finally, its over.

the holidays are great and all but theyre exhausting at the same time. i took some vacation to try and balance it all out but it still got the better of me.

i did however manage 3 days of absolutely nothing but seinfeld dvds, coffee, naps, cereal, sweats and frozen pizzas.

it was awesome.

hope you all had a grand ole time as well.

the routine is back in full swing and im pretty stoked about it and will be back to my sparatic blogging.

see ya around.

best christmas movie ever…christmas vacation

fav christmas song…anything by burl ives

standard christmas gifts received…usually books or dvds

1 christmas tradition…putting lights on the tree while watching christmas movies

fav christmas food…pizza

early bird shopper or last minute rusher…last minute

real or fake tree…fake

create your own christmas cards or buy the generic…neither

when do you open gifts…random

do you decorate outside…no

alright thats enough for now.  get off the computer and spend some time with your family

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

“i couldn’t help but wonder if we have accepted a form of christianity that is more educated but less powerful, more civilized but less compassionate, more acceptable but less authentic than that which our spiritual ancestors practiced.” -mark batterson in “primal”

i was really excited to read this book for 2 reasons. for starters i read his first book “in a pit with a  lion on a snowy day” which i loved.  i was drawn to that book before i knew who mark batterson was. someone whos got the guts for a title that long is ok in my book. second reason was the title, “primal: a quest for the lost soul of christianity“.

i dig that.

i had that gut feeling that there was something different about this book. i read quite a bit and there are a lot of books that mirror our own over-the-counter-narcotics-abuse here in america in that most of the drugs taken only subdue the side effects of what is a bigger problem. if you’ve ever watched television for more than 3 minutes you have undoubtedly seen some kind of ad for some kind of pill. and this pill will cure (i use that word loosely) one ailment but has 50,000 potential side effects of its own. seems insane yet they continue to make it because we continue to buy it.

“primal” is not the patch. its not a pill or a shot. it is exactly what christianity needs to hear.

now there are good books and there are awful books, ive read both. im pretty sure that someone famous said this but i dont know who so dont nail me to the wall for not citing, “a good book is one you cant put down and a bad book is one you can.” i say this to tell you that when i read a book that really moves me, i tend to read really slowly. i’ve had the book for about 10 days and i’m not finished with it yet but in my world that is a good thing.

please dont read this book if youre simply looking for more information. you will do its message a great deal of injustice.

christianity has a bad rap in many places throughout the world for many different reasons and we (believers) are usually the reason for it. if we lived more like mark purposes were called to in “primal” then i would bet it all that it would soon resemble the early days of the church.

youre not going to read this and feel like theres a 12 step program you need to join or a new list of rules that you are required to adhere to. no, you will be inspired,motivated and compelled to a place of desiring a life lived with a truer sense of what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus.

this book is more than a bunch of information to make you more aware of a bunch of stuff you didnt know you didnt know until they told you didnt. the heart of marks message in “primal” is about transformation. its a transformation that comes from our choices each day but mostly its about God molding and making you and me (when we let him) into the kind of disciple that will love people with the kind of love that He shows us.

im going to say this as nicely as i know how…new years is for suckers. i mean as we’re approaching the new year, consider all the past resolutions that were not achieved. i dont think ive ever made a new years resolution that made it more than a few months.

but i have had resolutions in my life that were made on days we dont keep record of and they continue to live on in me. people think that by making a resolution they will just change their desires and then when it fails they experience regret. the message of “primal” leads a person to have different desires which results in a resolution that is driven by a changed heart and therefore cannot fail.

you do not want to miss out on the message of this book.

‘it is better to be hated for who you are then to be loved for who you’re not.’

-andre gide

this is the blog of my favorite author, donald miller.

ive read and reread all his books and will probably continue to.

his latest book is ‘a million miles in a thousand years’.

check his stuff out…

i want to be a part of things that are bigger than just me.

i want to invest in things that do more than increase my bottom line.

i want to jump into somethin that will make a real difference in people’s lives.

i believe that this is one of those things…

hey everybody!

im bloggin because i want your help.

actually i want your money…not JUST your money…but yeah, your money.

its not money so i can buy a new car, a flat screen or a pay bills….

nope, not even close.

in october of 2010 i will make a trip with several people to novy jicin in the czech republic. we will be in country for about 7 days.

our church has been working with a couple through next level international to start a church there. this couple makes up 2 of the 4 christians currently living in novy jincin (the other 2 are their kids). its a beautiful city full of people that we want to share the reality of God’s love with.

we’re still working out all the details but we are wanting to get into the schools there to do some cool stuff with the high schoolers as well as put on some outdoor concerts in the city square at night.

the tab for this ride is gonna be around $2500, which includes all expenses.

according to google analytics there are a couple hundred of you faithful readers here, not to mention all you out there in facebookia & twitterland.

so im giving you an opportunity to give to something that i believe matters.

no pressure, no tears & no hellfire and brimstone.

im not worried about the money comin in…it’ll be there.

no gift is too small or too big!

well there it is short and sweet. cant wait to see what happens in the next couple of weeks and months. i’ll keep you all updated on this in the days ahead.

fyi:::all funds given over what is needed for this trip will go towards my future trips to honduras to work with givehope2kids (2011) and then to east africa (201?) working with compassion for africa.

if youre interested in going with me on any of these trips get in touch with me and we’ll start the process.

to give please make the check out to:

grace community church

and then in the memo section write ‘matt’s czech trip’

mail the check to:

grace community church

c/o matt zook.

4001 lwe east

mishawaka, in 46544

usa

‘not to forgive is like drinking a glass of poison and waiting for your enemies to die.’

nelson mandela

ive been thinking alot lately about conditions.

it seems like everything has conditions attached to it.

‘fine print’ has its own fine print.

even if i dont actually speak them aloud they’re there.

i know it and you know it.

conditions to obtain & keep my friendship, trust, love & respect.

i like to think that im above all that with everyone, well maybe most, but if im really honest with myself, im not.

now granted their are levels of my ‘conditions’ based upon our relationship, but there’s probably a line somewhere that just hasnt been crossed yet and so i dont know if i could forgive you after that.

im fickle and petty sometimes.

more times than id care to admit.

i hate that because im pretty sure thats not what God has in mind for me.

he said stuff like…

‘turn the other cheek’

‘give them your coat too’

‘walk him 2 miles’

‘love your enemies’

‘pray for those who persecute you’.

thats hardcore.

i think im beginning to see and believe that there is a radical way to live these seconds i call mine.

so rad that in spite of what people say to or about me, regardless of how they treat me, whether they defriend me on facebook or unfollow me on twitter i can treat them like they deserve the deepest love i own and the most devoted friend i could ever hope to be.

Jesus’ love didnt come with fine print.

there was no one at the end of his stories reading from a cue card in fast forward to inform the crowds of all stipulations, conditions, and/or side effects.

this seems impossible right now…at least on my own.

im gonna drop the fine print.

i wanna love like He loves me.

more to the point i want to love YOU like He loves me.

peace.

have a wonderful and safe holiday!

i have GOT to get me one of these!

camping will never be the same again…

for the last few days ive just been in a funk.

ive been sulking about some things goin on in my life and head and its gotten the better of me. i try my best to act like its all ok, but its not.

thoughts like feeling under appreciated/acknowledged, like people are offended/upset with me and i dont know why, inadequacy, worthless and the list goes on.

my head, heart and soul are a jumbled mess.

and it sucks.

i hate it when i let myself get caught up in this crap.

finally i get honest with me and realize that im just being a big whiny baby.

