1 Kings 19.

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” – 1 Kings 19:11-13

In my message I suggested that in order to truly hear the voice of God and build into our relationship with him, we needed to create space in our lives. When God spoke to Elijah he wasn’t in the noisy things, he was in the silence. If our lives are so filled with noise then it makes it almost impossible to hear the voice of God. (A lot of these thoughts have been influenced by Rob Bell’s Nooma video Noise)

So there needs to be space in our lives for God to speak; there needs to be margin in which God can work. A relationship with God simply means that we have a connection, involvement or association with him and we can’t connect, involve or associate ourselves with God on a daily basis if he is drown out by all the noise.

As I was telling the students that they needed to create space in their lives, God convicted me and showed me areas where I could create a little more space in my life. I love Twitter and Facebook; I am constantly checking them. In all honesty, most of my day is spent connected to Twitter, either through my computer or phone. While I don’t feel it’s pulling me away from God, I know it creates a lot of noise in my life. So, for 24 hours beginning Wednesday, October 6, at midnight, I’m going to create some space by abstaining from Twitter and Facebook. I don’t have any huge expectations for God to speak to me, but if he’s going to, at least he’ll have the opportunity.

What noise can you cut out from your life to create some space for God?

Music Monday 30 - Old CDs

I just imported Linkin Park’s new CD into my iTunes. I held off purchasing the album on iTunes or Amazon knowing that I might receive it for my birthday. My patience paid off and I received the CD as a birthday present. Now, however, after importing the CD into iTunes, I’m left with a shiny, plastic disc that no longer serves a purpose. In fact I have whole boxes filled with old CDs, safely tucked away in their jewel cases, filling up our small garage. The compact disc is a casualty of the digital age and one of the enduring questions has to be: what do we do with all of these old CDs? Here are a few suggestions.

#1 – Keep Them

Maybe it will be worth keeping all of your old CDs. Vinyl has made quite the comeback in recent years; perhaps CDs will go through a similar renaissance in another two decades. Think how impressed the hipsters of 2030 will be when you show them the original album for Savage Garden’s self-titled debut (Who isn’t impressed by a chica cherry cola?). So just like vinyl has made a resurgence in spite of its inferior sound, lack of portability and high cost, maybe CDs will be all the rage with all the cool kids. Sure they take up a lot of space, but your collection of 90s CDs could you make you the coolest person ever.

#2 – Coaster Collection

Let’s face it: coasters are practical but lame. No one wants the condensation from their frosty beverage to ruin a table, but to place that beverage on a boring piece of wood or ceramic tile does not adequately communicate how cool you are. Imagine if your coasters not only protected your overpriced Pottery Barn end table but also told a story of your musical past. CD coasters say so much more about who you are and could even provide a talking point when you have guests. Be prepared to defend yourself, though, when someone sets their Coke down on your copy of Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish or Middle of Nowhere by Hanson.

#3 – Vigilante Justice

My large CD collection is symbolic of my own selfishness. Instead of spending $10 at a time to cure the ills of the world, I spent $10 at a time so I could listen to Third Eye Blind and Marcy Playground. It’s time for something good to come out of those selfish buying habits. I literally have hundreds of CDs which could be used in a vigilante war against crime. I’m not a billionaire playboy like Bruce Wayne; I can’t afford a utility belt or batarangs. However, I already have a huge collection of CDs which could easily be fashioned into some sort of ninja throwing star. Imagine the fear that would strike the hearts of would-be criminals as a rain of CD shuriken came flying down from above. And imagine the embarrassment that would come from knowing their crime was thwarted by Jock Jams 5 or …Baby One More Time.

Those are a few suggestions for what to do with your old CDs. What do you do with your old CDs?

Freeform Friday 16 - Seeds of Turmoil

The book Seeds of Turmoil by Bryant Wright looks at the biblical roots for the conflict in the Middle East between Israeli Jews and Arab Muslims. However, while examining the biblical roots, Wright ignores the complexities involved in the situation and simply attributes 1500 years of conflict to the decision of one man: Abraham. Wright argues that the conflict in the Middle East began when Abraham, who had been promised an heir by God, went outside of God’s timing and pursued his own course toward fatherhood. Wright says that Ishmael, the son of Abraham’s effort, is the father to all Arabs; the Jews are the descendents of Abraham’s other son, Isaac, the son of promise. Wright then surmises that the conflict we see today can trace its roots all the way back to the sibling rivalry between Isaac and Ishmael.

While I believe the biblical roots contribute to the conflict in the Middle East, I think it’s an oversimplification to say that they are the only cause. Wright simply believes that God promised Abraham and his descendents the land of Israel, that it is an enduring promise, and therefore belongs to the Jewish people. Moreover, Wright says that any Bible-believing Christian cannot see the conflict any other way; as Christians we should blindly support the nation of Israel and its claim to the land in Palestine.

