Saturday, September 29, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Why
My daughter has learned the word that every parent dreads, "why." She has started asking me why after everything I tell her. It's not as cute as it looks to outsiders. I think I'm going to hurt the kid that taught her that word.
I remember once hearing someone say that religion and science should complement one another because it is the job of science to tell us how everything happened, but it is the job of religion to tell us why it all happened. I think there is a lot of truth in this, because I find that much of my job as a pastor is trying to explain the "why" to people. Why they lost loved ones. Why there is pain in the world. Why God wants them to love each other. Just why.
The problem is, that for every why I can answer there are about ten thousand I can't. When I was a new believer they told me that all the answers were in the bible if I'd just look hard enough. Now that I'm older I know that's a load of crap. Anyone who would tell you that hasn't read their bible well enough. I believe it has all the answers that God feels we need for now, but as you read it you find it's full of people that didn't always understand the "whys" either.
As I was reading The Psalms for today's sermon, I realized that even if you don't know the reasons why, sometimes it's just enough to know that there is a reason. I think I've learned this in my own life. I'm not really a person that labels everything that happens in life as God's Will, but I believe that there are reasons for certain things in my life. I believe there is a reason why we planted the church where we did even if I don't know what it is. I believe there is a reason why I work where I do for now, even if I'm not sure why. I even believe there is a reason for the pain that comes into peoples' lives, even if I don't have any answers for them.
Just like my daughter, sometimes we have to be okay with not having our whys answered, but rather just trust that our father knows what he's doing even when it doesn't look like it.
I remember once hearing someone say that religion and science should complement one another because it is the job of science to tell us how everything happened, but it is the job of religion to tell us why it all happened. I think there is a lot of truth in this, because I find that much of my job as a pastor is trying to explain the "why" to people. Why they lost loved ones. Why there is pain in the world. Why God wants them to love each other. Just why.
The problem is, that for every why I can answer there are about ten thousand I can't. When I was a new believer they told me that all the answers were in the bible if I'd just look hard enough. Now that I'm older I know that's a load of crap. Anyone who would tell you that hasn't read their bible well enough. I believe it has all the answers that God feels we need for now, but as you read it you find it's full of people that didn't always understand the "whys" either.
As I was reading The Psalms for today's sermon, I realized that even if you don't know the reasons why, sometimes it's just enough to know that there is a reason. I think I've learned this in my own life. I'm not really a person that labels everything that happens in life as God's Will, but I believe that there are reasons for certain things in my life. I believe there is a reason why we planted the church where we did even if I don't know what it is. I believe there is a reason why I work where I do for now, even if I'm not sure why. I even believe there is a reason for the pain that comes into peoples' lives, even if I don't have any answers for them.
Just like my daughter, sometimes we have to be okay with not having our whys answered, but rather just trust that our father knows what he's doing even when it doesn't look like it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
10 Things I Love About You
Tomorrow marks nine years of marriage for me and Autumn. We started dating when we were seventeen. She's the first woman I ever fell in love with, my high school sweetheart, the mother of my children, and a better wife than I deserve. In her honor, I'd like to make a list of all the things I love about her, but I'd be up all night writing. So, for the sake of me getting up for work tomorrow, here are the first ten that come to mind:
1. She's one of those rare girls who are incredibly beautiful, but don't seem to realize it. Sometimes I wish she could see herself through my eyes just for a moment, so she could see how stunning and breathtaking she really is.
2. She's an awesome mother. Some women sacrifice their careers for their children, my wife works a job that is beneath her at night so she can spend her days with our kids.
3. She is one of the strongest people emotionally that I have ever met. She has the ability to love people with everything in her without worrying about being hurt. I often tease her about how open she is with her emotions, but the truth is it is among her greatest strengths.
4. She has an unshakable faith. For all my knowledge of hermeneutics, Greek, and Hebrew she can still put me to shame with simple observations about how God is working in our lives.
5. She loves my friends. I know women who don't like their husband's friends. I know women who simply tolerate their husband's friends. My wife adopted my friends as her own. She hangs out with them, laughs with them, and looks forward to being with them. I've seldom had to worry about how I divide my time between her and them.
6. She fits nicely in my arms.
7. She's brave in ways I can barely imagine. She followed me to through ministry, into California and back, and through planting a church. There's been times where we've been so poor we didn't know how we were going to make rent or buy food. I've watched her go back to school, give birth to two children, and sit with her mom through the final stages of cancer. Through all of this, I've never seen fear get the better of her or stop her from doing anything that she knew had to be done.