‘oh my life sucks so bad, i’ve only got a great wife, roof over my head, food in my stomach, a loving family, great friends, a job i love, and most importantly a God i love and that loves me.’

really?

i can be such an idiot sometimes.

‘God help me control my thoughts. remind me of your blessings and help me to live content. help me to live for your kingdom. forgive me for being so selfish and self centered and please help those who are living life without your peace or joy. let them experience the truth that they are not alone, unloved and irrelevant. may they feel your presence today and know that you are calling them by name.’

whether you believe me or not, this is what i believe…

its not over till its over…

its never as bad as you think…

you matter…

you are loved…

you are filled with potential…

you have a higher purpose…

this is just beginning.

a jewish proverb…

‘expecting the world to treat you fairly because youre a good person is like expecting a bull not to charge because youre vegetarian.’

heres a little diddy in honor of today being national poetry day.

its one of my favorite poems from when i was a kid.

—

where the sidewalk ends

by shel silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

—

what was your favorite poem growin up?

what matters to me…

//my relationship with God

//wife

//family

//friends

distractions to putting first what matters to me…

//my job

//recognition

//owning the latest & greatest stuff

//what people think & say of me

for the longest time i would say ‘these are the most important things in my life’ but never did anything more than acknowledge those things. i was all defense and no offense. finally one day i was actually honest with myself and looked at where i spent the majority of my time and energy and it wasnt in what mattered to me.

i have since found that it is just as important for me to remind myself of what is not valuable and why, as much as it is to focus on what does matter.

what matters to you and what are your distractions?

a story…

once upon a time there was a gardener who grew an enormous carrot. so he took it to his king and said, ‘my lord, this is the greatest carrot i’ve ever grown or ever will grow. therefore i want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.’

the king was touched and discerned the man’s heart, so as he turned to go the king said, ‘wait! you are clearly a good steward of the earth. i own a plot of land right next to yours. i want to give it to you freely as a gift so you can garden it all.’

and the gardener was amazed and delighted and went home rejoicing. but there was a nobleman at the king’s court who overheard all this. and he said, ‘my! if that is what you get for a carrot – what if you gave the king something better?

so the next day the nobleman came before the king and he was leading a handsome black stallion. he bowed low and said, ‘my lord, i breed horses and this is the greatest horse ive ever bred or ever will. therefore i want to present it to you as a token of my love and respect for you.’

but the king discerned his heart and said thank you, and took the horse and merely dismissed him. the nobleman was perplexed.

so the king said,

‘let me explain. that gardener was giving me the carrot, but you were giving yourself the horse.’

[excerpt from tim kellers book 'the prodigal God']

so what do your motivations look like?

are they honest and pure for everyone to see or are you trying to mask them for your own benefit?

most times the gift is not really the gift at all, but the motivations are what bless.

this was just too funny not to pass along…enjoy!

• I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

• More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.

• I don’t understand the purpose of the line, “I don’t need to drink to have fun.” Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they’ve invented the lighter?

• The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.

• Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.

• There is a great need for sarcasm font.

• Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the hell was going on when I first saw it.

• I think everyone has a movie that they love so much; it actually becomes stressful to watch it with other people. I’ll end up wasting 90 minutes shiftily glancing around to confirm that everyone’s laughing at the right parts, then making sure I laugh just a little bit harder (and a millisecond earlier) to prove that I’m still the only one who really, really gets it.

• I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

• I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

• The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

• A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

• Was learning cursive really necessary?

• Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.

• I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

• Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

• My brother’s Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, “Cuz we beat you, and you hate us.” Classy, bro.

• Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.

• How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?

• I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

• While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it….thanks Mario Kart.

• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

• Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

• I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

• Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

• I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

• Bad decisions make good stories

• Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!

• If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

• Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from; this shouldn’t be a problem….

• You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

• Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.

• There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

• I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

• “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this ever.

• I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’

• While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don’t win, they are executed.

• I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Darnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What’d you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

• I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

• When I meet a new girl, I’m terrified of mentioning something she hasn’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

• I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

• Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles…

• As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

• Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

• It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

• I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

• I think that if, years down the road when I’m trying to have a kid, I find out that I’m sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

• Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn’t know what do to with it.

• Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time…

• My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day “Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?” How the hell do I respond to that?

• It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

• I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

• I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

• I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

• The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimated that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There’s nothing like being made to feel like a fatty before dinner.

im starting to reevaluate my beliefs in the actual functions and purpose of prayer.

when we ask people to pray with/for us, what is our motive?

will God be more inclined to answer our prayer if others pray with us?

doesnt he even warn us about our prayers in public?

does he refuse some requests until we have a specific number of people that are requesting on our behalf?

are we trying to change God’s mind or sway his hand?

i mean i’ve been sick before and prayed that God would heal me and shortly there after i felt better.

thanks God.

ive also got friends who’ve been sick (what are the odds?) and they did not and would not ask God for healing and shortly there after, they felt better.

huh…

so is a ‘thanks God’ is in order???

did God heal the person who did not pray right along with me?

if he did, is that really fair?

if we dont get what we pray for we determine that God feels it is not best for us.

so if God knows whats best for us and all that then why bother praying at all???

well he tells us to in his word, thats why.

is prayer more about us than God; and dealing with all our mindsets, preconceived notions and expectations of the who, what, where, whens, and hows of this life?

do you pray?

why or why not?

do your prayers include more than requests and thanks?

do you pray specific prayers or general ‘keep me safe today’ prayers?

are we supposed to be specific and particular?

does your prayer revolve around silence and meditation?

should it?

are you trying to control God with your prayers…winding the crank so the little monkey plays the cymbals for you?

have you given up on prayer because you did not get what you want?

do you keep track of your success rate with God noting that 79% of the time your requests goes unfulfilled?

do you see yourself as an attorney trying to word everything just right so God will finally see your point and give in to your demands…i mean needs.

or do you perhaps see your prayer as releasing your trust in God to do the things in our lives that he is waiting to do, if only we would trust him.

prayer….hmmmm…interesting…

this kinda messed me up. i’ll leave it to do the same for you…

The parable was written by Kester Brewin and is entitled Footprints…

There was once a man who had lived a long and difficult life. When he finally lay down, a faint smile bent the lines in his face as his eyes were shut. He had run the race; now he could rest. The curtain was pulled back, and he stumbled through the light to meet God.

‘My Master and my Friend,’ the old man hailed God as he prostrated himself before God’s feet. Hearing no reply, the man looked up and saw God shuffling awkwardly in his chair, not quite managing to fight back a blush across his cheeks.

Not wanting his moment of judgment and welcome to be spoiled, the old man gathered his courage and spoke up. ‘My Lord and my God,’ he began, nervously. ‘Is this not the time when my life and works shall be weighed in your scales and my named checked against those who have made it into the Book of Life?’ After such a tiring day it was difficult for him to remember the exact details of what was meant to be happening, but he felt certain that it should be God who should be taking the lead.

‘My child,’ said God sadly, before petering out and looking around for some way out.

Following God’s gaze, the old man took in a crumpled photo, pinned to a crowded notice board hung askew in a dark corner. His heart leapt. ‘Father,’ he said, getting up carefully like a servant in Medieval court, ‘here is a photo of footprints on a beach…’

God took it and stared at it for a while and as the man perceived his eyes glistening, his own tears came, for he knew the photo, and knew the words of comfort that came with it. ‘Tell me, Lord,’ he said, knowing already the lines that would come, ‘tell me what the footprints mean.’

And so God began.

