Best Day Ever / Worst Day Ever

Ever see the movie City Slickers? It's the Billy Crystal film where Billy's character turns 40 and realizes that he is getting old. He and two friends go to a real ranch where they are to lead a herd of cattle, only they wind up doing it for real on their own. OK, so who cares about the premise...

There are two defining moments in this film that are actually life-changing. Odd, because it's Billy Crystal and a film about city boys on horses. One of the moments is when Curly (the rough cowboy... I know, I know... but it really is life-changing) tells Billy that there is only "one thing" that matters in life. "What is it?" Billy asks. "You have to find that out for yourself," replied Curly. In other words, what is the one thing you live for? The other life-changing encounter in the film is the topic of this post.

The question was given: Name your best day ever, name your worst day ever. They take turns, and Billy tells of the worst day was a scare about cancer in his wife's body, and the best day being the trip to Yankee Stadium with his dad. The final response was from the "player" friend. At first he doesn't want to respond, but then tells of an abusive father who tormented his family. He describes the day he finally stood up to his dad physically and forced him to leave the home, thereby protecting his mom and siblings from further abuse. "That," he said, "was my best day." His friends responded, "Wow! What was your worst day?" His answer... "Same day."

Yesterday, April 26, 2007, Isaac Jayden Scott celebrated his 5th birthday. Five years ago he was born in a traumatic delivery, with toxins throughout his and Holly's body, and was immediately taken to the ICU. We were told that he was probably not going to make it, but that he was going to be transferred by the "Angel" Team to Vanderbilt Hospital. He had a Diaphragmatic Hernia that had his intestines in his chest cavity, crushing one lung completely while putting pressure on both his heart and his other lung. "Do you want to baptize him?" we were asked. My wife was left by me to recover at the hospital (with her parents), our other boys were being watched by aunts and uncles, and my dad and I went to Vanderbilt to be with Isaac. Surgery followed at three days old as well as a month in the hospital. Literally 24 hour one on one care was given to him, with a nurse never leaving his room for around 2-3 weeks.

Now, he's five; he's beautiful; and he's alive. I understand. Best day ever / Worst day ever... same day.

Mindset for Ministry

Ok, I take the first moment to apologize about making the readers sick regarding my affection for my wife. However, you may chose to live in a meaningless and loveless world, but I choose to woo the woman I love and whom I want to love me. She has brought me from the boy who would only cry when caught in a bear trap (and then only to lubricate the gears for escape) to the man I am now who cannot watch Extreme Home Makeover without falling apart.

Now, I have begun the process of demonstrating a different mindset for ministry. This mindset is not new for me, only a process of the past few years that I am now implementing into the culture that surrounds my life. It's a "coming out" if you will. The thought process is this:

I am the Church. As a believer in, and follower of, Christ, I am His Church. This is not a religion or dogma, but the reality of who He says I am because I have been brought into His family. It is relationship, and now I live for Him. I am different, set apart. I am not "better than" or perfect, but I put my trust in the Creator of all, knowing that I cannot brag about how I have achieved or arrived. He calls me blessed. He calls me a saint.

I don't have to like church to be the Church. I have written about the institution (little "c"hurch). I have tried to work for it and build it, but I know that God hasn't called me to. The machine of things can fail without the Whole falling. God has actually said that He will take care of His Church. We can all be different and still be the Church.

God has a mindset about the Kingdom, not the church (little "c"). He is for the Kingdom. The Kingdom involves things, but is not a thing. It is a way. So, if God is about the Kingdom, I should be about doing the ministry (work) of the Kingdom and not the church.

I will work to do ministry, not build a church. There are things that seem to be expected of us as a church. If you do not do them, you are looked down on or seen as somehow less effective. However, I really believe that if we concentrate on doing the ministry that we can do, everything will fall into place. You see, a "church" has a choir, Sunday School classes, a youth room and nursery. There is a fellowship hall and carpet and a sound system. A ministry, on the other hand, sees a person in need and helps them. A ministry knows that others need to learn about God and shares His love then disciples (mentors) them. Visiting the skate park replaces the room. The aisle at Wal-mart replaces the carpet and sound of the sanctuary. Look to do ministry, not build a church.

This is where we are going. It is the direction. It is the way. I am looking forward to the ride.

