Greece Mission Pre-Trip

Right now I am on a plane headed to Athens Greece (via Newark, New Jersey). This is the first of two trips this year to Athens, Greece with my church. We are adopting a neighborhood and will be the official “missionaries” to that part of Athens! Athens has 5,000,000 people with 4,000 professing Christians, meaning they are .0008% Christian. There are 76 neighborhoods and 40 are completely unreached with no church, home group, or any evangelical witness.

Robert and I will be scouting out two particular neighborhoods (Byronas & Anthousa), and praying for God to reveal where we will make our 3 year partnership. One of those neighborhoods has a park in the center of it, which would create a great opportunity to do sports camps and all different types of outreach events. The other is on the outskirts of Athens, in a more rural part of the town, but it has an old abandoned church in it, which creates all different kinds of dreams within my heart. Just think how awesome it would be for God to awaken that neighborhood to Himself and use that place as the central location of revival within the city.

Part 2: We are finally checked in to our hotel, not sure what to expect this week, but Robert & I are definitely excited about the opportunities. Please pray that God would give us pristine clarity for which neighborhood we should adopt. Also pray for our families while we are gone, and for a safe return home.

Turning 3-0ld!

30 is no big deal… yet! People keep asking me how I feel about turning 30, and I think it is no big deal. What bothers me is how my body feels after playing softball, yes softball. Now, I am sore for days, my feet and back hurt the next, and it only seems to get worse. Hopefully, there will be a resurgence of youth in my bones where instead of continued loss of quickness, I get faster. Instead of added bulk (ahem), I can loose weight. And instead of soreness, I can enjoy waking up as though not sporting activity took place the day or two or three prior.

With that out of the way, it is time for me to give big props to my lovely bride Christy! For my big day, she organized and threw me a surprise pool party. Many people wanted to know if I knew, but honestly I did not. In fact, I had to pull back from feeling sorry for myself as the weekend went on, because I thought that she might actually not do anything for me. However, we went over to our best friend’s house to swim, and lo and behold, a surprise party! It was awesome. So many of my friends showed up to celebrate, including my parents, her parents, & her brother, sister-in-law, and their boys. Thank you so much for everyone who showed up, I am so grateful to be surrounded by such an awesome group of people… and thank you Christy, I love and appreciate you very much!

Prescribed Relaxation

One of the things I am not crazy about sharing, but will share anyway for the 2 people who read this blog is that there was a time where I went to counseling for 10 months… YIKES! The thought of it makes my toes curl, but I will say that it is good to go to someone when you know you need help, and I was desperate for help.

During my time, my shrink continually emphasized the need to focus on relaxing. The point was to prevent burnout, ease tension, and have a routine outlet where all you do is have fun. For some this might be found in running or golf, others like fishing or hunting, and for my wife it is found in pedicures and scrapbooking.

To be honest, the quack was right… just kidding, the doc knows his stuff! It is my opinion that everyone needs to have a regular time of relaxation where they can get away from their stress and do something they enjoy doing. My challenge is going to be switching Friday mornings with my wife. She gets one, I get the next… every two weeks sounds about right!

Object Lesson Gone Wrong

When preaching, I love to use object lessons that help describe a point in the message, and help the hearers remember a truth about God’s Word. Today, a buddy of mine sent me a story of an illustration gone terribly wrong, but it is worth reading about. Here is the story about Jeff Harlow and how things do not always go they way we think they will in the pulpit… it is not funny, but he is laughing which means we can too!

“A pastor brought out a dirt bike during a church service to demonstrate the concept of unity. Now he's demonstrating the concept of healing. Jeff Harlow, the senior pastor at Crossroads Community Church, broke his wrist when he lost control of the motorcycle at the start of Sunday's second service, driving off a 5-foot platform and into the vacant first row of seats. He underwent surgery on the wrist Monday.” Jeff has already laughed a lot, so he's OK. I think his pride was bruised," said his wife, Becky. Becky Harlow said her husband had recently attended a motorcycle race in Buchanan, Mich." He had this idea that he would bring this bike out onstage and show people how the rider would become one with the bike," she told the Kokomo Tribune. "He was going to just sit on it and drive it out. He was just walking the dirt bike out onstage and somehow it got away from him. It was not intended.” No one else was hurt. Jeff Harlow had performed the demonstration at earlier services Saturday night and Sunday morning without incident.”