‘Your life has been like a walk along the beach with me, many scenes from your life flashing across the sky. In each scene there are footprints in the sand, sometimes two sets, at other times only one.’

At this point God paused, and looked down, and so the old man seized the initiative, and played too his part.

‘Lord, this bothers me because I notice that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I can see only one set of footprints.’

He looked up, but saw God unmoved, so continued. ‘You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?’

He bowed his head, holding back the tears, ready for the words of succour that he knew must come.

And slowly God replied, his voice shaking with emotion. ‘The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when you carried me.’

The man frowned for a moment, paused, and then looked up. ‘Surely Lord,’ he began rather embarrassed to be correcting the Almighty, ‘you mean when you carried me.’

‘My dear child,’ God said, twisting a loose thread of cloth from his flowing robes, his face suddenly a mirror in which the old man saw the battles he had fought and the doubts he had put asunder, ‘this was the measure of your faith: when difficulties came, you gathered up this tired and arthritic God, and carried your beliefs to safety.’

A small wind blew through the old photographs and worn papers, and the two men sat in silence for a moment.

‘I have prepared a room for you,’ God said after a while, ‘though I quite understand if you don’t want me to stay.’

if you could take just one moment in your life back, what would it be?
something you said…
maybe something you shouldve said but didnt…
would it be a relationship?
was it an offer you should have said no/yes to?

fyi…
id take back about 5 seconds that were filled with arrogant words that hurt my friend.
—
im truly sorry.
love, baca.

today is my 10,959th day as a human.
i turned 30 yesterday.
365 x 30yrs + 8 leap year days + today = 10,959.
for me birthdays are just not a big deal.
im not trying to dodge or ignore it, i just dont care to make a big hoopla out of it.
for some folks, these kind of things are big and thats great, but i just dont understand.
i guess i prefer all the events that i dont have numbers for…

…the infamous story that my friends love to tell over and over about how i wrecked a scooter doin 30mph up a gravel driveway whilest trying to stand surfer style on the seat. i crashed and slid right up to their feet while they laughed.
…or maybe that one late summer night where the ‘enforcer’ was born.
…the ‘road kill debacle’ of ‘97 will always hold a special place in my heart for sure.
…the night spent eating nothing but doritos out on the balcony and paying for it later.
…getting lost out in the middle of nowhere michigan with no gas in the middle of the freakin winter and becoming more and more certain of death with every passing minute.
…the frisco melt miracle.
…cedar point trips when we shouldve been working.
…the first time i shaved my head because of a coin toss that went awry.
…killing sarah’s dog.
…the first appearance of the ‘big dog’.
…broke darcy’s arm during dodge ball game in 1st grade.
…007 (nuff said)
…7 straight days in stangers’ basement.
…trips to pennsylvania.
…the night of ‘the call’ and ‘arbys’ and all the ice chips that followed.
…all the good times at ‘ole sexy.
…’hope you dog!’
…running a marathon in the middle of the cornfield and getting lost.
…sliding head first down a bowling alley and the laughter that followed.

my life is made up of many a stories.
lots of people had parts in those stories.
thanks to all who share those memories with me.
you are the people and those are the stories that made me.
so if you dont like me, its your fault!
anyway.
it’s been a great 10,959 days so far and i’m bettin that the stories only get better from here on out.
if you want leave your favorite memory of us together.

in a little less than a month
my favorite time of year will be in full swing…
yup
you guessed it…
its time for some fantasy football!!!

it is a great time hangin out with friends and cheerin our players on and routing for others to burn!
i love the strategy of it
i love the excuse it gives us to hang out more often

ive been commishin’ a league for the last 4yrs or so and it has been a blast
we’re growin almost every year which creates more challenges and requires more study

right now spots are limited but if you’re interested leave a comment or shoot me an email
its a $20 buy in + a small fee for the upgraded league (totally worth it) and the payout goes
1st = 60%
2nd = 30%
3rd = 10%

dont wait till its too late!
good luck to all ya’ll ballers this season, especially those punks in my league…
YOURE GONNA NEED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, kids here’s the deal…

ive been wanting to start this thing for probably the last year.

ive struggled with what it could/should look like.

what it should feel like.

but enough with theory: its time to, as nike so eloquently put it…’just do it’.

so heres the lowdown…

i love to have discussions about God, faith, truth, and the like.

now, when i say discussions, i dont mean sharing your favorite bible verse with each other.

im sure thats fine for those who enjoy that.

i want to have a real conversation about what it means to believe.

about who or what God is.

i want to break down traditions and religious rhetoric to see what’s behind and underneath it all.

i want to have these talks with people who are muslim, buddhist, mormon, agnostic, confused, learned, searching and i suppose any christians that feel up to it.

this will be a place of listening, sharing, understanding, acceptance, disagreements and love.

this is not about coming to conclusions but discovery and growth.

i think if you feel you have who or what God nailed down then you have in that moment lost all sight of Him.

one of my friends who will be involved with this suggested doing some kind of forum on my website but the more i thought about it, i dont like the idea. its too easy to judge and be hurtful and self righteous when you’re home alone typing on a computer screen and this thing is as much about people of all different faiths and backgrounds coming together and building relationships as it is to discuss things of faith.

so if you think you’re up to the challenge and you live in the michiana area please email me or leave a comment and i will get in touch with you.

we’re looking at a start date in mid august/early september.

thats all for now…
zook out.

have you ever had a moment where it seemed like all the things you knew to be true and right were blown to pieces?

well i feel like ive had several of these while i was attending the poets, prophets, & preachers conference.

i felt an unrelenting overload both in my head and in my mind.

it made me physically tired.

it’s been quite awhile since the last time i’ve felt like this, which is probably good because im not so sure how often i could handle something on this level of shaking. i know that its probably going to take months to wrap my own head around all of this let alone have the ability to share it in a clear way with anyone else.

dont get me wrong…im not complaining in the least bit.

im actually very excited and grateful for these experiences.

if im never challenged or allow myself to see from another vantage point i will never grow.

believe me when i tell you that i had a whole other set of lights turned on, both in my head and my spirit.

im not sure that i could say that i agree with everything because i havent had the proper time to dwell and meditate on it but ive definitely been rocked to my core.

with what could be.

what might be.

with new possibilities.

of course as it always is, the more i seem to ‘know’ of God, the less i see Him.

i think that’s the way it should be.

the greatness of God is found in the utter mystery of Him.

its like turning the light on and it only gets darker.

here’s to flipping on all the lights i can find.

its july 4th.

its the day we celebrate our independence.

our freedom.

many of us will have the day off work and we will invite family and friends over to a cookout, swim and watch fireworks.

hopefully somewhere in the midst of all this we will take a minute to be grateful.

to be grateful for all the women and men who have given their lives to provide us with this great gift.

i have family and friends who have served this country and i am very grateful for them.

if you know people who serve in the armed forces make sure to express your gratitude.

a thank you will never come close to repaying them for what they’ve done, but it’s a start.

im not always on the same side as policy and im sure some of them would agree,

but i will always be on the side of the soldier.

thank you and may God bless you and your families.

every so often i ask myself questions to try and evaluate how im living my life.

i was reminded of this when chatting with a good friend on facebook today.

so, i want to do a little ‘check-up’ to see if i need to make any changes.

i dont want to stop growing.

some things can hold us back.

some will detour our future.

some will produce growth.

here are some of the things i ask me.