8. She thinks of others more than herself.
9. I've always found her interesting. When we were first dating she would tell me the same stories over and over again, but I'd never tell her because I just liked to hear her talk. Even when we weren't saying anything to each other I loved just being around her. After twelve years together the passion has calmed down a bit, but I still find myself enjoying those same stories or just watching her from time to time, as fascinated now as I was back then.
10. She is one of the few people I know that can make a bad day better just by smiling at me.
1. She's one of those rare girls who are incredibly beautiful, but don't seem to realize it. Sometimes I wish she could see herself through my eyes just for a moment, so she could see how stunning and breathtaking she really is.
2. She's an awesome mother. Some women sacrifice their careers for their children, my wife works a job that is beneath her at night so she can spend her days with our kids.
3. She is one of the strongest people emotionally that I have ever met. She has the ability to love people with everything in her without worrying about being hurt. I often tease her about how open she is with her emotions, but the truth is it is among her greatest strengths.
4. She has an unshakable faith. For all my knowledge of hermeneutics, Greek, and Hebrew she can still put me to shame with simple observations about how God is working in our lives.
5. She loves my friends. I know women who don't like their husband's friends. I know women who simply tolerate their husband's friends. My wife adopted my friends as her own. She hangs out with them, laughs with them, and looks forward to being with them. I've seldom had to worry about how I divide my time between her and them.
6. She fits nicely in my arms.
7. She's brave in ways I can barely imagine. She followed me to through ministry, into California and back, and through planting a church. There's been times where we've been so poor we didn't know how we were going to make rent or buy food. I've watched her go back to school, give birth to two children, and sit with her mom through the final stages of cancer. Through all of this, I've never seen fear get the better of her or stop her from doing anything that she knew had to be done.
8. She thinks of others more than herself.
9. I've always found her interesting. When we were first dating she would tell me the same stories over and over again, but I'd never tell her because I just liked to hear her talk. Even when we weren't saying anything to each other I loved just being around her. After twelve years together the passion has calmed down a bit, but I still find myself enjoying those same stories or just watching her from time to time, as fascinated now as I was back then.
10. She is one of the few people I know that can make a bad day better just by smiling at me.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Another Week Down
Church went pretty well today. Here's the quick recap from this week:
1. My sermon still felt off today, not as bad as last week, but still off. A friend of mine that was visiting today said the message was just what he needed today, though, so I guess the lesson is that God still uses us even when we feel off.
2. Despite feeling off, I think a little of my passion is coming back for preaching. Maybe, my sermon was for me today too.
3. Jason went to Arizona this week to watch his Seahawks get beat. I'm really thankful that we have the ability to lose our worship leader for a Sunday and still have great music. I know of a lot of churches much bigger than us that are screwed whenever a couple members of their worship team go out of town.
4. Speaking of Bekah, her and Tyson have big news. Check out her blog for more details.
5. I got accepted to start a program to finish up getting my teaching credential. It will take me awhile to finish, but it feels good to be doing something that takes brain power again.
6. I bought a new printer, I think I'm going to pull an Office Space move on the old one. If you don't know what I mean, just go watch the movie.
7. My wife is hot.
8. I've lost my faith in the Kansas City Chiefs.
9. I'm hot.
10. I'm almost two months behind in my church reports.
11. I've got to get a sermon ready for next week then I get a week off.
12. I need to put together a bookcase.
13. I'm going to go watch TV now.
1. My sermon still felt off today, not as bad as last week, but still off. A friend of mine that was visiting today said the message was just what he needed today, though, so I guess the lesson is that God still uses us even when we feel off.
2. Despite feeling off, I think a little of my passion is coming back for preaching. Maybe, my sermon was for me today too.
3. Jason went to Arizona this week to watch his Seahawks get beat. I'm really thankful that we have the ability to lose our worship leader for a Sunday and still have great music. I know of a lot of churches much bigger than us that are screwed whenever a couple members of their worship team go out of town.
4. Speaking of Bekah, her and Tyson have big news. Check out her blog for more details.
5. I got accepted to start a program to finish up getting my teaching credential. It will take me awhile to finish, but it feels good to be doing something that takes brain power again.
6. I bought a new printer, I think I'm going to pull an Office Space move on the old one. If you don't know what I mean, just go watch the movie.
7. My wife is hot.
8. I've lost my faith in the Kansas City Chiefs.
9. I'm hot.
10. I'm almost two months behind in my church reports.
11. I've got to get a sermon ready for next week then I get a week off.
12. I need to put together a bookcase.
13. I'm going to go watch TV now.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Trust Me I'm A Professional
The people at the pharmacy are going to have to manage without me today. I'm taking the day off to substitute teach. I'm not going back to it full-time, I think once or twice a month is enough, but I want to have a little bit of classroom time every once and awhile as I'm working on getting my teaching credential. I figure if I'm going to be bi-vocational for awhile, I might as well be doing something that feels worthwhile, not to mention pays more.