Family & Ministry Balance

I have a balance problem. My dream is to be a real Christ-follower, fabulous husband, wonderful father, exceptional minister, reliable friend, and tremendous athlete (no, I will not give up on the later). Anyway, my problem comes in managing each of those pursuits in a way that does not hinder the quest itself. To be more specific, my real issue is balancing my family life with my work life.

It is nothing for me to leave the house before 7:00AM and not return until after 8-9:00PM. During a normal 9-5 day, I feel guilty if I leave before anyone else, regardless of the hours I have put in days/weeks prior. To me, it is paramount to set the pace. With that being said, how am I setting the example in regards to valuing family? What does it say about me that I could spend 6-7 days or 60+ hours a week in the office? Perhaps my pursuit of wanting to be an exceptional minister has taken priority over being a fabulous husband and wonderful father… and I know that if my wife and kids are neglected, they will resent God and the church because of it!

In all of this, there is a reality that being home is not enough either. Like every other home owner, I have a yard to tend to, a house to help clean, and a prescription for down-time (this is not nearly as lame as it sounds, and it is legit – I will post on this later this week). So the point is that even if I get home at a decent hour, my time cannot be spent doing stuff, it needs to be spent with my family. They need to experience a genuine love for them and a desire to be around them. They need to know that they are missed when not around. They don’t need me gone all day on a regular basis – only the rare exception. They don’t need me coming home on the phone. They don’t need me running in the door, only to run out and do the yard. They don’t need me distracted with stuff when I am with them.

Recently I read an article online discussing this very topic. A guy named Todd Rhoades (MMI) put out a post called, “Practical Ways for Pastors to Love Their Wives and Families.” Within his article he had the following list:

• Come home at the exact time you say you will be home; and prepare your heart to serve your family, not be served.
• Share with your wife and kids some of the good things that are going on in the church, and then thank them for helping to make that possible.
• Give your wife flowers and a hand written card when she least expects it.
• Schedule a weekly time where you watch the kids and your wife gets out doing whatever she wants. When you can, give her a whole day off from the kids.
• Leave the church at church so dad can be dad at home.
• Pray for your family and with your family.

This is a great list. Ministry demands all sorts of hours and there will be times where situations are beyond my control, but for the most part this list is doable. The article where I got this list closed with this, “Above all, guard your family relationship. And take one or two of these ideas this week. They WILL make a difference in your family AND in your ministry!” It is my hope to be better at balancing the quest to be all I can be, I know it is essential to take care of my family or there will be no ministry to worry about!

iBible

Today I learned that there is a free downloadable Bible program for my iphone. It comes with some really great perks too. It has 15 versions of the Bible, a daily reading plan, an online contributions application (where people discuss verses), and search options. I have already downloaded the iBible and think it is great! For a description click on the screen below, to download your own iBible click here iBible App.


YouVersion iPhone Bible App from YouVersion on Vimeo.

Bargain Shopper

Recently, a buddy in my church came in wearing a pair of Teva’s that looked perfect for yard work (I mean that in a good way). He told me he found them online at a website called hot-deals.org, a website that list bargains on various items. He also told me of a website called spoofee.com that does the same thing, and I have found myself addicted to it.

Although I have yet to purchase anything from it, Spoofee has a free goods section that is pretty unbelievable. Although I am not much of an outdoorsman, they have a fear year subscription to it. I have signed up for a free razor, travel soap, and other stuff.

Just so you know, on July 11 you can treat your kids to a fun evening a free meal by dressing them up as a cow and taking them to Chick-fil-A. Also, you can go to Taco Bell and ask for a free Frutista drink and they will give you one. Although some might look at this as ridiculous, they really do have some pretty cool stuff you can get for free or dirt cheap so check it out.