—

what am i doing that i excel at?

is it creating a brighter future for me and my wife?

what am i doing that is failing?

will it keep me from being successful in the things i excel at?

am i working mostly out of my strengths?

can i make adjustments in my life to spend more time in my strengths than my weaknesses?

list strengths & passions.

list weaknesses & things that bring no satisfaction.

are my strengths & passions the same?

what are my 3 greatest regrets from the last year?

can i make them right?

how can i avoid making the same mistake again?

what would i need to have happen in the next year to create my ideal life?

what 3 things do i want to accomplish in the next year?

do i have the abilities to make those 3 things happen right now?

what is out of my control that i want to see change?

why is it out of my control?

how can i move past this issue?

does improving my life in these ways improve others lives as well?

if it doesnt help someone else then should they really be that important to me?

what can i do that will benefit someone else?

—

these are a bunch of things i ask myself to evaluate my expectations, goals and direction of my life.

what kinds of questions do you ask yourself?

how do you know if youre becoming the person you want to be with the life you desire?

• you are on purpose.
• you have purpose.
• you can.
• you are unique.
• you have a destiny.
• you are significant.
• you are missed.
• you are welcome.
• you fit.
• you have potential.
• you rock.
• you are talented.
• you are desirable.
• you are gifted.
• you are smart.
• you are courageous.
• you are remembered.
• you can change the world.
• you make a difference.
• you are strong.
• you matter.
• you are invaluable.
• you are beautiful.
• you are loved.

one of my twitter pals @andykirk made this comment not to long ago and it really resonated with me.

he said, ‘a cover band never changed the world.’

everybody is tryin to be like someone else.

even the people who say they’re gonna buck the system and be different are doing so with millions of others who said the exact same thing.

we’re all different.

we’re all the same.

we all long to be a part of and included in something. a group. a church.  a team. a clique. an association. a something.

i know i have those kind of feelings and desires myself.

i dont want to live a mediocre life.

i dont want to be insignificant.

i want to be a part of something.

i want to live for something that matters.

i wanna make a difference in this world.

i want to change the world.

more specifically i want to change the bad things and bring something good to put in its place.

but with all those things i want, one thing i dont want is to lose myself in any certain group.

there is power in numbers but there is something lost when i stop dreaming my own dreams.

when i stop being me or ignore a passion to fit ‘their’ criteria.

those who have made the biggest impact on this planet went against the current of what was known.

we will all have that chance.

to fight the popular opinion.

to claim new truths that contradict old rhetoric.

in that moment we will have the opportunity to change the world.

in that moment we can sing a new song, or we can sing karaoke.

its ok to be alike and its ok to be different.

so… i’ll be me and you be you.

lets learn to love each other for who we are, not who we could be.

—-

what makes you unique?

are you embracing or hiding what makes you different?

what are you living for?

what are you doing to make your mark?

ok, so i thought about cleaning this all up but, well, that would be a lot more work soooo, here it is. its long and kinda scattered at times but welcome to my brain.

—–

day one/ june 9^th

my day started when the alarm rang at 4am. this was somewhat disturbing because i had only gone to sleep 2hrs earlier. little bit ocd and little bit excited I guess. carrie grumbled as i attempted to wake her. she needed to drive me to the bus station. I was the first to arrive along with the morrisons (yes and his name is jim). soon everyone had arrived and we were lining up our bags as instructed by our female bus driver. i felt for her having to load all those heavy bags. she was tough and got it done. i sat towards the back watching the rest of our group wave wildly to their families as we left. carrie and I said our goodbyes the night before and she had left for home to get back in bed. i slept almost the whole way to chicago. as we unloaded at o’hare we quickly received word our flight had been delayed. so after figuring out we had 4hrs to kill we managed to get checked in and through security without issue. i got through customs and made a bee line towards starbucks. our start time had kept me from obtaining any earlier. so we found our gate and set up camp. for the next few hours we would chat, read, eat and explore. finally we board the plan and i find myself next to a guy who is trying to stake claim to my personal space. i wasn’t havin it. i busted at a different book because the one I was reading was really messin with my head. i would soon discover the next book to be just as disturbing. after dealing with some weather issues we finally landed in miami. we faced another layover. another 3hrs of quality time in the airport. on the flight from miami to san pedro sulu i was seated next to 2 very nice girls from london. the one right beside me was quite the nervous flyer but it was a pleasant trip and conversation. i was the first one through customs and met our driver. finally everyone paraded through and 3 honduran boys began to load our luggage into the mini bus. little did we know that we would spend the next 4hrs on that sucker. the first half consisted of highways and headlights. the second half was filled with tiny little bridges, dirt roads that wound up, down and every which way. we drove through village after village hoping each one was our destination. we almost hit a cow on the road. just when we though it would never end a truck up ahead flashed its headlights in mysterious as if it were an old bond movie. finally it was jason and sarah. he got out and told us it was only 5 min more…5 min in honduras is apparently closer to 30. anyway the night ended with the unloading of bags and finding of rooms. im staying with a family from kansas who’s just recently arrived themselves. they are staying here for 6 months. jared and amanda have a son jude who is 4 and an 11month old daughter who i don’t know yet. there is also a kid named drew who is living here for the summer. get in the top bunk (not my choice) and pulled the mosquito net around my bed and was off to dreamland. i did hear a brook outside my window.

day two/june 10^th

i woke up excited about the day…and a shower. now this is not my first rodeo so i expected a cold shower at best…it did not disappoint. i got ready and ventured around outside for a bit. i heard talk of coffee but never saw any. which is fine. i don’t live and die by it and i had other things on my mind. also i tried to pour some juice from a very awkward container into my own and spilled it all over the table. i got it cleaned up before anyone saw. i just met little lucy. shes adorable. now were setting up for breakfast with everyone. i feel like im twittering on paper. pr just called jude – jew. amanda was quick to help him. spent about an hour taking pics and walking around. saw their pet monkey, banana trees, and the creek that runs through the property. jason told us we were taking it easy today since our travel day was so rough. makes me feel lazy but I guess I wont complain and just enjoy it. im sure the rest of the week i’ll do my share of work. great time this afternoon talking about the future of give hope 2 kids…amazing. time to eat. short nap. workin our tails off digging ditches. work day done. now some time in the hammock and then eat. got to chop open a coconut and try the juice. had a nice dinner and evening with the group. it rained and the sound of it hitting the metal roof was amazing. there was a leak that found me in my bed so i flipped head to toe. jude was sick and we prayed for him.

day three/june 11^th

the day started off nice and quiet with only our house up. spent the morning reading and finished up crazy love. that book messed me up. especially being here and reading it makes me feel like a pansy of a christian. what can i do God? i wanna live on the edge. jude seems to be feeling better today. jason came over and we worked on the list for projects today then him and pr caught the bus into town to order supplies. after the first full work day…ive decided this will be a very interesting week. so far everyone seems to be fine. heard some rumblings of problems with the teens but that’s expected. shoveling, shoveling, shoveling…holy crap! also killed a pregnant scorpion. david said they are the most poisonous. calluses are comin back. also I smell like coconuts. so I am exhausted! well we finished out the day with a whole lot more shoveling. my sunscreen makes me bead up like i just got waxed. spent some time joking around with drew and noke today. lots of people sick. great meal of tortillas rice beans and pico degala. awesome. had about 20-30 min alone with jason just talking about whatever. that was great. im missin carrie today. its crazy being out of contact with her for this long. thinkin about stuff comin up on the trip. waiting on the shower. spent some more time in the hammock tonight just relaxing and soakin in the moment.

