Funny Story of the Week

On Friday, I decided that it was too gorgeous outside to not grill out.  So, I went to Indy to pick my girls up for the weekend and talked it up all the way there.  They were excited that they actually got to spend the evening outside...so was I.

Well, I decided to make it "festive" by putting on a huge sombrero and grilling with it on.  Danaya, our 5 year old, came down the stairs after putting her stuff away in her room and said, "Daddy, you look silly."  I said, "Oh come on now.  I think it makes me look cool."  She said, and I quote, "It kind of makes you look like an African-American Spanish guy."

I am recovering fine from my gut surgery after rupturing it from laughing so hard.

We aint gotta go home, but we gotta get the heck up outta here!

Jesus is often funny in scripture.

Sometimes, he is compassionate.

Sometimes, he is poignant.

Sometimes, he is humble.

But occasionally, you can see the passionate fire that is inside Jesus up close and personal.

John 8:31-59 got me fired up today.  Its Jesus, basically punking the entire crowd who are reacting the same way we would if some hot shot got up and tried to claim that he KNOWS God and we don't.  What I love is at the end it says, "The people said, 'You aren't even fifty years old.  How can you say you have seen Abraham?'  Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!"

Just pause.  Stop reading and realize the gravity of that statement.  It is one of the very few times that Jesus is so bold, so assertive about his deity.  It is riveting.  But what I find funny, is can you imagine if you were the guy standing next to Jesus, loving Him and His message, and then he throws out that statement!

Evan: "Um, Lord."

Jesus: "What Evan?  I'm kind of busy here."

Evan: We aint gotta go home, but we gotta get the heck up outta here."

It says that Jesus was, "hidden from them and left the temple."  I wonder, in our desperation to avoid the revelation of sin in our lives, were both actions (arguing and starting to throw stones, and trying to whisk Jesus away) indications of our own struggles with the fact that we just don't trust God enough?

Think about it.  Its so much easier to sweep things under the carpet than deal with them, isn't it?  Its even easier to attack and rationalize things when we hear the truth rather than just to be silent and accept it, right?  May we be neither.  May we truly begin to allow Jesus to call us out, and when he does, may our hearts be broken and may we run to his arms.  Because I can guarantee this, He will love you no matter what, its just that we all need accountability and Jesus is the ultimate accountability partner.

Bad Day, Good Day

Now before you say that I'm going crazy on you by putting such a confusing title to this blog post, read a little further...


a little more...


come on, you can do it...


OK.  So nothing went right this morning, couldn't get in a groove to save my life, when I went home, I ripped my shorts...let me clarify...My shorts got ripped on the back door going to let the dog out...

Then, the clouds parted.

I got a phone call from the reThink group, the good folks at Orange...THEY FIXED MY LOGIN INFORMATION!!!!!  We are now officially becoming Orange, folks.  What does that mean?  Who knows?  But its going to be a great ride.

I love the curriculum site.  It has left no stone unturned.  The site seems very user friendly, could use some clearer titles to documents, but other than that, very well done.  Shortly I should be getting a code to cruise on over to the kids'/parents' site!  Very excited about that as well.  Tons of stuff to do, all exciting, but daunting at the same time.  One step at a time, right Lord?

Accountability...even in elementary school!

Saw a great thing this morning.  A mom carrying her son, who looked upset, to the school bus, gently placed him in one of the seats, blew him a kiss, and then exited the bus.  Now to the regular person, that isn't very interesting.  However, since we all know that I'm not normal, let's look at what really happened.

That mom allowed her son to realize that we don't always get what we want and there are things in life that we simply must do that we won't feel like doing.

You must go to school. 
You must take care of business. 
You must do the right thing. 
Not even open for discussion.

 I love it.


Sometimes its very easy to "take it easy" on our kids and unfortunately, miss an awesome teaching opportunity.  Remember, reassure your child when they face something that they simply don't want to do, let them know that you are with them every step of the way, but don't let them off of the hook.  Remember what Lamentations 3:27 says, "It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young."  Teach them to endure things now by supporting them all the way, and you will be well on your way to raising some pretty good kids.

Its hard being a parent

I'm not going to tell who but this past Saturday, I walked around the side of my house after a hard day of landscaping and cleaning the yard up and what did I see?  One of my 11 year olds texting...to a boy.

Um...

No.  I don't think so.

Have you been there?  At that moment, my "little girl" ceased being a little girl and became...a pre-teen.

I shutter to even think about it.