June Mission Trip

On June 27-28 our church went to Abundant Grace Community Church in Dallas. We had 36 people go, which was great. We painted, grilled hamburgers & pizzas (yes, pizzas), had games for the kids, and passed out flyers. This was Chloe's first mission trip, and even though she may not remember it, I always will. It is Christy and my intent to model our faith instead of simply talking about it. We tried to have her tell everyone who came through the line that Jesus loves them... we pray for her to accept the love of Jesus too!

One of our guys had the opportunity to share Christ with a man who had been jumped just days prior. During their conversation, Robert noticed this man tense up. In the midst of their talk, a guy who had broken into his apartment, beat him up, and stole his stuff sat down directly across from them. This is where I would love to tell you how everyone received Christ and the man's possessions were returned, but the reality of it is the bully-man simply ate his free meal and left without acknowledging anyone.

This community is hard, so is the work that Pastor Bob does, but it is good work. Overall, our group felt blessed to be able to serve this community church. Our final trip is August 1-2 where we will help throw a back-to-school bash! We have already collected $600 to purchase 100 backpacks that we will give to the community children, along with some supplies. We are really looking forward to a continued partnership with Bob and Abundant Grace!

Freedom Weekend

Freedom Weekend for us this year was great. My kids got to see all their cousins, aunts & uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents this weekend. My old boss had me fill in for him at Davis Boulevard Baptist where I preached a sermon called, “Free To Be Set Free.” For me this year, it was a time of family, grilling, and relaxation.

It definitely is great to live in the land of liberty. As we were lounging around tonight we saw an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition where they highlighted a Marine who lost his leg in battle, and came home to his four kids who were all abandoned by his wife/their mother. His sacrifice for our country is a reminder of the great sacrifice our freedom requires.

On a weekend of patriotism and celebration, it is important to recognize that FREEDOM ISN’T FREE. There is a heavy price tag on our American freedom. Many men and women are serving our country daily to protect the privileges that are so easy to take for granted. We need to pray for them and lift them up daily. While thinking about freedom, we need to also remember there was an even heftier price tag on our Spiritual freedom found in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. In Christ we are free indeed… may we never take that for granted and always pursue fresh growth in our relationship with Him.

Redeeming Jesus?

Recently a summer intern at our church shared about a ministry he is involved in at college. He said the premise of their work is to, "redeem the name of Jesus." Although I really like what they do (basically anonymous servant ministry), I have a fundamental problem with the idea that we - you, me, anyone - can or needs to redeem the name of Jesus! Is it not misguided to think the name above all names needs redeeming from mere men? Is it not a bit off to think that the Creator of everything is in need of our help? Is something missing with this thought?

Do not get me wrong, their work is awesome and I love the passion this guy has for the work he embarks upon. And to think of a bunch of college kids making an intentional effort to serve others is also great... did I mention this group is made up of college kids!

My issue is that I think the name of Jesus is safe, it is beyond our reach, and not in any sort of jeopardy. What needs redemption is the name of Jesus' followers. In a book called Unchristian, the authors basically state that those outside of the Christian faith see Christianity as something different than what Jesus originally had in mind. They also see us (believers) in regards to what we oppose, instead of what we are for; this is a serious issue for a later post.

So for my friend the intern, I am challenged by his work and praise him for it, BUT... it is not Jesus that needs redemption, it is His followers. May we all work on redeeming the name of Christian. May we work at serving, loving, sharing, giving, and caring. Let us light and candle and not curse the darkness for the glory of the Lord.

I Must Be Spoiled

Although I always thought it would be cool, I never realized how much I would love being a dad. It is awesome to hold Coleman or have Chloe run up and give me hug, wrap her arms around my leg, and want me to walk her around as she sits on my foot. I love how she wants me to play with her, hold her (she says hold you me), and read her a story then pray as I put her down at night.