day four/june 12^th

another early peaceful morning. i am definitely feeling yesterday. read about jesus being tempted this morning and couldn’t get over how stupid the devils questions were. wish it seemed so ridiculous when im tempted. jason asked me to drive the truck. haven’t driven a manual in forever. no power steering and the bumpiest hilliest roads ever. might as well have put a toe tag on me cuz i was dead. after lunch we took an hour and a half to rest up. thank you jason. layed in the hammock the whole time. the breeze finally showed up and we were all thankful. i definitely got better at driving the truck. we did 10 loads and we are all completely spent. jason said as a reward for the group he was going to buy some pepsi from somewhere down the mountain. everyone got pretty psyched but i could care less. people really busted tail today. some of the girls were choppin up all sorts of cheese and vegetables. im pretty hungry and i think its gonna be a great meal. everybody that did dirt is just kinda sittin around zoning out and talking about how we could go to sleep right now. steve and i did dishes after dinner tonight. went out and layed down on a stack of cinder blocks for about an hour and just stared at the stars. it was amazing how beautiful it looked. no clouds and no lights to take away from its beauty. im pretty sure I saw a shooting star in between all the bats flying overhead.

day five/june 13^th

reading through matthew continued. a lot of things i read are confusing and or contradicting. need to start in depth study. thank God today is only a half work day. i am freakin stiff. took 3 aleve. jared made some kind of joke at breakfast and looked at me as if i was in on it. i didn’t hear what he said and just nodded along. it was funny that amanda came out and sunscreened up jared and drew. did i mention im glad today is only a half day? well we got 4 loads in before lunch and we are all thankful its over. tried to get the printer hooked up to the laptop but pr didn’t bring a disk and there is no internet. hopefully jason can print it. they are flyers for the photo shoot. with jareds help we got the flyers printed. we took a long siesta. jason brought 6 girls over. their mother abandoned them but their dad works for jason and sarah. first i sat and made funny faces and spoke poor english. then we colored together and i teased them a little more. they moved into jude’s bedroom and i went in and played legos and stuff with them. after awhile i went and layed on a hammock to try and get some rest. it wasn’t long before they were outside pestering me and trying to get me up to play. so i got up and we played a bit. next we all hopped in the truck and drove up the mountain to pass out the flyers. we saw beautiful landscapes and devastating home lives. the youngest of the girls found out i could swing her on my arm. that lasted quite awhile then she motioned to be on my shoulders. we came to a creek and i teased her by leaning over and pretending to drop her in the water. as i straightened up and took a few more steps towards where the water washed over the road a little and i slipped and fell. i managed to catch her and keep her from hitting the ground. she kept her distance from me the rest of the walk down. we stopped at a little store and jason bought pop for everyone. they drank out of plastic bags. the rest of the walk was beautiful. now were sitting around in the dark talking. i asked sarah if she needed help. she didn’t but was obviously grateful. paula came and cleaned and bandaged my knee for me. we all ate another great dinner together and i put too much hot sauce on but it was still good. we then proceeded to watch a movie with all the kids. one of my all time favorites…groundhog day. laughed like always with david and olga right beside me laughing just as hard reading the subtitles. i kept catching myself quoting the movie and tried to refrain. gave the girls some clothes and other school stuff. most of them fell asleep during the movie. very cute. cleaned up and put things back the way they were. chatting about whatever with jared amanda and chrissy. waiting for drew to get out of the shower so i can take one. looking for coffee pot. noke, sadmeil, and martin left today. they out worked all of us. they are a couple of machines. they go back to school on Monday.

day six/june 14^th

everyone hangin out waiting for breakfast and getting lunch stuff ready. jared reminds me of sanson and I just figured out that amanda reminds me of grossman. im hungry. excited about the waterfalls. i found a tick on me this morning…nice! wow talk about a great day! first we all loaded up in the back of the truck with all of our bags and coolers filled with drinks and food and make our way to church. the church was in rio viejo at the school, instituto el ray. most of them were kids but it was amazing. i recognized almost all the melodies to the songs jason was singing and ever figured out the one ‘when the spirit of the lord’. felt God’s presence in a powerful way even though i couldn’t understand a thing. we watched a video on cain and abel. it was a cartoon and from what i could tell they were pretty liberal with the story. video mustve lasted 30 min alone. service was close to 2hrs. then they split up the hondurans and americans (greengos) and each did a skit of the story. i played cain in ours. one of jason and sarah’s little girls came and sat by me in church. we changed and ate at the school after the service. from there we left for the zip line. the place was pretty and it didn’t take long to get it all started. i rode in the back of the truck with drew and we had a nice talk. so we got all situated and geared up. people took pics and then they took us up to the first platform. they had a macaw that was freakin loud. as soon as we got to the first platform it began to pour. we did two short runs and then we had a 20 min hike up to the real lines. great views and great talks. everybody had a great time laughing and cheering each other on. the last one over the river was the best. i was flying. i leaned back in the harness and didn’t brake until right at the end. speed combined with the rain kept me from seeing much of anything on that last run but i knew i was moving. we walked back and dropped our gear. i went up cuz we were supposed to get some fruit. then jason asked me if i was jumpin off the cliff and I couldn’t get my shoes off fast enough. made my way down to the cliff where people were just standing around. jared, drew and chrissy had jumped. i maneuvered around everyone and jumped. i hit the water and then hit bottom. my watch came off and i couldn’t find it and made my way up. arms were tired as soon as i started to swim. so i just flipped around and floated down. climbed some giant rocks backup and immediately jumped again. nice cool ride home in the back of the truck. at one stop i ran up to get my water bottle filled, ran back to the truck and did a superman into the bed. nice convo back home. nikki spilled coffee on me tonight. there are beatles and spiders in our shower. God showed me some stuff about my music during worship at the church today. printed and cut some late night pics for the teens to pass out. talked a little geek with jared late tonight.

day seven/june 15^th

started taking pics off pr and my cameras this morning. we are gonna have some pretty cool pics by the end of this. still reading in matthew. who is the master? who were the 5 foolish virgins? they were all virgins still, so what does the oil represent? in the sheep and goats parable the only thing they seemed to be judged by is their deeds/social justice work. no mention about being a ‘christian’. weird. workin on the rafters today. should be fairly easy work, at least compared to shoveling dirt. got one rafter welded and up on the roof. apparently we left a bunch of stuff outside and it rained last night. almost all the rods for the welder were ruined. so that’s pretty much all we could do. we did a few miscellaneous things but then got ready and headed up tot the school to meet the girls for chapel. we picked up two ladies from a nearby village and gave them a ride to rio viejo. we had to stop on the way and throw the tarp over the back of the truck because it started to pour. as soon as we got to the school i saw noke and ruby. they took us into an empty classroom and we all ate lunch. evidently there was a pretty good earthquake today but we didn’t feel it up in the mountain. we went and sat in back at the schools chapel. i put my head down and fell asleep. after that we took a tour of the school and the clinic across the street. the rain hadn’t let up so instead of going swimming in the river we all piled into the back and smelled each other on the 30 min drive back up. also because of the rain we were unable to hike to the other villages to promote the photo shoot. i changed into shorts, grabbed my book and headed for a hammock. i read and then napped a little. now im watching a couple people play euchre. paula thinks pr is cheating but cant seem to catch him. some teens playing ‘go fish’ asked amanda how its said in spanish. laughing now because they thought it sounded like ‘gay fish’. went over to jason and sarah’s last night and sang/played music for a couple of hours. really good time with them nate and lindsay. lots of old school songs that just took me back to whole other life. jason walked over with me so we could try and figure out how to get in the house. stood and stared at the door thinking and until I gave it a little nudge and it opened. hugged jason and went in cleared the stuff off my bed using the light of my phone.