My wife, Holly

I was thinking yesterday morning how wonderful my wife is. I was playing a scenerio in my head as if someone interviewing me asked me who was the best person I know. Obviously, I would have to say, "Jesus," but the answer to the best woman (and second person to Jesus) would be my wife. I say this not for brownie points, but because it's true.

I know you've got your Mother Theresa's and stuff, but Hol's the real deal. She is truly more kind to the downtrodden (sp?) than I could ever have hope to have patience enough to be. She is slap-your-face funny; and silly too... which is better. She's beautiful. She is talented beyond any one's expectations, including hers, which is charming and irritating at the same time. Charming because she's humble but irritating because she needs to know how great she is! She knows things I don't know about stuff that matters. Her eyes melt me. Her passion for God is real, as well as her frustration at others who don't have that passion. I could go on but the few who read this will lose interest.

I will pontificate on another matter later.

Ok, why do we do this?

The random thought came to me tonight, "Why would we make a church for the unchurched?" I realize that some in the post-modern / emergent / whatever now will immediately see me as someone who doesn't understand how God is moving now or some other crazy thing like that. Know this... I am not a traditionalist. I don't really care how we did it yesterday. It doesn't matter to me that it has always been done a certain way. My only criteria for doing something ministry-wise is effectiveness. However, there is a movement that somehow all things done in the church should be with the unchurched in mind.

I'm honestly not sure this is the correct approach. Let me rephrase that... it's probably not the most effective approach. It all begins with the definition of "church." If the church is a building then it should be inviting to all who chose to enter the door. If it is a program or an event, it begins to get a little shady because there are specifics that will only be effective toward a target audience. For example, in-depth study for those in the know; basics for those new; and introduction to those who don't know. This is not to dumb down the process or to say those who are non-Christian would not be able to understand intellectually; but it is because the basics form the foundation, and the foundation is the most important part.

The issue is that the "church" is neither of these things. The Church (big letter "C") is the body of believers. Wanting the definition to be different doesn't change the definition. While the body of Christ should be open to those who are seeking at all times; they should not rely on an event, program or building to reach out. The early church was interestingly different. They did not try to make anything appeal to the outside world. However, they went outside into the world to share what had changed their life. It's crazy, but they walked the line between being accepting of all where they were; but at the same time being so stoked by being changed by Jesus that they wanted everyone to know, even if the others didn't want to know. It was like Amway salesmen on crack, except that they weren't selling a product, but they were inviting others to be a part of a family and enjoy relationship.

I believe the reason the unchurched have a problem with us is because they feel like we are trying to sell them something. To refer to the Amway guy again; there have been a few times when I have met some really nice people, and I felt as if I would be able to form kind of a bond with them. They seemed to care, and in a few short minutes, I was drawn to them. Then, as if they had pulled a two-by-four out of their back pocket and hit me in the head, they tell the story of how they had found this "opportunity" to better their families and blah, blah, blah. I begin to feel as if they only were my friend to get me in business. I feel abused and used. It's the way we treat the non-believer sometimes. Instead of selling something we need to invite them to meet somone. We need to care about them and their story before we are trying to change them.

So, for the sake of making this a shorter entry: Unchurched Milton and Mandy, you don't have to understand what I do and what I know. You just need to see that I care. If you don't see that I care, talk to me about it; because I have a problem that needs to be corrected. I just want you to love Jesus like I do. You don't have to have the same style, but the fundamental truth of Christ can be at the forefront of many different styles. I don't like country music, but I don't go into the Grand Ol' Opry and cry out that they are not speaking my language. However, the fact that country doesn't appeal to me doesn't make me turn my back on music. I simply find a different place to love music.

Oh, and I really am open-minded. Try me.

Setting Yourself Up for a Fall

I can almost reach out and touch the attack as if it were tangible. The thing is... I have brought it on myself. If I were just an innocent bystander, I could cry at the injustice of it all. However, I have put myself in front of the firing squad; shunned the blindfold and the cigarette, and am giving the very order itself. I am coaching little league baseball.

I am actually coaching two little league baseball teams. In the 9-10 age division, it is kid-pitch and we are the "JayCees". (The teams are named for the sponsors, you see). Jonah, my oldest is playing, and the kid-pitch thing means it is a whole new ball game, pun kind of intended. He faced a wild pitcher with dreams of being Roger Clemens the other night and didn't bail out. It's a great start, because when he gets his confidence up, he will murder the ball. Some of the kids think they know everything, but that can be worked out as we teach the fundamentals of the game and life. The other team is in the 5-6 year-old division and it is coach pitch. We are "First Community Bank." Jonathan is playing in this league, and I swear, he is the fastest kid alive. In this league, the goal is to keep them from playing in the dirt and to run the bases in correct order. Seriously, if a plane flies overhead, you might as well just stop the game and enjoy the show.