She is an awesome mess too. She devours her food like a champ, going at her meals hand over fist to make sure nothing is left. She throws her toys all over looking for her baby’s bottle, and always takes her sweet little time cleaning up. She has a kind nature (on our way to VBS Wednesday we stopped at Sonic for breakfast. As the guy brought the food to our car she asked, “what’s that man doing?” I said, “Bringing us our food,” she replied, “that’s so nice!”), even though she is bossy and a little aggressive… she has me spoiled!

Coleman the Sports Fan is coming into his own as well. His personality is starting to develop and he is smiling on purpose. In the past few weeks he is acting happy when I hold him! He seems to love being outside as it is our failsafe when he cannot seem to calm down. People think I’m joking when I say this, but he is already doing push-ups, and rolled over at 4 weeks… total stud athlete!

Being a dad is the best. It is unbelievable that God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, son, and daughter. As the saying goes, I am sure the best is yet to come!

Bright Ideas

Over the years I have heard many different ways to be creative in ministry. Although I do not feel as though I am the most creative person in the world, it is critical to think outside of the box in hopes of maximizing effectiveness. Some people like to use “wild and crazy” methods to spark excitement, but I prefer looking at the DNA of my setting and going from there.

My least favorite method for getting new ideas is the CASE method: Copy And Steal Everything. Not only is it unoriginal, there is nothing to say that what worked at another church in another setting will work where I am. The primary example of this came when Rick Warren and Saddleback blew on the scene. Pastors from all across America went to the Purpose driven seminars and returned with Hawaiian shirts and sermons that Pastor Warren had preached from his pulpit. The problem however was found that Hawaiian shirts were fine in Southern California, but when trying to pull that look off in Iowa, Oklahoma, or Mississippi a pastor just looks confused and stupid.

This week I came across another idea for turning ideas into reality. Scott Hodge listed his process: Create, Criticize, Optimize, Validate, & Execute. To me this is much better than the CASE method and it requires originality, something which must never be overlooked. If one is reduced to poaching other people’s sermons, messages, ideas and thoughts, I would ask, “why on earth are you in ministry… does God not talk to you… where is your God-given vision?” With that being said, never forget your ministry setting and never forget where you feel God is leading your church.

Wholly Holy

Last month our church did a series called Wholly Holy. My hope for this was to create an awareness in the hearts of our church to consecrate ourselves for the great work God is leading us to in the relocation project (we are about to vote on the plans, everything associated with that, and have a capital campaign). In order to give credit where credit is due, I would like to give props to Mike Fechner, my former boss from p-wood. We were talking about the spiritual development aspect of the campaign, and he said that if we missed out on God, we would limit the potential that He had in mind for us.

The focus for us was Joshua 3:5, “Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow I will do amazing things among you.” We have been able to focus on our personal, family, and corporate wholeness, seeking to be holy in every area of our lives. One of the truths God has been teaching me in this process is that I am either fully holy or not holy at all. There are not compartments of my life I can allow God to dominate and others where I can ignore Him. Either He is either Lord of all or not at all.

A prayer of consecration from John G. Lake:

Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you boldly in Jesus' name. Take me as I am. I now give myself - my heart, my mind, my body, my time, talents and treasure to you. Fill me and possess me. I renounce all sins, self and satan. Jesus, sanctify me. Cleanse me, purge me, purify me. Your will be done in my life, on earth as it is in heaven. Let me manifest a faithful spirit, a pure mind and a sickless body to your glory. Amen.

May Mission Trip

This past weekend my church went to help out Abundant Grace Church (AG), located just outside of downtown Dallas in the projects. Pastor Bob had a vision of planting a church where pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, and dirt poor people live… Bob is a friend of mine from Prestonwood that I led my church to partner with this summer. After attending our first of three summer mission trips to AG, I can only stand amazed at what God is doing through this partnership. Here are some written testimonies of some men who went on the mission trip:

“Teacher, what shall I do?” Having gone to Dallas and served this weekend gives me a connection to this question …I’m sure Jeremy and Jason who also went would be of the same opinion. I am a person in a state of expectation…What amazing things God can do if we let him! Getting a chance to walk door to door in a very tough neighborhood that I would never be in otherwise…and having a feeling and sense of peace while doing it…amazing! Witnessing the outpouring of Christ’s love in park while feeding and engaging others…amazing! High fiving God’s children in park, picking up trash; enjoying a long bus ride with family and friends, watching Facing the Giants (which if you haven’t seen is a MUST see!)…awesome! We serve an awesome God – He is able to unbelievable thing if we let Him – Have a great week! – Randy N.