day eight/june 16^th

did not sleep so good. probably only got a few hours at best and not even good hours. pr, thea, and steve (who we found on the futon) said they didn’t sleep well either. today is the photo shoot. we’re goin to the school where jason teaches and then we are going to try and pass out some flyers before the shoot. i heard something about pancakes this morning…after eating wewere about to pile in the truck to go watch jason teach english at a local school in uracca but when we got to the truck it had a flat tire soooo…we walked the 10min to the shool nsead. the school was crappy but the kids really seemed to be trying. jason is a good teacher. both classes combined lasted maybe an hur. after that we stared our truck up to a village on top of some mountain. hot sun, rocky & neven terrain, donkeys, bulls, cow, creeks steep inclines, and water bottles that were too small. once we got tot h top we watched jason talk to the peope and the kids at the school. aftr some time there w began the trip down. i had to shoo several cows and donkeys for the girls. poor jim didnt make it all the way. it was a great bonding trip. cant believe its almost time to go home. im ready beause i miss carrie. poor jason is still sickso no singing tonight. we setup for the photo shoot. we had everything setup until it started to rain. rained all afternoon but we still took 50 or so pics of families and kids. jason told us that they’ve never had a picture of their family and it was a great way to bless those people. eat, shower, and finished packing. tomorrow we leave for le ceiba and san pedro sulu.

day nine/june 17th

got up early and said some goodbyes. loaded up our luggage took a few group pics. we made the 3hr trip to le ceiba where some of the group did some shopping at the mall. then we ate at a local honduran restaurant and went to the beach. we drove yet another hour to our hotel in san pedro sulu where we ate at this great little chinese restaurant. the owners 3yr old son was just walking around the restaurant and ended up sitting at an empty seat with one of our tables. quite funny. went back to the hotel in the pouring rain and i proceeded to help jason and sarah pack a bunch of coffee they sell from honduras for us to bring back to the states. talked for quite a while and then it was time to hit the hay.

day ten/june18th

got up early but later than what we should have. packed up and headed to the airport. i guess while we were still in town the van in front of mine got quite the show as a naked woman was wandering in the streets and went right up to them. i was in the back of the second van with all the luggage and so this is all hear-say. anyway. flight. customs in miami (annoying). delayed. flight into o’hare. run to catch bus. waited on bus. 4hrs later we were home. thank God. all in this was a great trip where i even got to spend sometime catchin up with an old friend.

——

if you’re interested check out their website here at give hope 2 kids.

jason & sarah are doing great things for the kingdom of God and it is obvious by how they are being blessed.

‘you are not punished for your sins, but by them.’

-mike ness

—

many people including christians and everyone else seem to have this twisted view of God and our sin.

this comes up in my conversations with people all the time.

it usually goes something like this…

if things are going well in life, for instance they just got promoted at work…

or got a new car…

or just met their soul mate they assume that everything is hunky-dory.

by their standards life is going great.

they’re on an upswing with no end in sight.

by this standard they will make an almost sarcastic comment about how God is blessing them because he is so pleased with them.

there’s a second conversation on the opposite end of the spectrum that looks a little like this…

they live in depression because everything seems to be falling apart…

got fired from their job…

spouse left them…

and there isnt enough money in the bank to pay the bills.

they think God is after them because they’re not ‘perfect’.

situation 1: we get comfortable/lazy when things are goin good.

situation 2: we get paranoid when life is a struggle.

both are dangerous.

matthew 5:45

in that way, you will be acting as true children of your father in heaven. for he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

ecclesiastes 3:1-8

for everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
a time to be born and a time to die. a time to plant and a time to harvest.
a time to kill and a time to heal. a time to tear down and a time to build up.
a time to cry and a time to laugh. a time to grieve and a time to dance.
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. a time to embrace and a time to turn away.
a time to search and a time to quit searching. a time to keep and a time to throw away.
a time to tear and a time to mend. a time to be quiet and a time to speak.
a time to love and a time to hate. a time for war and a time for peace.

God isnt trying to punish you for your sins.

he sent Jesus to pay for them already.

sin is not the issue.

its about receiving his forgiveness.

its about walking in grace.

life will never be perfect. the pendulum will swing up and it will swing down.

thats just the way it is. but we do have an effect on our own lives when we give in to acts of sin.

God says it this way…

galatians 6:7

don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. you will always harvest what you plant

call it karma.

say what goes around comes around.

or whatever.

its a scriptural principle and it works like gravity.

it doesnt matter whether or not you believe it, its just the way it is.

how do you view your life and circumstances in relation to your sins?

this article rocked me when i read it.

chan is one of my favorite speakers.

im currently reading his book ‘crazy love’.

would love to hear how this effects you.

peace.

—

Are You a Good Christ?

I think it’s time we stop asking ourselves the question: “Am I a good Christian?” We live in a time when the term “Christian” has been so diluted that millions of immoral but nice people genuinely consider themselves “good Christians.” We have reduced the idea of a good Christian to someone who believes in Jesus, loves his or her family, and attends church regularly. Others will label you a good Christian even though your life has no semblance to the way Christ spent His days on earth. Perhaps we should start asking the question: “Am I a good Christ?” In other words, do I look anything like Jesus? This question never even entered my mind until a friend of mine made a passing comment to me one day.

Dan is a long time friend of mine. In fact, he’s the pastor who performed my wedding. He was talking to me about a pastor named Von. Von has been working with youth in the San Diego area for decades. Many of his students have gone on to become amazing missionaries and powerful servants of God. Dan described a trip to Tijuana, Mexico with Pastor Von. (Von has been ministering to the poor in the dumps of Tijuana for years). Dan didn’t speak of the awful living conditions of those who made their homes amidst the rubbish. What impacted Dan the most was the relationship he saw between Von and the people of this community. He spoke of the compassion, sacrifice, and love that he witnessed in Von’s words and actions as he held these malnourished and un-bathed children. Then he made the statement that sent me reeling:

“The day I spent with Von was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.”

Dan explained that the whole experience was so eerie because he kept thinking to himself: “If Jesus were still walking on earth in the flesh, this is what it would feel like to walk alongside of Him!” After that discussion, I kept wondering if anyone had ever said that about me-”The day I spent with Francis was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.” The answer was an obvious “no.” Would any honest person say that about you?

What bothered me was not that I hadn’t “arrived,” but that I wasn’t even heading in the right direction. I hadn’t made it my goal to resemble Christ. I wasn’t striving to become the kind of person who could be mistaken for Jesus Christ. Isn’t it ironic that a man can be known as a successful pastor, speaker, and CHRISTian even if his life doesn’t resemble Christ’s?

1 John 2:6 “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

When John made that statement, he wasn’t speaking about how to be a church leader or even how to be a “good” Christian. He merely stated that anyone who calls himself Christian must live like Jesus did. So how did Jesus live? You could make a list of character traits to compare yourself to, but it would be far more beneficial to simply read through one of the Gospels. After you get a bird’s-eye view of the life of Christ, do the same with your own. Are you comfortable with the similarities and differences?

It’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of “success” as American church-goers define it. The thought of being well-known and respected is alluring. There have been times when I’ve been caught up in the fun of popularity. I’ve even mistaken it for success. Biblically, however, success is when our lives parallel Christ’s. Truth is, there are many good Christs that you’ll never read about in a magazine. They are walking as Jesus walked, but they are too focused and humble to pursue their own recognition.