I give you this update to tease you. I have a great story of a coaches meeting I went to and how it relates to dreams, both the shattered kind and the kind lived out vicariously through your children. Oh, and also a lesson about how NOT to use PowerPoint. It will come later, when I have time.

Out of Reach

Have you every been reaching for something, either behind your seat in the car or under your bed or somewhere and you just can't get to it? It's there, you know it is. In some cases you can even see it. Perhaps the tips of your fingers even touch it. They might even brush it ever so slightly further away.

Why can't you get it?

I don't spend time on this question a lot of times. All I generally do is get frustrated that I cannot get it, and I don't care about the why of the matter. The reality is that "someone probably put it just out of my reach" or "this is just like my life that things are out of reach" or some other "woe is me" kind of thought is all that is on my mind. Then, while I'm reaching, a phone call will come with somebody needing something that I will not able to get them because it's probably out of reach too.

Now, I'm beginning to spend some time processing "why" things are out of reach. It could be my fault, you understand. It might not be, but it could be... and that's a sobering thought. This could also go one step more, because part of my job is to help others get things within their reach. If I can begin to understand the things in their life that keep them from reaching their stuff, perhaps I wouldn't get so frustrated at them for not getting their stuff. Kind of random, I understand, but the "whys" matter. They are not just there to give you an excuse for failure, but for you to process and potentially do all you can to change whatever is causing the failure.

I also have to realize that when it comes to helping others, there will be some who will not reach what they need to reach, and I cannot feel guilty that I have failed them. They have a choice to make. I have a choice, too. I chose to search out the ones who don't know, and then invest in the ones who care. I don't give up on the ones who don't care, but I will never be able to truly invest in them.

On a note that will perhaps discredit all that I have said in this post, I reveal that I keep in mind sometimes what Dennis Miller said about a guy who killed his family in one of those "'I'm shocked. He was always so quite.' from the neighbor" kind of moments. Dennis said, "You can't save everybody, just try not to be living next door to them when they go off."

Passion

I am a passionate person.
I'm not passionate about stupid things, I think, but I am passionate about things that matter. They matter to me, anyway. Through the last little bit of my life I have come to understand that there are things that are important and things that are not. The things that are important are worth giving your life for. You can die for them if need be, but I think on the whole it is a lot better to live for them. On the flip, the things that are not important make be mad because others think they are important. I'm working on this second one.

It was a moment ago while thinking about passion that I realized I couldn't type in the word "passion" in my Google search. I started to, and then thought, "What was I about to do?" I had the best of thoughts about what I was going to find, but then I remembered the world we live in and shuddered at the thought of what the first few searches would reveal. It was a moment where a naive, innocent idea reminded me that the world (and Internet) is not innocent.

So, is this why most are so afraid of passion? I realize this is a generalization and there are those in the world who are passionate about the important things, but most are afraid of passion. I want to meet people of passion. I want to be around them. Most of all, I want them to want to be around me. We (my wife, Holly, and I) need them. I think it was Wesley who said something like "Give me 100 men who hate nothing but sin and fear nothing but God and I will change a city!" That's passion. Changing a city... that's what I want. I want my city to be different because of something I am a part of. I'm missing it.

I don't know who will read this, but if you know of someone with passion, send them to me. Currently, the only ones I know who look here are a couple of people I tried to impact and I think they caught something of it, and a guy who thinks he is either god or an alien. I'm not quite clear on which one, but perhaps he will give more clues so I can figure it out. Hey god/alien guy... write back. Perhaps it was my comments on the "Jesus" of Suburbia that drew you, so come on back.

It's Me

I'm a bag of Doritos.

No wait... I'm a butterfly. That's better. No... I'm Batman, that's it! I can claim to be anything. It doesn't matter if what I say can even be backed up, I can say it and people will believe it.

