unsatisfied

Monday. Again. Not my typical Monday. Took the day off after staff meeting because I won't be able to take a regular day off this week due to TNT. Anyway, after getting home from my mom's house (have I mentioned we love living in TN?) we settled into the normal routine. I watch Heroes, Kristy gets on facebook) then we continue to mindlessly watch TV until bedtime. Recently I've just been getting tired of it. Nobody appreciates/operates well within a structured routine like me, but there are some things I just refuse to do. So tonight, we turned off the TV, put the laptop down and prayed together. We talked and even got a couple things done around the house. I hope this becomes a new trend. I mean seriously, I've seen EVERY episode of Seinfeld possible. Time for some more meaningful disciplines.

?s from Big ? Night

These are the questions our youth group asked on Wednesday, March 11.
We were unable to answer them all, but here they are.
A little insight into what's on our students' minds (not all are
serious, but most of them are):

1- Is there a right religion? I know Christianity is right but I'm
talking about baptist, nazarene, methodist, etc....
2- If someone is saying their life is pointless and they tell you they
want to commit suicide how do you respond?
3- If God created everything, who created God?
4- Are elves real?
5- Why do people frown on sex?
6- Did the unicorns that God created die in the great flood?
7- Is Obama the anti Christ? (got this twice)
8- How does God raise Jesus from the dead when Jesus is God?
9- When churches judge other people and other churches just because
they believe something different does that mean that they are not
going to make it to heaven because they judge and look down on people
and they never repented for it?
10- Have you felt like someone was watching you and no one was?
11- Do you think the world will end in 2013?
12- Why is it not accepted for you to date [people of other races]?
13- Can people look down from heaven and watch over us and like see us?
14- I have a friend and he does not believe in God at all he says
there is no such thing as heaven and hell? What should I do?
15- How do you make a nonbeliever believe when they won't listen?
16- Does the Bible say anything about relationships with one person
older than the other?
17- If a person has told you they've given up on God, what do you do?
18- Say you have a friend who is on the verge of tears because he has
prayed and prayed that God would help him but nothing has happened
what do you do?
19- Why did God make funny looking edible fruit?
20- Why is it wrong to be gay or bisexual or lesbian?
21- What if you're gay but you don't have sex?
22- Why can't animals have soul?
23- Why do Christians treat people like outcast? Aren't we supposed
to love everyone?
24- Is the shroud of turin real or fake? (got this twice)
25- If you have had sex, does that mean you're not a Christian?
26- Why do people judge people for what they look like or their color?
27- If your friend is talking about having sex, how do you handle it?
28- How fast does a zebra have to run before it turns gray?
29- How can we truly have any choices to make when God already knows
what we're going to do? How isn't that predestination?
30- What is truth (no Sunday school answers)?
31- Does free will override predestination?
32- God knows everything right. Doesn't that mean that He knows what
choices we are going to make? How is that not predestination?
33- What really is humanism?
34- How do we know the Bible wasn't mistranslated?
35- How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck
wood?
36- How do we know if we go to heaven or hell?
37- If God is love, why is homosexuality bad?
38- Would the death penalty be ok if that person was not a Christian
and it would send them to hell?
39- What happened to all of the Hawaiians, Tibetans, etc, who never
heard the word of Jesus?
40- I get five dollars for allowance and I want to tithe. Here is the
problem. I get my allowance in dollar bills. And 10% of five dollars
is 50 cents. Am I allowed to make change and take 50 cents from the
offering plate if I put in a dollar? (seriously not made up)
41- Do people such as Mormons and Jehovah's Witness that believe in
things that are radically different than what is thought of as true
Christian churches biblically acceptable?
42- Do you believe in evolution or just God put us here?
43- The Mayans predicted the world would end December 21, 2012. What's
your take on the apocalypse?
44- Is suicide ok if you cannot help it, ex: mental illness? (got this
three times)
45- Do you believe Noah's ark actually happened?
46- Will you go to hell if you are gay, lesbian or bi?
47- Throughout the Bible there are constant occurrences of a vengeful,
jealous, unpredictable God. How can we, as Christians, coming from a
view of God as a nice, helpful father explain and accept things like
the book of Joshua (conquest of the Promised Land)?
48- Do you believe God created the big bang?
49- What is the biggest sin you could ever make?
50- If God created everything, who created God? ps in the Bible is
says everything has to be created right?
51- I know someone who is gay. I love him because he is my friend, but
I don't know how to tell him that I don't believe in that. how do I
tell him without saying I don't still want to be his friend?
52- Is it allright to date a non-Christian?
53- Biblically, is abortion ok, and what scripture would back it up?
54- Do soldiers go to hell?
55- Does everyone go to heaven at the same time or are some people
already there?
56- Why don't animals have souls?
57- Do you believe that people who committed suicide go to heaven in
certain cases (if God knows their hearts)?
58- If killing is a sin, would being an executioner make you a bad
person?
59- If Christians are supposed to love everybody, who do we treat
people like outcasts?