I knew it was coming.  I just was in denial.  The thing that is most troubling for me is to think that with all of the years that we had up to this point, did I do everything I could to teach them right from wrong?  Was it enough?

In Christ, I don't think we have to ask that.  Deuteronomy 6 sets a high precedent for parents.  One that I believe even the best intentioned, stay at home parents during the Old Testament days even had problems with.  I like to use it to drive me, but I need a jumping off point.  I need something for the "b" team.  I found that in Proverbs 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

I like that.  You don't have to be perfect as a parent.  You just have to Love God.  Your kids will see that and that will be the training that they need.  What's funny is that even Deuteronomy 6 isn't all that hard when your heart is truly bent toward God.  Those things come naturally.

Later on in the day, after many m&m's and my blood pressure came down, I sat down with her.  She began to cry and said that she realized her mistake.  Now don't get me wrong, its not easy to "play" me.  I am in-tune to my kids as far as when they are turning on the tears to get me to let them off the hook.  However, I saw a genuine sense of remorse because when the punishment was issued (no cell phone privileges at our house) she was good with that.  She didn't like it, but she was good with it. 

Kids are like boomerangs, they may occasionally smack you up side the head unexpectedly, but they usually come back to where they started from.  Thanks God for being right.

Where does disappointment come from?

I just got done reading Jon Acuff's blog "Stuff Christians Like."  His post today was awesome.  It got me thinking about disappointment and why we immediately want to turn to God and ask Him, "Why?"

"Why did she have to leave?"

"Why did I betray him like that?"

"Why did you put me through this?"

Suddenly, it hit.  Maybe instead of "Why," maybe we should be humbly asking "How."

"How could you stay by my side?  On the side of a sinner...an adulterer...a murderer...a thief...a liar...a gossip...a porn addict...an alcoholic...a drug abuser...a child abuser...?"

You see, I think disappointment comes from our inate need to place near perfect expectations on imperfect beings.  We simply cannot deliver.  No matter how hard we try and struggle, we will let someone down in our lives.  However, if during those tough times that we get disappointed, we take comfort in the fact that not only does God not disappoint, but that He is there!  Think about it.  Would you want to hang out with a person who cries everytime something doesn't go their way?  Or they complain when their ideal form of justice isn't carried out?  Yeah, that's me.

We try to fight it, but it simply is in our nature.  God knows this and yet, he still picks us.  He still backs us.  And He always will.  Talk about consistency.  Thanks God for never disappointing.

Praises

Just wanted to take time out to thank God.  I know I forget to do that.  In the midst of some great small changes that are happening, I tend to lose sight of the small changes that God is conducting in me and in my relationships.

First, I thank you God for my wife.  She is a jewel.  Just the other day, we were talking, (and laughing mind you,) about how much of a pain that both of us can be, but that we would rather not go through life with anyone else other than each other.  I love that she is a realist.  It keeps my dreamer heart grounded.  However, she has this delicate side that not too many people get to see.  My wife works in corporate America and she has learned through the years how to not only hang, but excel in that world.  Sometimes though, she opens up and allows me to see the vulnerability that she has regarding God and his control in her life and that is the most intriguing thing about my wife.  She is a relatively new believer, less than 8 years, but her understanding of what is and isn't important when it comes to God is simply amazing.

Next, I want to thank you for my daughters.  I have no idea how they turned out the way they did, so it had to be you.  Through all of my mistakes, somehow, the girls have been able to see you through me a little.  And those times have been the sweetest of all.  Just the other day, my youngest came and sat on my lap and whispered after a while, "Daddy, you know you can do this with God too, right?" 

I fought the tears.

I was so proud.  And I can't even talk about my two oldest.  My twins have become young ladies who are so poised in their thinking and in life, I simply can't wait to see what is in store for them.  So God, I am going to continue to sit in the passenger's seat and simply go along for the ride when it comes to my kids.  Give me what I need to be their earthly daddy and you can do the rest.  You are much better at it than I am.

My friendships.  I have never had deeper, richer, and more fulfilling friendships than I do now.  I love all of my friends from the past and will always cherish them.  However, God has placed the right people, at the right time in my life.  They not only support me ministerially (is that a word?) but are truly interested in me and for that, I am extremely grateful.

Finally, I just want to thank you God.  You have never, nor will ever leave me.  I realize that you put me here to point kids and families to you because that is what's in my heart.  That's all I want to do...everyday...all day.  Thanks for including me in your awesome plan, God.  I am humbled and honored and will continue to move out of the way.