You see, there's people out there who need a Batman. They have been looking for a Batman, even if they didn't realize it. Society has failed them by not providing a Batman for them. The times that Batman has been presented to them, the Batman didn't seem right. Perhaps the people telling about Batman weren't perfect. Perhaps they didn't live up to the standards of Batman that they said others should live up to. Maybe when they told of Batman, the ones listening decided that Batman should be a little different than described, or even written about, so they made a Batman up in their own mind. "Oh, to only have a Batman that would be like that!" they would say. So, along comes one who claims to be Batman. Rapture indeed!

The claims don't have to make intellectual sense, just fit a felt need. The bones found by Cameron seemed to justify our doubts. "See, we were right all along. Here's the proof." The man from Puerto Rico claiming to be the Second Coming of Jesus is not judgmental. "Surely, Christ would be that way." they think. The problem is that we create an ideal in minds that fit our desires, but are not based on anything but our feelings. The wonderful thing about God is that He has been verified intellectually so many times that it makes our head spin. "Examples?" you ask..

• Look at creation. If there is a painting, there must be a painter. If there is a book, there must be an author. If there is a creation, well...
• Previously unknown cities and events written about in the Bible that were scoffed at have been found over and over again, thereby giving more credibility to the Scriptures as accurate writings.
• The fact that Jesus body was not still in the tomb, although disputed today, was not disputed in Biblical times, even by those who did not believe that He was the Christ.
• Intellectually, there is NO way to claim that something does not exist. In order to verify that belief, an entire search of time and space would have to be conducted, from looking under every grain of said at the bottom of the ocean to behind ever planet and star that exist. Oh, and throughout all time as well. [The side note to this is that there is no such thing as an atheist. Agnostics, maybe; but not atheists. They would have to know with 100% accuracy {see note above} that they were correct.]

There's more, but you get the point...

Posing or Blinded, You Decide

Ok, I love technology as much as the next guy. Actually, I probably love it a little more. If it has buttons and lights and you can do neat things with it like play solitaire or store mp3s on it then I'm in. However, I'm a little bothered by blue tooth. I have no problem with blue tooth in general, but I am bothered specifically about the practical application and use of the ear pieces that are supplements to cell phones.

Now, I have been caught unaware and have answered someone in a room because I thought they were talking to me, only to find out they were speaking into their blue tooth thing on a call. It's embarrassing, but it really is on them because it's kind of rude to just talk like you are the guy on the streets who talks to potatoes. However, this is not my problem with the devices.

I have three concerns:
A) the lady in front of me at the movie theater who's ear is blinking during the whole film.
B) the people behind the glass window at the gas station/convenience store with the ear piece in
C) those that wear the ear piece constantly throughout the day

A) Why doesn't the lady just get one of those laser pointers and make the irritation complete. Better yet, just point it at my eye and get it over with. I honestly think I would rather hear it ring than see the blinking light out of the corner of my eye.

B) Honestly, who are these people doing business with? It's a much needed service and everyone needs a job, but come on! They don't even have to ring up the Dr. Pepper anymore, because everything is scanned, and they are distracted too much to even scan properly because they are talking out of their head to who knows who. Look, I had five bucks in gas, I'll just leave it on the counter and be on my way.

C) Now, I'm a pretty busy guy. I'm not the president and carry codes or anything like that, but there are times that people need to get up with me. I understand the concept of hands free use while driving, but is it really important to have the ear piece in while playing racquetball? Society has truly gone past the point of no return if we cannot be that unattached to contact from the world.

So, are these people just posing as someone important, or are they truly so blind to their own selves that they believe they are that important? I can think of very few individuals that need to be available on a truly 24 hour basis. What about the rest? I can't answer right now, I have a phone call.

Arrogance

I have a friend who starts out every post on his blog with what he had for dinner the night before. It's always exotic and cutting edge. At first I attributed it to the fact that he is recently married and a) his wife is trying to impress him or b) his children haven't sucked the very life out of him yet. Now, however, I attribute the cuisine to a flair for writing. I will give the example by sharing my meal last night:

Vermicelli topped with a beef sauce flavored with various spices. Garnished with melted butter and a Parmesan crust. Pristine fruit beverage over ice. Or, as I would normally explain... I had spaghetti with grape kool-aid.

I hate arrogance. I especially hate arrogance with the other is not as good as me, but yet they are still arrogant. That really burns me up. I say that not because I think my friend is arrogant, but I sat down to type about arrogance and thought about his blog and the food opening. Now, I have forgotten what I wanted to say about arrogance.