So, it's off to teach 45 fifth graders a thing or two, or at least keep them alive until their teacher gets back. I hope I still got it after all these months. I'll let you know how it goes.
So, it's off to teach 45 fifth graders a thing or two, or at least keep them alive until their teacher gets back. I hope I still got it after all these months. I'll let you know how it goes.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
It's A Small World After All
Reasons why I think the airport is like Disneyland:
1. It's filled with people from all over the world on holiday.
2. It cost me $4 to buy a coke there.
3. You spend more time in line waiting for the ride than on the ride itself.
4. Your feet hurt from all the walking by time you're done.
5. The parking lot is the size of a small third world country.
6. No one wants to be there alone.
7. When you finally get to take your seat someone is there to show you how to use a seat belt in case you forgot since the car ride there.
8. Most of the workers look like they want to kill themselves.
9. You pay a lot of money for a ride that eventually brings you right back to the place where you were.
10. You have a feeling that the whole thing is ran by a giant rat.
1. It's filled with people from all over the world on holiday.
2. It cost me $4 to buy a coke there.
3. You spend more time in line waiting for the ride than on the ride itself.
4. Your feet hurt from all the walking by time you're done.
5. The parking lot is the size of a small third world country.
6. No one wants to be there alone.
7. When you finally get to take your seat someone is there to show you how to use a seat belt in case you forgot since the car ride there.
8. Most of the workers look like they want to kill themselves.
9. You pay a lot of money for a ride that eventually brings you right back to the place where you were.
10. You have a feeling that the whole thing is ran by a giant rat.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Sermon Block
Today was a good day. I got off work early so I could take Bekah to the airport and then I went over to Tyson's and watched the first football game of the seasons. So far I have a perfect record for this season's football pool.
I'm having major sermon block for Sunday right now though. I want to finish out the book of Ruth and I think I'm going to be going with the idea of redemption, but I don't really have anything as of yet. I want to convey the idea of God giving back what has been lost or taken from us, but right now my mind isn't coming up with the examples or words to do the job.
I'm sure it'll come to me before Sunday, but it's just nice when everything is ready to go a few days early. Too bad that seldom happens.
I'm having major sermon block for Sunday right now though. I want to finish out the book of Ruth and I think I'm going to be going with the idea of redemption, but I don't really have anything as of yet. I want to convey the idea of God giving back what has been lost or taken from us, but right now my mind isn't coming up with the examples or words to do the job.
I'm sure it'll come to me before Sunday, but it's just nice when everything is ready to go a few days early. Too bad that seldom happens.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Misc. Stuff
1. Today is Hannah's third birthday. This means she'll be able to get a job soon and start pulling her weight around here.
2. Autumn and Bekah are at the day spa right now. I asked Autumn what she wanted for an anniversary present and she opted for some relaxation. In three weeks we will have been married nine years. I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into when she said, "I do."
3. One of our monitors went out on Sunday. We spent the extra money and went for powered monitors thinking it would be less hassle for set=up and tear-down, but the amps inside them are very susceptible to damage when being moved around. We'll have to think about what we're going to replace them with.
4. Last night Tyson, Bekah, Jason Autumn, and I played Monopoly until 11pm. I actually had a lot of fun even though I finished dead last. I swear, I owned as much property in the game as I do in real life.
5. I think I'm going to grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers today seeing how it's Labor Day and all.
6. I think I'm going to take some online classes to finish getting my teaching certificate. I don't plan on taking a salary from the church anytime soon and the idea of a job that gives me three months off a year seems kinda nice.
7. Ethan misses his mommy right now and he's making sure I know about.
2. Autumn and Bekah are at the day spa right now. I asked Autumn what she wanted for an anniversary present and she opted for some relaxation. In three weeks we will have been married nine years. I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into when she said, "I do."
3. One of our monitors went out on Sunday. We spent the extra money and went for powered monitors thinking it would be less hassle for set=up and tear-down, but the amps inside them are very susceptible to damage when being moved around. We'll have to think about what we're going to replace them with.
4. Last night Tyson, Bekah, Jason Autumn, and I played Monopoly until 11pm. I actually had a lot of fun even though I finished dead last. I swear, I owned as much property in the game as I do in real life.
5. I think I'm going to grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers today seeing how it's Labor Day and all.
6. I think I'm going to take some online classes to finish getting my teaching certificate. I don't plan on taking a salary from the church anytime soon and the idea of a job that gives me three months off a year seems kinda nice.
7. Ethan misses his mommy right now and he's making sure I know about.
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