My own Psalms

This week I was asked to write some personal Psalms for a particular class I am taking. The assignment seemed simple enough: Compose two original psalms, one a Psalm of Praise and one a Psalm of Lament. Make these personal and genuine.

Well, at least it sounded simple on the surface. I as started writing, though, I found this to be a deeply moving exercise. I may sound a bit "cheesy," but I certainly think you might benefit by doing this yourself. Give yourself a chance to put the emotions of your heart on paper, pour yourself out to God through your pen.

At the risk of displaying the stench of my heart, I felt it oddly necessary to share one of my own Psalms, a Psalm of Lament:

Psalm of Lament

Why, O God, does my heart flutter and fail;
Why does my soul cry out in anguish?

I have sinned against You, my Lord;
With my deeds I have failed You again.

My sins, guilt, and shame torment my spirit;
I feel as though You are far away from sight.

My sins are like weights that crush my soul;
I am rubbish and dead by what I have done.

Why do I run in my own direction, apart from Your paths?
My ways are false, fruitless, and full of futility.

Your methods are pure and upright, leading to life abundant;
My schemes are selfish, evil, grotesque, and hypocritical.

Temptation beckons to my spirit, and pleads for my soul;
Sin calls out to me, luring my heart from Your ways.

How, O Father, have I come so far?
I am miles from the comfort of Your love.

I am ruined, yes destroyed, by my sin.
There is no life apart from righteousness.

Bring me back, merciful Forgiver, O gracious One;
Accept my wayward soul in spite of my wandering Heart.

Mercy and forgiveness are the things I seek;
Can there still be hope for one like me?

I plead and pray to You, to You alone;
You, yes only You, are my one true hope.

Be my Deliverer, my Rescuer, my Savior;
Be my Redeemer, Be my God.

Amen.

A REAL Bucket List

This week I stumbled upon an interesting website called bucketlist.org. The concept is pretty cool and simple enough - you create a list of things you hope to accomplish or experience before you kick the proverbial bucket. It reminds me of a song performed by Tim McGraw, I think it's called Live Like You Were Dying (yes, I am a Tim McGraw fan). If you ask me, life should be lived, really enjoyed and treasured. I wish I always acted as though this idea was rooted deep in my being. But I don't. I have lots of days that seem to just kind of begin and end without much in between. Man, this is missing it. Just plain missing it.

Best-selling author Erma Brombeck said, "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, I used everything you gave me." Perhaps this should really be the heart of a legitimate bucket list. Without meaning to scrutinize others' dreams, I can't help but question whether or not we have adopted a shallow concept of what a real bucket list should look like. Admittedly, my initial thoughts for a personal list includes (in random order):

• Earn my pilot's license
• Sail from Panama City to the Caribbean Islands
  
• Watch a Red Sox/Yankees game from the top of the Green Monster
• Bag an Alaskan Moose to have mounted and placed above my fireplace
  
• Travel with Claire to New Guinea

You get the idea. My selfish bucket list would have a ton of things that were exciting, exotic, and expensive (the American dream, right?!) But, what if this list took a backseat to another one, a more selfless list. This whole concept is inspired for me by a young lady you may have probably heard of by now: Rachel Beckwith. Not even 9 years old before her transition from this life to the next and she got it, I mean really got it. Her idea of a birthday present was raising money and giving it away to people in need. What an incredible heart, what an incredible attitude. Suppose Christians adopted this same mindset and began acting as if this were most important to us. What a world of difference I believe our culture would see in us, our faith, our God. I dare myself to live like Rachel Beckwith. I challenge myself to re-evaluate what my personal bucket list should look like. Maybe more like:

• Travel to meet my Compassion Int'l child in Africa to hug him and tell him face-to-face that I really do love him
• Preach God's love and grace to students every month
• Build a home for a family as an expression of God's desire to bless people
• Adopt a child who feels unloved to show them how precious they truly are
• Smile regularly - even when I feel discouraged
• Invite more people to have dinner with my family
• Pray with Claire to God the Father daily
• Hug my mom and dad every chance I get
  

I think this list is shaping up a lot better...