Safety

The conversation still rings in my ear... "Pastor Bobby, I'm just looking for someplace safe, you know?" Wow... safe!
One of the purposes of the New Testament church was to be a place where the love and peace of God reigned. You were to be able to take a breath when in the presence of God and like-minded individuals. However, I'm not real sure the NT church was a "safe" place. They were told to deny themselves and take up a cross. They were to leave father and mother to follow God. They were sent out as prey and even bait, because there was a lion lurking and they were sheep sent to the middle of the wolf pack. The battle raged so viciously that they were warned to not go without armor and a weapon. I could go on, but you get the picture.
The safe place of God's hand is there, but the world (including the church world) is anything but safe. You see, people are imperfect, and will act imperfectly. The place where the like-minded study together is great until one shows up who is not like-minded and doesn't know to study. In a hospital, there are not only the learned and the healers, but there are also the sick. Actually, without the sick, there is no need for a hospital. Such is the church.
Without the sinner, there is no need for the church; but the sinner makes it all "unsafe." This is the battle.
So, safety cannot be defined as all being perfect and pristine. In fact, safety means nothing without the potential of danger. We must be willing to put ourselves out as the vulnerable in order to rescue another from destruction. The safety will never be from offense or hurt, but can be found in the knowledge that God is sovereign. The safety comes not from knowing God will, but knowing God can and that He will only act in your best interest and His divine will.

Scenarios

My son Jonathan deals in scenarios. He is constantly working our potential situations in his head and then processing how he would deal with the issue. This actually moves him to a state of worry at time, but he does it anyway. His latest, heard both by Holly a few days ago and me in the car yesterday goes as follows:

Dad, I really can't catch the ball, but I am going to play football anyway. Dad, if I have a loose tooth I won't play football that day. If I have a loose tooth someone might hit me (then he makes football hitting sounds) and then...

How many times do we work something up in our mind and then fret about it? I would say alot. I can't tell you the number of conversations I have had with others when they were not there. It's easy to put words in their mouth and then think of my response. There is a great piece of advice in an ancient text, "Don't worry about tomorrow..." We need to learn to just let things happen.

Oh my word!

I wrote just a few moments ago about sickness, but I just experienced a moment that made me stop and reflect. Holly and I are sitting in the living room and TLC is on the tube. On TLC... What Not To Wear! Now, I have sat through this show long enough for a few things to happen. Originally there was another man (I use that term loosely) host to go with the woman. He got canned, and a new guy has been around awhile. Secondly, we want to make good on our idea to put Holly in sweat pants and messed up hair then send in a pic so we can get the $5000 of new clothes for her. If you haven't seen the show, it's about fashion and stuff. Here is the moment...
I looked up from my laptop and said, "You know, those colors in that dress would make her look odd with her hair color." The question is... am I still a guy? Not a very good one at the moment I can tell you. I feel so bad about those words coming out of my mouth that I am blogging about it to get it out and then go look at a football website. It's all I got while overcoming the flu.

Unclean

It seems my family has leprosy. While I'm not exactly sure if that disease is spelled correctly, we have been passing around various versions of sickening agents. I have had the flu, my boys are sick and then not in degrees, and Holly is not feeling well. Actually, the past month or so (since Thanksgiving) someone has been sick around our home. Thus, the leprosy.
We are simply sick and tired of being well, you know... I am just taking this moment as a break from the final stomach thing to blog this thing. I will keep up to date, even if I only have the latest throw-up story to tell.
Oh yeah, our youngest son threw up on me today.

Christmas Email gone Blog

We in the Scott family are perfect. This is the summary as to which every Christmas “update” letter from every family known to man can be reduced to. There is usually the obligatory picture of total or partial family next to a lit tree with phrase after phrase as to the goings on of the crew. I have decided to take this tradition to the next level by not mailing the letter so as to appear as a card, but to send via email, then copy it to my blog and take something done personally and with care and reduce it to something akin to spam. Enjoy.

We celebrated our 11th anniversary this year. Our lives have gone through many stages that we never thought we would go through. We are so blessed, although we have to remind ourselves of that fact often. We struggle though the rigors of life like everyone else, but we have determined to go through it all together. Our motto is that we don’t just want a marriage, but we want a great marriage. It takes work, sure, but Holly is so full of grace that it somehow works. I could go on and on about her, but even though it is all true, the dedication and adoration I have for her would make you all sick. The crazy thing is, she feels the same way about me.