I am excited to go back June the 27th and 28th. A few of those kids were so needy and captured my heart; I can hardly wait to see them again. Thanks you for the opportunity to join you in this work our family was blessed to serve and be Jesus to others. – Trenda D.

This past weekend was unbelievable for my family. Jana and I truly appreciate you guys setting it up where we could take our kids. It was awesome to see our girls interact with those kids down there and to be so excited about going door to door to hand out flyers to people in that community. I wanted to make sure that we were on the team that walked through the neighborhoods and actually met some of the people we would be ministering to. We took Brooke and Britton and they had a blast going door to door hanging the church information and VBS information on the doors. We even had them knocking on doors and talking to people. It was also awesome getting to hang out and actually do God's work with other members of our church. What a neat opportunity for us as parents to see our kids putting to action what God teaches us in His word. If you can, you guys need to make a point to go to at least one of the trips, I think we are going to try and go to the rest of them. – Jeremy R.

The trip was one of the most rewarding things I have participated in for quite a while! I think my favorite moment was when a small girl, maybe six or seven, wanted to play ball with me. We kicked one of the large balls around for about 20 minutes or so and she came up to me and said something like, "Would you like to come and play again soon?" I don't know the girl's situation, but I do know that smile was genuine. It's not often in today's hectic schedule of soccer, work, and youth taxi service that you can focus on letting Jesus shine though your life. Thanks for providing us the opportunity to do that! Jess D.

It sounds like you all had a great time in Dallas last weekend and I am jealous of the blessing I missed out on. Jeremy was telling me about all that happened and it sounded truly amazing! - Chris K.

(This is where Abundant Grace meets; it is an old gym the Dallas Housing Authority basically gave to Bob... it stood abandoned for 7 years)

Whiney Crybaby Spurs

I love the Mavs, they are my favorite NBA team, always have been and always will be. From Ro Blackman & Roy Tarpley to Nowitzki & Kidd (no comment on Kidd), I love my Mavs. We have never won a title, and only have the hope that in about 2-3 years something will happen, because we are not getting there next year... SO, with that being said, I cannot stand the Spurs.



Not because they win and we don't, which is a great reason to hate them (no one hates losers by the way, see the Cubies, "loveable losers"), I cannot stand them because they have made an artform of crying and whining. The Spurs are grown men that look like little girls. They remind me of my daughter at her worst when she fails to get her way, throwing a temper tantrum... ridiculous!



It is my hope the Lake-show knocks them out of the playoffs. I do not care if it is 4-3 or 4-1, just as long as I do not have to watch their whining faces in the finals. Seriously, is anyone else tired of Timmy throwing his hands up, holding tears back, questioning how a ref can call a foul on him regardless of how hard he hits an opposing player with his arms or body... you can throw Manu, Parker, and the rest of the team into that description too as they take on the personality of their cry-baby sissy-boy, tantrum-throwing, dominating-diva-Duncan!

Awakening of Me

Come meet us, King Jesus, oh wind of change blow through this temple. Sweet Spirit of God, come and mend our hearts, for all we have are songs unless you come.

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come!

Come free us, King Jesus, it's the only way that freedom's given. For you and you alone, in the work you have already done, for all we have are songs unless you come.

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come, oh Jesus Come!

Here we are, in this place. Crying out for your embrace. To hear your voice, more than songs. Oh please come, Jesus come!

Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come! Awaken what is inside of me to my heart to all you are in me even though you are here, God come. May the vision of you be the death of me and even though you have given everything, Jesus come! May my heart awake. Jesus come.

Powerful words in a song called "Vision of You" by Shane and Shane that have impacted me along with the reading of a book by Mike Breen called The Passionate Church. Although I should by working on my dissertation, I believe God had plans to work on me today instead...