May we make it our goal to someday have someone say of us: “The day/hour/15 minutes I spent with ______ was the closest thing I’ve ever experienced to walking with Jesus.”

As Christians in America, we often complain about how antagonistic people are toward Christ. Personally, I’m not sure that Americans are really rejecting Christ. Maybe they just haven’t seen Him.

Try to be COMPLETELY honest with yourself right now. Is the following true of you?

You passionately love Jesus, but you don’t really want to be like Him. You admire His humility, but you don’t want to be THAT humble. You think it’s beautiful that He washed the feet of the disciples, but that’s not exactly the direction your life is headed. You’re thankful He was spit upon and abused, but you would never let that happen to you. You praise Him for loving you enough to suffer during His whole time on earth, but you’re going to do everything within your power to make sure you enjoy your time down here.

In short: You think He’s a great Savior, but not a great role model.

The American church has abandoned the most simple and obvious truth of what it means to follow Jesus: You actually follow His pattern of life. I pray for those who read this article- that we don’t become cynical or negative toward the church. Instead, let’s make a personal decision to stop talking so much and begin living like Jesus. Then we can say as the apostle Paul, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). My guess is that you’ve never had someone say that to you, and you’ve never said it to anyone else. Why Not?

shotgun!

it used to be one of my favorite games. to be the first one to yell it and get the front seat was quite the honor back in the day.

i even loved it when someone would try and twist or argue the rules and some stupid technicality.

those were the best wins.

however now days i find myself fighting for what i believe is the best.

too many times i prefer myself over others.

im trying to find little ways to counteract those impulses, but its hard.

its especially hard when i determine that they have ‘more’ than i do and so in turn ‘this or that’ is justly mine, and the steps i take to get ‘this or that’ are justified as well.

but its not.

its not about what we have or dont have.

its not about need.

God takes care of our needs.

its about who we are.

this is a heart issue.

it’s MY hearts issue.

Romans 12:10

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

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what do you do to honor the people around you?

at 5am tomorrow morning i will begin a journey with 13 other people to honduras.

i have some friends that started a childrens orphanage down there and we’re going down to help any and every way we can.

ive been on several missions trips in my life and pretty much have seen the worst of the worst.

i feel like i know what to expect.

its gonna be exhausting.

its gonna be powerful.

i will probably have my heart ripped out over and over again.

it will definitely be sweaty.

it will be work.

my heart will be flooded with compassion and love.

it will be life changing.

hopefully for them as well as me.

‘God help me to fulfill your call. let me be your hands and feet to your children in honduras. may you shine bright through all my junk. you said that when we give a cup of cold water to someone in need that we are serving you.may you be lifted high.’

Acts 13:47
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ” ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ “
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cant wait to share my experience when i get back.

i’d appreciate your prayers and love to hear your stories from the ‘ends of the earth’.

if you havent noticed by now the world has come full circle back to the beloved 1980’s and im psyched.

thought we could do a little reminiscing…

i know its extremely hard but try to keep your answers to a 2-3 maximum.

enjoy!

fav 80’s sitcom:

me: the dukes of hazzard/a-team (’i pity the foo!’ ((there was no ‘l’)))

fav 80’s band:

me: def leppard/bon jovi

fav 80’s movie:

me: all chuck norris flicks/ferris bueller’s day off (+ about a million more)

fav 80’s fashion statement:

me: my l.a. gear shoes (i think i’ll bring these back) and my swatch

fav 80’s song:

me: ‘you give love a bad name’

fav 80’s catch phrase:

me: ‘gag me with a spoon!’ (my sister still says this from time to time) also i like ’sike!’

fav 80’s actor/actress:

me: molly ringwald (loved her!) & michael j. fox (it was my goal in life to be alex p. keaton)

fav 80’s memory:

me: playin tv tag and memorizing mcdonalds menu song

fav 80’s pastime:

me: playin with my atari/rubiks cube/slinky (dont make that last one dirty!)

fav 80’s regret:

me: not making it on starsearch

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copy and paste into comment section and let me know your answers.

later all you rad dudes!

beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…beep…

it’s like a room filled with a bunch of roadrunners (cartoon variety) or a really annoying alarm clock.

it’s the mens bathroom upstairs by my office.

every time i go in there i go a little crazy. (some would argue its a short trip)

i think it’s the air freshener thingy.

it might get ripped off the wall yet.

maybe call acme for some exploding urinal cakes.

im just sayin.

i will make it pay.

whats annoying you today?

earl.

there it is, i said it.

now you know my middle name.

i used to be humiliated when people found out what my middle name was. when i was little i HATED my middle name. i remember around the kindergarten/1st grade age my friends were all talking about their middle names and figuring out what everyone else’s was…i was terrified. to make things even more excruciating, everyone around me seemed to love their middle names.

‘what kind of bizarro world am i living in where everybody loves their middle name?’ is what i thought, or at least what it translates to in my head today.

so as that question got passed around the circle like a freakin hot potato i remember thinking that just like the power kryptonite has on superman must be kept a secret for his own life’s safety so should the name that lies in between my first and last. at that very moment they all turned eyes and ears to little ole me and asked me the dreaded question to which i replied promptly and confidently that i did not have one. of course i was posing. i also knew this was unheard of. who would believe such a farce? well apparently i was quite the little deniro cuz they bought it hook, line and sinker. they simply moved on to the next victim.

there was a moment of victory in accomplishing my sorted plan but it was immediately followed by fear. fear that they would still somehow find out. they could call my parents. they would surely rat me out. they could push some kid down during story time and get sent to the principal’s office and check my personal file when the secretary wasn’t looking. then not only will they know my name but they will know that i lied to them.

things had somehow just taken a catastrophic turn.

well for time sake i’ll just give you the cliff notes…everyone eventually found out…when i was 16 or so…a few jokes were made at my expense…they lost interest.

i was 6yrs old and had a secret. that secret affected me in a real way.

you probably had secrets when you were a kid too. like that time when you broke the really expensive vase in the living room but denied it and blamed the dog instead.

flash forward to right now…how many secrets are you holding in and for how long? take a minute and really think about what you know that you dont want anyone else to know…

now ok, sure some secrets are just secrets.

surprise bday parties, special gifts or trips and all that kind of stuff is not what im talkin about.

if the secret produces fear to keep itself hidden, its going to harm you more in the long run than the consequences of the truth.

i know all about secrets. im guessing you do too.

i dont have as many as i used to, but i’ve still got my share.

my advice: get it out…if only to one person.

when you share it with someone (should be a trusted someone) it somehow loses its power over us.

the bible says that the truth sets us free. which would kind of explain the danger of our secrets. if the truth makes us free then lies must put us in a prison.

you hold the key to your prison. i hold the key to my cell.

speak your secret. ill share mine.

get free with me.

‘i know how you feel.’

its a powerful combination of words that if spoken in truth has the potential to do some amazing stuff.

the connection of what these 5 words can do happened for me a couple of months ago when i was listening to a lecture of sorts. we were asked to write this phrase with our non-writing hand and when we were done we were asked several questions about trials and hard times we’ve faced in our lives and everyone who had this experience was to find someone close by and exchange your card with them. the second part of the exchange was to make eye contact with the person whom you traded cards with.

it was a powerful experience.

it was an empowering experience.

it was a shared experience.

shared experiences tie us together.

wanna combat racism?

do you desire to end all hatred and discrimination?

then know how someone else feels.

you can be…

female or male

single or married

white or hispanic

american or german

20’s or 50’s

christian or buddhist

but if you’ve both lost a father or mother to cancer…you know how each other feel.

you are connected.

race doesn’t matter.

age is irrelevant.

religious beliefs aside…you are now connected.

you’ve felt their pain.

you know their loss.

it may be the only thing, but it can outweigh all the others.

lets stop looking for what separates and divides us.

lets find the one thing that allows us to say…

i know how YOU feel.

leonard sweet posed this question on twitter recently, he asked, ‘why do christians have some of the lowest irritation levels of anyone i know?’

his question got me thinking and here are some examples that came to mind…

~christians get irritated when people dont want to talk about christianity or God, yet we have no tolerance to discuss anyone else’s religious beliefs.