Our boys… what can I say? Jonah turned nine this September 11th. Nine! He’s brilliant, smart, and knows a lot of stuff, too. He’s good looking too. Jonah is in third grade at Eastside Primary, and owns his school. He really is a great kid. He and I butt heads a lot, but it’s not his fault. He gets a lot from his dad and I have to work to let him be his own young man. It’s my flaw, and I’m working on it. He loves to spike the front of his hair up or do others things with his hair that I think he shouldn’t, and I gave him grief for it for a while. I thought he should just kind of part it. One morning while telling him he had to fix his hair “right” before going to school I heard myself speak. I remembered that my dad didn’t like my hair as a kid. Hey, he still thinks I should comb it better. (On a side note… when is the last time someone actually used a comb?) It was one of those moments, you know, when I realized that I wasn’t sane. I said, “Jonah, do you like your hair like that?” “Yes dad, I do,” he said. “Great, it looks good” was my reply. Now if I could just back off of everything else I get worked up over, I could be a good dad. I love him, but more importantly, I like him. I want him always to know that. He’s a great kid, regardless of anything he does or doesn’t do. Oh, and he will be bigger than me very soon, so I’m being nice to him. He just started learning to play the guitar and can play like four songs already.

Jonathan turned six on June 29. It was really fun when he was learning his birthday and he would say “June two nine.” He started Kindergarten at Eastside Primary this year, and he owns the school as well. The neat thing is that it really is not because his brother paved the way for him, but he comes about his ownership by his own right. Jonathan is really the typical middle child. I know because I got on Holly’s nerves for a few weeks after reading a book on Birth Order. Holly finally had to say, “Bobby, every thing is not about birth order.” Clearly, this is because she was the middle child, but I digress. Jonathan thinks a lot. He’s smart too, but its fool’s gold to show his brain for no good reason. There’s too much GameCube to play. He’s a philosopher, along with being a really fast runner. His new hobby for the last few days has been trying to outrun the cars that go in front of our house. This years Christmas list from Jon was longer than the other boy’s because he wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of. He wanted “his” you understand, but others needed theirs as well. Our dog needed more room to run, watches and cell phones were to be had by all, and he really wants a dirt bike. To explain his ways, he said, “I want a dirt bike… Dad… do we have dirt?” This was also the year when I got in the car after a hectic trip at Wal-Mart. The boys were nuts. I said, “Boys, it wears me out to take you guys anywhere! Do you have any idea why it wears me out???” The answer was of course that they were supposed to behave proper and listen to every word I said, but it really was a rhetorical question. Not for Jonathan. “Dad, it’s probably because you don’t eat enough apples.” “Yes Jonathan, that’s probably right.”

Isaac is a miracle. I am reminded of it every day. Most of you know the details, and if you don’t just wait for the biography channel story to come 30 years from now. Isaac turned four April 26th. He represents so much life for us. Isaac goes to a Parent’s Day Out two days a week and he could own it if he thought it was worth his time. He absolutely loves his “school.” Here’s the deal about Isaac: he can dance like a crazy man. He has moves that the greats have never even thought of. His great loves include Legos, Play Doh and Star Wars. For Christmas, he is getting pants with pockets in them because he goes few places without legos in his pockets. It’s an adventure every time. He doesn’t like sports, “they’re boring, except golf.” I know that doesn’t make sense on so many different levels, but it’s what he believes. I come home this week and Isaac was coming out of the house carrying: a metal baseball bat, a Star Wars light saber, a drum stick, and a recently acquired nerf gun. He simply wanted to play “Star Wars and Indians.” Again, this one is a smart one, loves to draw and color. The other thing about him is that he is left-handed. He doesn’t have to like sports, but even mediocre leftys make billions in the Major Leagues. Isaac probably gets away with more than the other two combined. That’s pretty typical of the last born of the family, but then again, birth order doesn’t really mean that much… uh. He has a dream to collect “transformers, power rangers and sticks” when older.