Somehow I cannot help that this is what seminary training should be all about, a renewed sense of passion and purpose for the work God has called me to. In studying for a paper, God wants to expand my love for him and remind me why I am grinding out my dissertation like a golfer struggling to make it into the clubhouse (golf would be good right about now)!

Book Reviews

I've decided it would be good to keep track of the books I have read and my thoughts on those books, so I will be adding book reviews to my blogging life. Without delay, here are my first few reviews:

The Passionate Church by Mike Breen (Finished 5/20/08)

If you are in ministry, this is a must read. In comparison to Simple Church, this book dominates. Breen's understanding of Jesus translates powerfully from his pen, to the paper, to the heart. He uses Jesus as the compass and shapes as illustrations for discipleship. Reading this book makes me want to do more for Jesus, be more for Jesus, and it also clarifies how to do that more effectively.

Simple Church by Eric Gieger (3/27/08)

This is a very good book for enabling insight into one's process of make disciples. One of the greatest mistakes in the book though is the blinding absence of the family (mom & dad) in the process. I cannot help but think that any church that fails to mention or incorporate the family in the discipleship process fails to make disciples. BUT this book should be viewed as a resource to create a discipleship process, and for that everyone in ministry should read it. My fear is that many church will call them simple when they have simply poached the slogans Gieger uses as examples in the book (i.e. love God, love others, to change the world)... something I have already seen in multiple churches around my current setting. Hear is to originality!

The Present Future (2/07)

Solid approach to ministry in our current times… Loved the concept of moving from every member a minister mentality to every member a missionary! If we could think of our current setting in life as a mission field instead of a place where we live, what a difference that would make! Most that dislike it or question its theology probably have questions as to why hymns and boring sermons don't seem to attract new people into the church. A rock solid read for anyone who desires to make a difference for Christ.

The Holy Wild by Mark Buchanan (11/06)

Buchanan is anointed. The Holy Wild should be read by every believer. It provokes thoughts and sparks the reader's imagination as to what God wants from His followers. Trusting God in all things; knowing He is great, mighty, and able; understanding that God will also challenge those who love Him... Great book.

Sad News

I am sad. I am sad for my former church, former pastor, and a man/family I have never met. Today a minister at a church I previously served at made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Apparently, there was an online predator sting in Bryan, TX where undercover police officers were posing as a 13 year old girl. Joe Barron was arrested for online solicitation of a minor.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/051708dnmetministerarrest.107c9d887.html

Our first response is to throw stones and annihilate this fraud, phony, hypocrite, and so on for what he did, but I would like to bring up to things before stones are picked up. First, at the heart of the issue, he sinned. Not against Prestonwood, not against Southern Baptist, not against you or me, he sinned against an Almighty God who loves him with an unconditional love. Second, he is now in the same place where Abraham, David, Solomon, Peter, & many other mighty men of God were at one point in their lives.

We also need to remember that every man struggles with the issue of sexual integrity on some level, which is why there is a book called Every Man’s Battle. The problem is that the once entitlement creeps into the picture, some men have the ability to do the unimaginable. It never starts off that way though, it is a slow process. Once we try something and get away with it, we slowly become numb to the guilt associated with sin and we then learn how to diminish the seriousness of sin. Next thing we know, the unimaginable becomes thinkable, then the thinkable becomes doable, and we are so dominated by sin that we cannot see the light… this is a process.

With that being said, this is a sad state of affairs. If anyone can hear this story and not immediately feel grief for his wife, family, and church family, they may not be Christian. If anyone glories in this, they are obviously on the other team than me, because this does nothing to help the cause of Christ. The church suffers because of this, but the church has a history of overcoming great falls in the past. It is my hope that if you have not done so already, you will stop reading for a brief moment and pray for Joe (he should be fired and will probably spend many years in prison), his family, and the Prestonwood family. Pray that God would comfort them and give them wisdom.

Many people will look at this situation and wonder what we should do. What should Prestonwood do? What should his wife do? What should I do? Here are my thoughts:

1. Show the love of God to Joe: Call him and tell him you still love him; let him know you are there for him, when he apologizes for his actions tell him you forgive him as God forgives him; Continue to reach out to him as he will feel alone for years to come.