God, hear my prayer

I don't want to be a part of anything I can design or engineer on my
own.
I would LOVE to be a part of what you're doing, to be a part of
something so life-changing and amazing that people that follow your
Son Jesus and people who don't yet believe will have to say "Surely
God is doing something special there.
May your will be done.
Amen

suffering

Why do we think we're always supposed to be comfortable? So much of what we do is driven by getting or keeping ourselves in a state or place in which we are not stressed, strained or otherwise put out. Advertising of products is typically about how much better our lives will be if we have ______. I guess there's nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable. No one enjoys a cloudy/overcast/cold day with the kids asleep and a hooded sweatshirt and a good movie to watch more than me. Oh and popcorn with just the right amount of salt and an ice- 

cold coke….mmmm. But beyond some down time (which God commands [#4 on the Ten Commandments]) and Jesus' modeling regularly by getting away from the crowds and even the disciples to pray; followers of Christ like Paul mention something about suffering. There's nothing about seeking out our own pleasure.

We choose our homes, careers, clothing, and even our relationships 

based on how pleasant we believe our experience will be. Our houses 

need to have so many bedrooms and bathrooms (what if we had to all 

share one bathroom?!). Our careers should be something we enjoy and 

helps us afford all of the other stuff in life we want. Our clothes 

not only need to be the latest in fashion, they also need to feel good 

to us. Many times people will choose relationships based solely on 

what they will receive from it. But what if that's not how it's 

supposed to be? What if we're called to a different kind of life?

Jesus said that if we want to follow Him, we need to pick up our cross 

daily (Mark 8:34). Doesn't exactly sound like a comfy job description 

for a disciple does it? But Jesus doesn't ask us to do anything He 

didn't do himself. He left heaven and stepped down onto our planet. He 

said He didn't come to be served, but to give his life as a ransom for 

many (Mark 10:45). For you. For me. For everyone. Because He loves us 

all.

Years later Paul said that he wanted to "know Christ and his 

sufferings" (Philippians 3:10). I can imagine hearing that in a sermon 

today. I think some people would bristle at the idea. It seems like 

we've been conditioned to think God is just our comforter and the One 

who will make things better for us. Don't get me wrong, He does do 

that. But what I'm saying is: it's not the whole point; that's not all 

He does.

I'm not sure here in North America we have even an iota of what 

suffering for Jesus would look like. I'm not blaming anyone, just 

saying I think we're not too familiar with the idea. The dictionary on 

my computer says that suffering is "experience or be subjected to 

(something bad or unpleasant)". Have we ever done that for Jesus? 

Besides that one mission trip? It seems to me like we have it pretty 

easy here in the States, especially when I hear of stories from other 

countries where people are losing jobs, being imprisoned, are tortured 

and even killed because they are bold enough to proclaim the name of 

Jesus.

What does suffering for Jesus look like in my life? What about yours?

Maybe it means getting out of our routine long enough to listen to 

someone else. Or stop and help a person in need. Or articulating how 

someone who is far from God can be an active part of the greatest 

story ever told about a God who created people and loved them so much 

that He gave his one and only Son so they could be in a right 

relationship with Him.

Maybe it means that we feel Christ's pain when we see a world mired in 

sin around us. That something in our hearts would cry out to God, 

"Please help in this situation! God you've gotta do something NOW!"

God, if there are ways I can know the fellowship of your sufferings, 

I'm open. Whatever you want God. That's why I'm here.

when life hits the fan

During the Christmas season, it's almost always busy; but this year seems a little ridiculous. Not with scheduling, but with people and the issues they're dealing with. Here are just a few:

a single mom dealing with serious issues with her kids

a teen that thinks he's a vampire

a family on the brink of divorce

police officer with teens in our group that was shot in the jaw

a personal family member dealing with possible infidelity issues

So, it's easy for me to feel overwhelmed; that's just me. But here's what I know, God is still working. I may not be able to see it now, but He is still behind the scenes, bringing things together for His glory. And I trust that and believe that with my whole heart. At the same time I'm thinking/wondering: "when will some of this end?" Any time now God....any time. I trust You though.

"my" flag

Just something that bothers me. I live in a medium size town south of Nashville, Tennesse. I have seen many cars here (which also is near a GM/Saturn plant) with the following bumper sticker: "Please Don't Put My Flag On Your Foreign Car".  It drives me crazy. 'My' flag? When did it become yours? Isn't it 'our' flag? Crap. Then in 'my' store I guess I won't be selling very many TV's because most of them come from countries overseas. Hmmm. Just needed to put that out there.

this morning began a great day

So I wake up at 6:00 am today for no reason, I think. Neither of my kids are waking me up. Alarm clock isn't going off. nothing. that's when the conversation starts.

"how about spending some time with Me?"

"but it's six o'clock. I can still sleep for another hour almost."

"You'll spend almost an hour at the Y. How about Me?"

"but it's six am!" "yes and you went to bed at eleven. which means you've had seven hours of sleep. more than your usual."

"hmmm. You're right. okay"

So I walk out to the living room, turn on the Christmas tree lights and continue talking with Jesus. Then I did some reading in preparation for the Advent season. Then I asked God to help His church, our local church my family and our students.

I made coffee for me and my wife.

It helped me begin a great/productive day.

I'm anticipating an early wake up call tomorrow too.