Holly and I are still pastors at Gateway Church in Shelbyville. We’re learning day by day how much we truly mean to each other. There are some sayings which apply to our marriage. One is, “If she could have done better, and didn’t; then you did well!” Another is, “If God made us one body when we married, then she’s determined to make it sweat by turning up the thermostat.” We have a great marriage, because we work at it. Could it be better? Sure, but only after we earn our first million (where we have it all at one time) and we have a blanket stashed in every room so Hol can cover up. I remember right after we first were married and I came into the house to find Holly covered up with what I thought was a rug. It was a wedding gift, and seemed like it was a rug. I said, “Holly, if you’re cold I’ll turn up the heat or get you a blanket.” She said, “What do you think this is?” “A rug,” I responded. Clearly, I had a lot to learn.

This Christmas is fun because it also is the time that Holly was born. December 21st is the day, and we celebrated at Rain Forest Cafe' in Nashville. I became older this year on October 10th, and we discovered that our health insurance went up like crazy. I’m not sure when that has to stop, but it has to. We’re healthy, and I’ve really cut back on the Little Debbies and sticks of butter since the doctor told me I had to. I’m still relatively bitter about that. My latest experiment is to drink more water and cut back on the Dr. Peppers. It’s ok, though, because I can quit anytime I want to. I’ve done it hundreds of times.

2006 has been crazy, and I’m looking for something new and gracious to happen in 2007. We truly believe that God has an extreme plan for us, but it does get kind of frustrating waiting for the fulfillment of all of that to happen. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t happen overnight, but it has been happening for our entire lives and we’ll just wake up one morning and see that it’s done. It will feel like overnight then. Our task ahead is to stay sane while keeping the joy of our insanity, and continue to laugh during it all. The times we get frustrated we realize that we have forgotten to laugh. Then, we look for something funny. Funny is relative because it usually involves watching The Office, people falling down, the stray cat we named a funny name, the one guy who’s always in the audience at TBN, The Dog Whisperer or Dog the Bounty Hunter. On a side note, we can point out that one guy at TBN because he’s in every audience at every interview, and he even got on stage once. The second side note is that the last two actual shows mentioned are not both about actual dogs, and could not be more different.

Finally, and seriously, Holly and I want so much to let you know that you are loved by us. Our lives are such that our time is not spent as close to all of our family and friends as we would like. We want you to know that this is a season of greatness, and you have been designed to be great in it. We all fall so short of what God has for us, but we don’t have to. We can walk in the greatest miracle there is, and that is the miracle of a change in our nature. Our family is blessed that we love and like each other. We are blessed that God loves us and is directing our lives. We are blessed to have you in our lives. This is such a great time of year. Look at the lights and sit on Santa’s lap (I have twice). Keep the wonder and know that it is our hope for your Christmas to be one of peace and contemplation of Christ and what is possible through Him.

Bobby (for my family)

Back

Yes, I am. Back, that is. I noticed that it had been a month since my last endeavor, and before that... much longer. However, there are things that are on my mind, and I will attempt to pontificate more often. I'm not sure if that is the proper use of the word "pontificate" or not, but it seemed to fit in the flow of things.
Yesterday's vote... What can I say but, "Brutal." Not the results necessarily, but the whole campaign. Notice that I don't have to refer to any state or region, because the same could be said for anywhere. It doesn't matter where the anywhere is, because the nature of what politics has become is discouraging, to say the least.
Where are the leaders, the visionaries? The true nature of one who leads is that they don't worry about what other's are saying, they just lead. Where is the man or woman who can state four ideas for the better, which actually are found in the powers given by the constitution, and will refuse to dive into the lives of the other candidates. Where are the statesmen? Where are the ones who can articulate an idea that reasonates with the voter, not just the members of his or her party? Where are the ones who have thoughts and values not based on election polls, but would believe them either when no one else is watching or if their very life depended on them? Where are they?
The struggle is to not be negative about the negativity. It's easy to be disgusted with the whole process, and grow only bitterness and nothing else of value. I refuse to let this happen. I will remain positive and an agent for change. I will speak of vision and betterment for our world, and will work to make it come true.
There is more. However, there is no time. Look later.

Obnoxious or Wise

You know, there's a fine line between a wise saying and a "smart alek" attitude.
You decide...

A Dialogue:

Excuse me, I'm on my way to Rockbridge. Is this the right way?

Depends. Why are you going to Rockbridge?

I'm sorry?

You don't have to be.

No, I mean, I'm sorry, what did you say?

Why are you going to Rockbridge?

Well, I have a meeting at 9... What does it matter why I'm going to Rockbridge?