2. Show the love of God to his wife and remember she did nothing wrong: Joe obviously does not “deserve” to get paid, but the church has an obligation to take care of his family, because they felt led by God to call him there; Be gracious enough to give them time to get some other form of income, so pay him for the next 3 months; reassure her that if God can overcome the grave, than he can overcome, heal, and restore anything, including this huge struggle in her marriage.

3. Get them help ASAP: New Life Ministries would be my first option (http://www.everymansbattle.com/). New Life puts on a conference called the “Every Man’s Battle Workshop,” which would be perfect for him. He should also find a counselor to help him work through this huge issue I am sure he has been dealing with for years; His wife and family will also need counseling. She/they may be unwilling to get help, but offer it and then offer it again and again… she needs this!

4. Remember that it is more important to sit next to, cry with, or call and let them know you are there, than to rush in with all the answers: This is what the counselors are for, but if they ask for help or advice, freely offer it. The best thing they can get right now is a group of people who will simply be there, not to ask questions or offer advice, just to be there; Also, be intentional to let them know you are there. Do not think that doing nothing is helpful, it is not, and offering a kind word when you run into them a few months from now will seem shallow; Call, write, or email him in a way that shows God’s grace!

Green for Green

So I am not one who buys into the global warming thing, but we would be foolish not to go green in our new building (my church is about to relocate), simply because we would save so much money… just like if we could buy a hybrid for the same price of a non-hybrid for gas prices.

A church much smaller than mine has saved $200,000 in less than two years. Prestonwood Baptist, obviously much bigger than us has saved 1.5 million in 18 months, by making a few minor changes. Proving it is not only kind to the earth to think green, it saves green. For my church, I will be formulating a plan to save green by going green over the next few weeks. We need this to be instrumental in our new building too (automatic lights, heating and cooling systems, insulation, etc.).

Not only is this wise financially, it will teach our people a great deal about stewardship. Our community will also take notice as they did with the new Wal-Mart in Glenpool, known as the “greenest” Wal-Mart in the world. Here is a story on the topic:

http://www.prestonwood.org/updates/stories/today_show/index.php

We can start by turning off our computers and office equipment each evening, remove the light bulbs, from vending machines (I will have Diane call them), and adjusting our thermostats a few degrees in the summer and winter. It is good to save money…

Netty Pot

A while back Oprah (shut up) had a Dr. on who talked about something called a "Netty Pot" (shut up, this is what I get for flipping through the stations). At the time I remember thinking that it was a horrible, torturous thing to do to oneself, then people around me began singing its praises. After listening to my friends rant and rave, I travelled to Walgreen's and purchased one... and it is AWESOME! Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would work or be enjoyable, but if you have allergy or congestion issues, you have got to get one. Here is a picture and a youtube sample video... seriously, it really does work and really is awesome.



This is one of my favorite videos ever!

Laminin, The Cross, and Being Held Together

Today a friend of mine in Houston sent a youtube video to me. I wanted to give you the link as well as a few pictures to go along with the video. Basically, there is a protein that holds our bodies together call laminin. Where this becomes interesting is that laminin looks eerily similar to another image that holds us together spiritually.



For one who is ignorant about most things science, it is great to see science point things towards Christ. Laminin is the major non-collagenous component of the basal lamina, such as those on which cells of an epithelium sit. Basically, laminin is a protein found in the "extracellular matrix", the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the "basement membrane". It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane. The laminin protein is made up of three separate parts, called the A, B1, and B2 chains. That gives it a total of six "ends", which accounts for a lot of its flexibility in connecting up various kinds of molecules. Because of this, scientists who create biomaterials are extremely interested in the whole family of laminins. They are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. Laminins are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices. Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together.



Some might call this a coincidence, but God is wise enough to know exactly what he is doing with something as small as a protein molecule. For me, it is no coincidence that the very thing holding our bodies together is in the very image that holds our lives together as well.