Sunday Recap June 1, 2009

Yesterday was a crazy day that started quite early for me. Here is the low down.

• I was awake with Lydia from 2-4am. Please pray for her as she continues to fight a virus that is plaguing her with a high fever.
• Went to the office to print the connector cards. Could not get them to print. Randomly (divinely) my computer shut itself off without me hitting anything and the connector cards started printing. Really random.
• Proabably to much information but made a mess of myself in one of the most random bathroom moments of my life. Got a text from the band and set up team that they were waiting for me to let them into the Bridgeview Center. Drove over there then back home to change clothes. Went back to the Bridgeview Center. Realized I forgot my notes for Membership class and went back home but couldn’t find them and went back to the Bridgeview Center again.
• The worship team had three different practices but none of them together. They had the idea of playing a FooFighter song but didn’t get to hammer it out in time.
• Good crowd with a number of first time guests.
• Two homeless guys that I have befriended showed up.
• I was pumped for the sermon/message yesterday. I don’t know that I have ever gotten more feedback on a message. Look for it to be online at www.ottumwabridge.org later this week.
• Got a lot of laughs from my Dodger baseball game story. Wish I could have told the 10 minute version instead of the 5 minute version.
• We are going to need to set up more stations for communion. Those lines were crazy long!
• One of our applications was have a meal with someone this week whom you haven’t had a meal with. DON’T FORGET!
• Membership class was awesome! We had 14 families sign one year covenants.
• Jenny made a snack supper for the family. We sat on a picnic blanket in our living room and enjoyed all sorts of goodies. I felt spoiled.
• Last night was the last night of Divorce Care. This group was amazing for those who attended it. I’ve been doing childcare for this. Last night we had an awesome scavanger hunt.
• In the morning I asked for a kitchen skillet for some homeless guys. I ended up getting four from someone. So I set out and to find my friends. I found them and had an awesome time hanging with them in their place in the woods. We talked mostly about baptism and what it means.
• Jenny and I kicked back and watched one of my favorite chick flicks (yes I’m fine with that) “the Prince & Me”
• The night was short as Lydia woke up with a high fever at 2 again and I did an hour shift with her.

Almost Ready May 22, 2009

I have really been working hard on setting up a new blog that will contain thoughts on what I am reading in scripture, family updates, bridge updates, personal thoughts, and Growth Group connection points. It looks like this weekend I’ll be able to pull it all together thanks to my brother and will launch at a new domain name on Tuesday.

Big Announcement April 18, 2009

Been Ill March 31, 2009

Sorry for lack of posts lately – haven’t been feeling all that well.

Hopefully I’ll kick it back in gear soon.

New Series “Fences” Starts Easter Sunday March 24, 2009

I’m pumped about Easter and the new series we will be launching April 12. It is a little shorter then what I like but I believe this three week series will pack a powerful punch and lives will be changed for eternity. The titles for each message are.

• The Invisible Fence
• The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Fence
• Sitting On The Fence

If those titles alone spark a thought feel free to share it with me as something for me to process as I continue to work and pray over each of these talks.

Recent Reading Thoughts March 5, 2009

Plowed through some books this week. This was a blast for me. I forget how much I enjoy reading. You can check out what I have been reading on the books page.

There are a lot of thoughts that were developed or learned in the past few days below are a few of them.

No More Crumbs

• I was shocked at how frequent the story of the prodigal is in the old testament.
• God talks about feasting often and I often don’t choose into it.

Launch

• Right leader – Right leader – Right leader
• You will never be ready at some point you have to pull the trigger
• The vision is not for sale

The Prodigal God

• God lives the extravagant life of giving
• The elder son was the audience of the parable
• Both sons were lost

Leading on Empty

• What is the 5% of my life that only I can do
• What fills me up and what drains my tank
• What would it look like to have one day a month to examine myself
• What I really found out is that I was empty prior to this week and I’m just now fueling back up

Mad Church Disease

• We must monitor our Physical, Mental, Social, and Spiritual life
• Lack of control, trying to be the best, and old school church politics are just a few of the external risks that are out there that can drain us and disappoint us.

I Do Again Blog Tour Review February 9, 2009

When I was growing up our family lived in the middle of a neighborhood block with 14 houses. Everyone once in awhile a bunch neighbor kids would get together and we would play whiffle ball. The games would go long into the night and all the parents would sit out on each others decks watching and hanging out. It was the sort of thing that the TV show Wonder Years would base an episode on. It was an awesome childhood and relatively sheltered. I say that because I remember the first time I was confronted with divorce. One of the neighbors near us had gone through one and I never really was sure what that was all about. However, this neighbors story took a different path then most. It would be about 10 years later after we had moved that my mom shared with me that they were going to a wedding. It was this same neighbor couple who had divorced years early and had fallen back in love and was getting married again. I never knew the details of their story but my guess is that it was similar to the premise of this book.

I Do Again, written by Cheryl & Jeff Scruggs, offers a real life story of a couple who was disappointed in marriage divorced and then seven years later married again. Knowing the hope filled ending of the story before you read doesn’t prepare you for the brutal realities that come along with divorce, an affair, and the entire mess of it all. As the Scruggs reveal their struggles and personal accounts of the events I was filled with disappointment. I found myself reading paths that led to places no one wants to go and all you could do is watch. God steps in and redeems the situation but as I finished I was left thinking and how many couples will ever have the blessing of that? In reflecting I’m not sure who is a better audience for this book. Is it the couple that is currently struggling or the couple that has already thrown in the towel? I guess both but in some ways it could lead to a false sense of hope. It is clear that the Scruggs offer wisdom and even to this day counseling couples but I fear reading their story could translate into others thinking that could be their story and honestly I just don’t know if that is how it works. What was clear and what I will sign off on is that God is desperately trying to get our attention and is on a mad pursuit for us. For those who enjoy reading books that have to do with God saving the day, I Do Again, offers that.

One final thought. Early in the book Cheryl shared a list she had of all the flaws she saw in her relationship with Jeff. Her list included:

• Unable to meet my emotional needs
• Does not know me / has no idea who I am as a person
• Does not care to know my heart, my interests, or my passions
• Does not care to share his heart with me
• Obsessed with money instead of our relationship
• Is emotionally shallow, unable to connect on a deep level
• Has unrealistic expectations of what he wants in a wife
• Is critical, condescending, and demeaning
• Not interested in making love – just in having sex
• Will not engage in conversations / cares more about activities then connecting
• Does not make me feel wanted, treasured, or admired
• Our relationship is full of silence

This list struck me as significant because I wonder how many wives could identify with several of these. If you do – what are you doing about it? Are you pulling away? Are you sharing this with your spouse? Are you finding yourself growing cold? Are you nervous? One of the greatest witnesses the church has is a healthy marriage so it should be no surprise that one of the greatest schemes of the enemy is to destroy marriages. This means we need to stay alert and stay active in working on making our marriage more and more like Christ.

You find this book on amazon here.