Now, if you care to share I would love to hear from you - what's on your real bucket list?

So here's a very cool idea: dressing for a cause. It has become real easy for people to make a positive statement with the threads they choose to put on their backs. Take, for example, one family's nicely designed T-Shirts, which you can find here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheWaymanFamilyNest

The Wayman Family is in the process of adopting a child from Africa (Ethiopia I believe). If you would like to join them in their cause to share love with the children of the world, and look stylish at the same time, then you can purchase one of these shirts off their website. The proceeds will be used to help the Wayman's with the costs of bringing home their bundle of joy. As I think about the incredible example of love demonstrated by those who pursue children in adoption I am reminded of God's love for us. He is the ultimate example love and calls us His very own sons and daughters: 2 Corinthians 6:18 - I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

Solid Rock Bible Camp

Tomorrow, just after lunch, I will take off from Dallas, TX headed for Solid Rock Bible Camp just outside Great Bend, Kansas! This is a great opportunity for me to share the Truth of Christ with some eager middle school students in an environment perfect for spiritual growth. Getting outdoors and surrounding myself with God's creation does wonders for my soul (as I think it does for most people). This camp offers plenty of time for students and staff to get outdoors and play lots of group games, hit the swimming pool, and even go horseback riding. I will be speaking throughout the week and praying for God's Word to work on all of our hearts. As is normally case, I am filled with anxiousness and excitement as I get all my ducks in a row for the students. For some reason preaching always tends to work me in a frenzy! I am reminded, though, that God will be faithful to do His thing and that I need not sweat the small stuff. This week should be a blast, but I also pray that it will be fruitful. My mission and prayer is to lead the students to a more faithful life, one in which they realize the priceless value of the Cross and engage their hearts fully in God. I hope you will take a moment to join with me in this prayer for these students. May their hearts become fully alive and pleasing to Him!

New Year/New Push

This morning we had a really thought-provoking sermon in church from preacher Bill White. Of the many issues he discussed the one that really generated the most thought for me was the concept of self-accountability. Many Christian men and women are phenomenal "encouragers". In the New Testament one of Paul's close companions was a man known as Barnabas, which roughly translates as The Encourager. I am very grateful for those God has put in my life to give the extra push that keeps me going in the right direction. I hope that I never take for granted the Barnabas-type people in my life. Many of these are the ones who also are willing to ask me the uncomfortable or tough questions that help me stay grounded and humble in my walk. I need those questions and that brutal accountability. But what if these people, and their accountability, disappear? What happens to me and my spiritual health then? I have never really thought about this (and hope that it never actually happens). Realistically, though, it is possible to live without partner accountability. As Christians we are never without accountability. We must discipline ourselves to be accountable to ourselves and to God. A lack of partner accountability provides no excuse for lackadaisical living. God demands and deserves a devoted life. There has to be a point when a man determines in his heart to be accountable to himself and to his King. Ultimately we will all be required to answer for our own actions, and no excuse will be acceptable. We need to have a "holiness or bust" attitude that pushes us to chase after God's heart in spite of difficult, "accountable-less" circumstances. I am praying that with the onset of the New Year I would be driven to leave excuses in the garbage where they belong and pursue righteous living for myself and my King. Will it be great to have partner accountability? Absolutely. And I'll take every ounce of it I can get. But the bottom line is my new push will be to make myself accountable to myself.

1 Gift - 2 People

This is awesome. I love when people put their creative thinking to work and use it to solve dilemmas in our world. There are so many ways we can make positive impacts in our cultures, societies, and around the planet that it really is a shame we don't do it more often. Well, here is a solid way to make an impact while turning on the light in another person's brain. Check out the website http://majiwater.com/ and do some reading. Read what the organization's purpose is and ask yourself, "How much would I really appreciate a clean, fresh gallon of water? Especially if there was no clean water available?" Now, get busy helping other people and provide for a major need in their life. Water. It's just water. But for millions of folks water is not just water. It's precious. Do yourself a favor this month: Buy some water from the Maji Water website and pour into another person's life. Give some bottles of Maji Water to friends and family for Christmas and get them on board, too. Heck, make it your Christmas tradition. While you're out making a difference buying water for others remember what Christ has done for you, "Whoever drinks the of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." Buy water from Maji Water.