That is my biggest struggle with Seeds of Turmoil. As a book I think it’s poorly written. Wright repeats the story of Isaac and Ishmael five times in the first 70 pages. Wright also follows little rabbit trails in each chapter, stepping away from his main argument to address personal and pastoral issues; the reader can easily see that sermons provided the foundation for the book since it’s filled with little teaching moments that have nothing to do with its main focus. As I stated, though, my biggest problem isn’t with Wright’s literary prowess but with his pro-Israel rhetoric.

I’ve been to Israel and I loved it. I still believe that God has a very special relationship with his people; I think the covenant of the Old Testament still holds meaning today. In spite of those facts, though, I cannot blindly support the current nation of Israel, even as a Bible-believing Christian. There are deep strains of injustice running through the nation of Israel today; Wright would have the reader believe that Israel is all good and Arab Muslims are all bad. The world is far too complex for that kind of simplification and we can’t buy into any rhetoric that supports it.

Not all Muslims are bad and everything that the nation of Israel does is good. Wright focuses on the town of Bethlehem as a microcosm for the influence Islam is having on the entire world. He writes that the Christian population of Bethlehem has been almost pushed out by the Muslim population, showing the true heart of Islam. He forgets to mention, though, that Bethlehem also shows the heart of the Israeli government. The Israeli government has built a wall around the city of Bethlehem, separating it and its Arab Muslim inhabitants from any natural resources the government found desirable. There are deeper issues of injustice running through the fabric of Israel today, which makes a simple “good vs. bad” understanding impossible.

The situation in the Middle East is dire, Wright understands that, and he sees Jesus Christ as the only solution to bringing lasting peace. However, Wright believes that peace can only come when Jesus returns and sits on his throne in Jerusalem. He suggests that Christians should pray for salvation for Jews and Muslims and then pray that Jesus would return. I think that the Gospel of Jesus has more power than that; if the love, peace and justice of the Gospel are shown to the Middle East in tangible ways, I think things can get better. God’s kingdom is present and active now and we shouldn’t simply rest on our laurels until Jesus returns. We have been invited to partner with Jesus in his work in this world and, with his power and strength, that work can make a difference.

This book was provided for me free by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Theology Thursday 21 - Take Comfort In Rituals

rit▪u▪al: an established or prescribed procedure for a religious or other rite.

Starbucks’ fall marketing campaign revolves around the phrase “Take comfort in rituals.” There are standees, like the one pictured, and signs all over Starbucks telling people to take comfort in rituals like pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin cream cheese muffins. It’s an ingenious marketing campaign that elevates Starbucks’ food and beverages to the level of religious rites.

I’m all for clever marketing and I do enjoy a nice pumpkin spice latte once in a while, but it feels like we’ve lost something when the rhythm of our rituals is defined by Starbucks instead of God. God commanded his people to fall in line with a rhythm of ritual.

Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles. – Deuteronomy 16:16

God commanded his people to participate in three rituals of celebration throughout the year; he understood that it was necessary for humans to celebrate and reflect on the goodness of God. Without carving out the time necessary to reflect on God’s goodness, humanity could easily forget the source of all goodness and even claim responsibility for it themselves. Rituals allow us to create the space we need to acknowledge God’s provision and celebrate his goodness.

That’s all Starbucks is asking us to do, to reflect on the goodness of a pumpkin spice latte and the feelings of warmth that come from the autumnal season. If we are followers of Christ, though, we have much more to celebrate than a latte or warm fuzzy feelings. The God of the universe loves us, brought us back into relationship with him and now allows us to participate in his redemptive work in this world. And if we took the time to build in some rituals, to find some rhythms of celebration, then we’d be better able to recognize the goodness of that God and celebrate it with every breath we take.

In what rituals do you participate and why do they hold value?

Leadership Wednesday 23 - Reading and Leading

“Leaders are readers.” – Dave Ramsey

I can’t remember how many books I read in high school but I know it was a lot less than I was supposed to. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy reading, I just wasn’t disciplined enough to force myself to do it. It was difficult to sit down and read when there was always a show to watch, a game to play or friends to hang out with. This lack of discipline when it came to reading continued throughout college and even seminary. I was someone who read only when absolutely necessary and, when it wasn’t, I would play video games or watch TV.