You said you wanted to know if it was right to go to Rockbridge.

No I didn't.

Yes. You asked if going to Rockbridge was the right way.

That's not what I meant. I meant, is this the right way to Rockbridge?

There are many ways to get somewhere.

What?!?

I said, there are many ways to get...

I heard what you said! What does that mean?!?

You mean about Rockbridge or just the statement in general?

Who cares?!? What does it mean?!?

Just about every road will get you there, if you have the time. There's no real "wrong" way...

I don't have a lot of time!

Then you need to take the most efficient way.

Look, will this road take me to Rockbridge?

It goes to a lot of places.

Like Rockbridge????

I would assume that there are places like Rockbridge.

No!!! I have a meeting in Rockbridge at 9:00 AM. I must go to that meeting for my job. I am looking for the most efficient road that I, or anyone else for that matter, is permitted to drive on and that will take me to Rockbridge. I am content with driving through or near places other than Rockbridge, however, I need to reach my intended destination of Rockbridge by my appointed time. Will you kindly give me the directions that I would need to make it to Rockbridge by 9 AM considering I have enough fuel and will drive the speed limit?

Oh, well in that case... Turn right out of the parking lot, go straight for two miles, then take a left. That is the road you are looking for.

Thank you!

(sound of car tires squeeling and dirt/gravel flying)

Hum, I wonder if he meant Rockbridge, Illinois or Texas?

Yellow Mode

When I was a Youth Pastor is Knoxville, TN, I spoke constantly about a concept called "yellow mode." Now, I say concept, but it was really more of a state of mind. I know, I know, you're fascinated by this phraseology. "What is 'yellow mode?' I must know!", I can hear you scream from the rooftops.

Yellow mode was an idea I gleaned from my community work of being a police chaplain for the city police department. Let me stop you... it sounds more glamorous than it was. You see, we were forced, er, privileged to watch training videos on a semi-regular basis. One gentleman on a particular video spoke of the concept of different "modes" that officers are in at any given time. The one that fascinated me was the mode of yellow. Being in this mode meant that you are acutely aware that trouble could happen at any time. You aren't sure of what, or when, or from whom, but it could happen. You are always on the lookout, always planning and scanning the area, always aware.

I know what you're thinking. How psychotic. Maybe you're kinder and think that this is just "slightly overboard." Well, as a younger man, I prided myself on always being in "yellow mode." Constantly I would size up those strangers around me to see if I could "take them" if it all "went down." (It might not seem the best thought process for your Christian influence, but in light of the word today, I think Tom Ridge, Director of Homeland Security, would be proud.) I have to admit, now that I find myself getting older, and the wear and tear of three small (but getting bigger) boys, yellow mode is sometimes a memory of yesteryear. I came to grips that I was no longer as alert when my wife snuck up on me while I was mowing the other day. I'm calling this new phase, taupe mode, by the way.

All of this does have a point. This "yellow mode" thing is kind of tied in to the idea behind FloatingAx. FloatingAx is a ministry concept that God placed in my heart a few years ago. There is a lot of talk about staying on the "cutting edge" of ministry, of being "beyond the edge." and lots of other cool phrases. You see, you must keep your ax floating, as the prophet Elisha did for that guy with a run of bad luck (2 Kings). By the way, why were they cutting next to water? Somebody could have been killed! I digress.

Just as you can't do anything if you lose your cutting edge, you cannot be effective if you get out of ministry "yellow mode". You know, there are people all around you, every day. Strangers, you know, and it all might go down. "Another terrorist attack?", you ask. Stay with me, ok...

There might just be that moment... that God moment, where you have to be ready to fight the spiritual battle for a soul. Here's the deal. We miss that moment so often. We stay so caught up in whatever is going on in our lives, that we miss the moments that God would have us to interact with others. We make casual those moments that God has set up for us to make a dramatic impact. Opportunities abound, and when they are over, all too often we find ourselves shaking our heads and saying, "What happened?" We could have acted differently... Why didn't I quote that verse?... We should have prayed...

Don't feel guilty. Just make your ax float. Get back that sharp, "yellow mode" mentality that you had when you first got started in this ministry thing. Keep sharp. Don't be afraid. God has the pressure, not you. Remember, you're in sales, not management. Be ready, be instant, and be intense. Change your world. It's the reason you were born.

This is the original post. Prepare for ideas, motivations, and well... stuff.