~christians are always upset when people speak any kind of negativity, indifference, or disbelief concerning God but EXPECT people to  listen to when they want to say good things about Him.

~christians get upset when policy in government conflicts with their christian beliefs, yet its that very policy that protects our right to religious freedom.

~christians outrage against leaders who act or create legislation that is contrary to what the bible says is right, but God says that he establishes ALL authority.

this list could go on and on, but its not really the point.

in my opinion the point is that these kind of actions shows a lack of faith and a confusion of our role in this world.

getting upset about all these things and our counter-actions looks to me as though we think God has somehow lost control of it all and needs our help to fix it.

his eyes have become dim and we no longer believe that he sees the end from the beginning. that’s what i see when i look at christians who respond this way.

as i also said i believe that it reveals a lack of understanding of what our mission as believers is.

jesus didnt say, ‘go into all the world and fix whats wrong with the governement’. im also pretty sure he did not say, ‘go out into the world and fix all the people’.

of course these are ridiculous statements, but by how we act sometimes this is what it looks like we think he said.

the niv said it this way, ‘go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.’

thats the mission he gave us. another place it calls it the ministry of reconciliation. we werent called to fix, just to share the good news about Jesus to anyone and everyone. their decision does not determine whether or not we’ve been faithful or successful.

even J.C. boiled all the law and commandments down to ‘love God & love people.’ (my paraphrase). why do we make it so hard?

if you’re the type of christian who is always upset or irritated with people or things in ‘the world’ then i would beg you to ask yourself…why?

people talk about how awful things are getting and im like….ummm…..duh? have you read what it would be like as we draw closer and closer to Jesus’ return? the bible tells us its gonna get bad so why are you fighting to preserve the ‘good ole days’ when scripture tells us it wont go down like that? you are essentially fighting what God has said will be and you are wasting time you should be spending loving and serving your family, friends, neighbors and strangers.

you cannot stop or change how things are, you can only determine how you will use your God given time on this earth.

are you going to spend it being annoyed and troubled with the ways things & people are or are you going to do something that helps to spread his good news?

the other night before band practice we watched a video that reminded me how complicated i make things sometimes.

ive noticed my mind naturally takes me down the road of asking why, questioning motives and analyzing the subtleties in everything. so much so, that i think i miss a lot of great stuff because of it.

i will wonder about why a person would use those specific words and try to figure out if they are trying to say something without actually saying it. i’ve been known to take a single look and analyze it to death. or maybe someone doesnt respond to my email right away and i’ll wonder if they’re mad at me for something. i am constantly looking for the hidden agenda and underlying tones in life.

‘is she telling me this story about someone else because she’s trying to tell me that i act the same way?’

‘did that person i havent talked to in forever call me to ‘catch up’  because in a week they’ll call again to ask for help moving and this way it wont seem so awkward?’

why cant i just listen to the story or enjoy a little reminiscent chit-chat with an old friend and leave it at that?

too many times i think i miss out on the little pleasures of life because im not ‘in’ the moment enough.

i definitely do this with God too. i get caught up thinking that i will only be able to truly appreciate God when im a ‘better’ person or when i know all there is to know about Him. but all the ‘more’ stuff leads to is ‘never enough’.  i want to enjoy his creation and stop critiquing everything all the time.

bottom line, i am a ‘why’ kinda guy by nature and i guess that’s good to a point, but i really want to learn how to shut it down once in a while and just live.

i dont think i have to know everything about my wife, my friends, or God before i can enjoy being with them, or at least i dont think i should. truthfully, i think that the point of this journey is in the learning itself.

we dont think we can be happy or content or fulfilled in life until we reach our destination, but when we live like that we end up missing everything along the way. all the stuff along the way are what memories are made of, and if we dont make memories along the way, we’ll probably forget why we went in the first place.

its the little things in life that are the most important. dont get me wrong, when we accomplish something we’ve put a lot of effort into its very rewarding, but we probably wouldve never made it to the finish line if we didnt have those little ‘wins’ along the way.

so maybe if we take that stuff at face value a little more and can find a way to enjoy the moments, we could live happier and more fulfilling lives. sure it probably opens us up a little more to get used or burned but lets face it, thats gonna happen anyway! maybe this way we wont be so shocked or pissed off when it happens!

living this way forces me to choose to look at the good and not the bad. im a realist, i think, but i dont want to live like one. i’d rather find the good in everything, even if it means allowing myself to be a little naive.

there are plenty of people out there who will show you the bad whether you want to see it or not. that’s easy. its also very depressing. i dont know about you but i dont like being depressed. bottom line, its not about how things are, most times we dont have any ability to influence all that, it becomes about how we choose to see it. do we look with eyes of hope & possibility or are we too focused on the negative of reality. finding the hope in every situation doesnt mean that you’re ignoring reality, its just choosing an alternate perspective.

i refuse to believe that the goal in life is to just cross the finish line. if it is i dont like it and i reject it. its too stale for me and not enough for me. i think the finish line just keeps us moving in the right direction.

so either way, im gonna look for the goodest, the bestest, and the most awesomest stuff in this world.

(adding -est- on the end of words always makes them cooler, or didnt you know?)

how will you choose to look at life?

do you see the good in the worst of times or do you only see the bad in even the best of circumstances?

how do i know if im really happy?

like what if there’s a level of happiness out there that i’ve never experienced, but could be, but im not because i dont even know it exists?

how do i determine that this is the summit… that this is all there is.

if all i’ve ever seen is  the beach and think this is the most beautiful place on earth but i’ve never seen the rocky mountains, how do i know that i wont think they are the most beautiful thing in the world?

what if its simply a lack of exposure to some idea or some thing?

can i really believe that my conclusions are true if ive not seen all the evidence?

what makes you ‘all the way’ happy?

is it the same thing that made you ‘all the way’ happy 5 years ago?

are you just happy that you’re not sad?

is your happiness someone elses sadness?

how do you define your happiness?

ok, here’s something that i want us to do together.

i’ve got some ideas for group ‘dares’ that we can challenge ourselves with.

some will be easier than others and some will be more fun than others.

you’ll need to be creative and you’ll need to be intentional.

whether you succeed or fail in the task come back here and leave a comment about it letting me know how it all went down.

ok, first dare…

make a wager or bet with someone that you know you will lose and use the opportunity to do something nice for someone.

this is a great way to bless someone without them feeling like a charity case or like you’re luring them in to sell them some avon or tupperware.

nothing against tupperware, becaue i love that stuff. i mean its just too handy not to have a ton of it. you can never have too much of that stuff.

anyway, be smart about this…dont go giving away the house or the wife’s car or the kids college money.

do a meal or tickets to a show they’ll like or just a coffee at st. arbucks.

use it to spend some time with that person and just be a friend.

i came up with this idea, because im suspicious that a friend did this to me the other night…either that or he is a complete moron!!! ha!

just kiddin big dawg.

so get out there and lose a bet for a friend then come back and tell me how it went.

peace out homers.