Over the past year, however, I’ve begun to realize that if I want to be an effective leader, reading is always absolutely necessary. After meeting with one of our volunteers, I realized that the insights I had to offer were the same ones I had shared two months prior. In two months I hadn’t learned anything new; there were no new ideas influencing my thoughts so I ended up sounding like a broken record. As leaders we’re expected to bring something new to the table; if we’re not learning anything new, then we’re just going to keep bringing old thoughts and ideas. The world is changing, the contexts in which we lead are changing; we need to constantly refresh our minds in order to keep up with that change. I can’t rely on the knowledge I gained four years ago to help me navigate the world today; reading keeps that knowledge fresh and allows me to approach new challenges with a better perspective.

Gaining new knowledge through reading doesn’t supplant the old knowledge, it just fills it in, makes it more robust. Just because we read the newest book on leadership development doesn’t mean we have to forget the lessons we’ve already learned from Maxwell, Jesus and Macbeth. Reading infuses our brains with new ideas which we can then incorporate into older knowledge; with that broader knowledge base, we are better prepared to interact with the world and people around us.

Leaders are readers. I just hope that doesn’t mean I have to go back and read all those books from high school; A Tale of Two Cities was really boring.

What are you currently reading and what are you learning from it?

Topical Tuesday 26 - My 30th Year

Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. He is one of the elite quarterbacks in the National Football League. His team has been pegged as a favorite to make it to the Super Bowl. He is 26-years-old.

As I begin my 30th year of life, when I hear about or see people younger than me who are far more successful, I often wonder what I’ve done with my life. Sure, I’ve graduated from college, earned a master’s degree, attained gainful employment and married the love of my life, but still – Aaron Rodgers is a quarterback and when Blake Mycoskie started Toms Shoes he was 30. Very often I lose sight of everything I have attained because I’m too busy looking at what everyone else has and has done.

When my vision gets out of focus like that, though, I need to remember that God didn’t put me on this planet to live Aaron Rodgers’ life or Blake Mycoskie’s. Sure, it would be sweet to be an NFL quarterback and it would be even sweeter to head an organization making a difference in the world, but that isn’t my task. Ephesians 2:10 says that God created me for works that he had planned long before Aaron Rodgers got drafted or Toms shoes became hip.

God has something in store for me.

God has a task designed especially for me.

God has gifted me to do something specifically for his kingdom.

God has done all the work, I just need to be faithful and go along with his plan for my life instead of gawking and envying the plans of others. I can’t remember where I heard it, but it was sage advice:

God didn’t create me to be the next Blake Mycoskie or the next Francis Chan; God created me to be the first Scott Higa.

I need to be faithful to that calling, trusting that God will lead me wherever he sees fit as long as I’m willing to go.

Complete this statement: “I want to be the next _____________.” Instead of focusing on being that person, how can you become the you God created you to be?

Music Monday 29 - Wake Up!

I spend a lot of time at Starbucks and while I’m waiting for them to get my coffee or finish taking my order I often peruse the CDs for sale. In the days before my budget, I would often give into the impulse to buy any CD I remotely wanted. This has proven a fruitful practice as I’ve ended up with a great Tony Bennett compilation and the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack among others. Last week as I waited for my venti iced coffee I saw the album Wake Up! by John Legend and The Roots. My impulse told me to buy it but Dave Ramsey’s voice in the back of my head told me no.

Luckily I got an iTunes gift card for my birthday and was able to pick up the album over the weekend. I’m a big fan of John Legend and I recognize the quality of The Roots, which led to my excitement over the album. Wake Up! is an album composed mainly of covers from the 60s and 70s; covers of songs that address social injustice, the harsh realities of war and the need for peace. I think it’s a great album musically but it’s the message that I really appreciate.

From what I hear on XM radio, a lot of hip hop and R&B music doesn’t carry much of a message these days. Well, I suppose it carries a message, but it mainly has to do with dancing in the club and being rich. Wake Up! harkens back to a different time when R&B music carried a deeper message about the ills of this world and the hope to repair them. John Legend and The Roots do an outstanding job of channeling artists of the past, like Marvin Gaye, to share a message that is needed today as much as it was 40 years ago. The music provides the perfect backdrop for the message; infectious beats and harmonies allow the lyrics fill your mind long after the track has ended. This staying power, then, keeps the message ruminating through your thoughts, allowing it to filter down to your soul. And a message about peace, love and justice can’t do the soul anything but good.

Theology Thursday 20 - In Visa We Trust

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’” The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Each one had gathered just as much as they needed. – Exodus 16:15-18

God gives us exactly what we need.

For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert and God always provided for them. As we see in the passage above, God’s provision of manna was never too much and never too little; he always gave the Israelites exactly what they needed. God may not rain down bread from heaven for us today but we should still trust in his provision.

As I was sitting through the last session of the Financial Peace University class I led through the summer, I began to think about how God’s provision related to credit cards. A large portion of the class focuses on eliminating credit card debt, which is gained by overspending and not preparing for emergencies. And even though God’s provision is everything we need, we often think we need more and turn to credit cards. God promises to give us everything we need but when we place our trust in credit cards we’re saying one of two things: either we don’t trust that God will take care of us or we think we need more than God is willing to provide.

When we turn to credit cards for provision, we’re a lot like the Israelites when they turned to Egypt and Assyria for protection. God had promised to be their God and care for his people yet, instead of trusting in his provision, the Israelites went wandering off. They either didn’t trust that God would care for them or that the provision he was willing to provide wasn’t good enough.

Credit cards are a practical way for us to say, “God, I don’t trust you” or “God, I don’t believe you’re going to give me everything I need.” Do we really want to say that to God? And further on down the road, when the debt stacks up and we finally decide to pay it back, how much of God’s provision is going to be spent paying for our lack of trust?

“The one who gathered too much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” God gives us everything we need. How can you live that out today?

Leadership Wednesday 22 - It's My Fault

I am currently reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, the CEO of World Vision. In the book Stearns describes the unlikely path that took him to World Vision and some of his experiences while there. It seems natural that he goes on trips all over the world and sees brokenness and injustice and then comes home all fired up to work harder and make a difference in the lives of those affected. I was somewhat shocked, though, when he admitted that over time the fire dies out, the brokenness and injustice don’t seem as imminent, and he slips back into his normal routines and almost forgets about what he saw.

Can you imagine the CEO of World Vision admitting that sometimes he gets so distracted by his office work that he forgets about the needs of suffering children around the world? That would have been like me forgetting how to turn on a computer or install updates when I was working as a computer consultant. I’m not judging Richard Stearns, I think about the needs of suffering children way less than he does; I’m actually impressed by his willingness to admit his faults, especially in something as public as a published book.

A huge part of leadership is acknowledging our faults to those we lead; it’s not like they can’t see them. Faults and growth areas are a natural part of life and as leaders we need to acknowledge them and create systems in which they can’t bring us down. Stearns writes about his efforts to personally help one child and how a picture of that child reminds him of the brokenness and injustice he is working against, even in the midst of a busy office schedule. Whatever our faults we need to be humble enough to admit them and strategic enough to address them. No leader is perfect but that doesn’t mean we need to embrace our imperfections.

How have you addressed your faults and growth areas?

Topical Tuesday 25 - The Table

Today is Alycia’s and my one-month anniversary. When I think about my grandparents who were married for 60 years, 30 days doesn’t seem like that much of an accomplishment. 60 years has to start with the first month, though, so it’s nice to have it under our belts. And, not only is it our one-month anniversary, but we also got our dining room table today.


It’s not much of a dining room table and we don’t have much of a dining room, but having it sitting there makes our apartment feel that much more like home. A table is more than a piece of wood with some legs where people eat; the table is central to relationships.

The table provides the central meeting location for families to discuss their days and strengthen their bond.

The table provides the context for so many late night conversations between friends, examining life and what God has in store.

The table stands as the central tradition to the Christian faith; taking part in the Lord’s Supper connects us to something larger than ourselves that stretches back, across thousands of years of the church, to Jesus himself.

The table is special. The table is central. The table is family. The table is home. And now our home feels a little more complete because of the table.

What does the dining room table mean to you?

Music Monday 28 - Budget Music

I’ve got a lot of music and most of it I procured legally. Though it would be interesting to figure out how much I’ve spent on music over the course of my life, it would also be a little scary; I’m sure I’ve spent thousands of dollars on music since I bought my first CD, a Weird Al Yanovic album, when I was 13. In the past few years, with the advent of iTunes, my desire to buy new music has been gratified immediately; now with the iPhone the gratification is even more immediate as I have the power to buy almost any album in the palm of my hand. Our married budget, however, has changed all of that.

As Alycia and I start our life together we’re on a pretty tight budget. We’re not poor and one step from destitution’s door but we are living within a budget thanks to Dave Ramsey and the steps he outlines in Financial Peace. As far as that budget goes, there isn’t any money reserved for new music; it’s just not there. And while I’m more than happy to live on our budget, I’ve had to change my practices when it comes to buying new music. Gone are the days of flippantly buying whatever album I wanted; now I have to be a little more strategic in my music purchases.

Part of that strategy is hoping for iTunes gift cards for my birthday, asking friends what is really worth my money and saving up my “blow” money so I can buy the new Linkin Park album or an old Nat King Cole compilation. Maybe someday we’ll be a position where $10 on iTunes isn’t such a big deal but at this point it is, and I’m all right with that. And maybe being more strategic and more careful in my music purchases will lead me to find something truly special instead of an album I purchase, listen to once and completely forget about.

If I was going to buy one new album, what should it be?