Dude! It's a Double-Rainbooooowwwww! What does it mean?

This video had me cracking up! I couldn't stop laughing and the guys that watched with me were seriously crying because it is so funny! The guy who video's this is something different to say the least, but in a way I can't blame him for his reaction to what he sees. Think about this: Romans 1:20 explains that we will be able to experience a little bit of the goodness of God through His creation. While this guy certainly seems to be enthralled by the beauty of the rainbow I don't think it is out of the question for humans to sometimes become overwhelmed with the beauty of God's creation. Plus this is just a hilarious video. Have fun.

Encouragement

Today calls for a little encouragement. This silly, uplifting video should do the trick. The little girl in the video is a good reminder of the attitude we all need to have. Even when times are tough, like not being able to look in the mirror unless your stand on the counter, you can rest assured that are some really good things going on in life. I hope that I can rid myself of negativity on a regular basis and count my many, many blessings. God is a wonderful Father and every good and perfect gift comes from Him. Are there things that you are thankful for? Are there areas in life you've felt defeated lately? Well kick that defeated attitude to the curb and begin this self-affirmation activity ASAP! We all need do this!

Incredible Video: McDonald's/Coca Cola Classic

Here's an incredible video. The video is found on Lanny Donoho's website: (http://www.lannydonoho.com/). I can't imagine how much time and energy went into making this thing! I wish I had the equipment and know-how to pull off something like this! Watch it and be amazed. It will make you appreciate cool videos all the more.

By the way, for all of you nay-sayers who think this type of stuff is for the birds, you should be aware of the fact that McDonald's and Coca Cola Classic just hired this team. The fast food/soda company duo asked the team to produce a commercial featuring their stellar use of T-Shirts and same actors. I'd say that's quite the pay day. See Video Here:

Lanny Donoho and www.thinkbigstuf.com

Now that my summer is free from the stresses of seminary classes I am attempting to be more diligent in the area of blogging. I had planned to make a witty blog based on the World Cup, particularly the now famed use of the "vuvuzela". However, that post is being postponed due to some much richer information being provided by my good friend, Adam. He introduced me to a website: www.thinkbigstuf.com. This website is sweet. The brains behind the movement is Lanny Donoho (pictured above). I think that the light bulb located between his first and last name is more than appropriate. He has such an innovative mind for practical, impactful ministry. Take the following video for example:



It's clear to see his heart for those less fortunate. But what's more is that he doesn't stop with just a strong sense of compassion, he follows up with a strong sense of activism. Let's face it, people's lives will not be changed if we only feel compassion towards. We must put those feelings into movement and be intentional about seeking the proper measures to engage their problems head on. Thanks Lanny for constantly pushing the limits and providing a worthwhile example.

Great Information from Fellow Pastor

http://jedipastorken.blogspot.com/2010/05/when-days-end-in-why-meeting-man-named.html

The Central Theme

Christ died on the Cross, in our place, as requested by the Father, setting us free from the eternal curse that we brought upon ourselves, as an expression of His love, then overcame death by raising Himself from the grave, conquering Satan and sin, proving His deity and holiness so that we might believe. This must remain central in our hearts and cannot be forsaken or replaced with any other notion. Minimizing this truth is to mock the central theme of the gospel.

Back from Mission

I have been back from Mission, TX for a few days now and decided to make the time for a little update on our ventures. We were very blessed as a church to partake in the gospel in such a powerful way. Our church led numerous projects which provided platforms for us to share the gospel. These projects included women's spa days, pouring concrete, painting houses and churches, soccer clinics, vacation Bible schools, literacy drives, and block parties. I was privileged to join the construction crew and we were assigned the task of building bathhouses for two families. The families needing the bathrooms were otherwise bathing outside under a water house. One family had 3 kids and the other had 4. Needless to say they were in quite a desperate situation. The trip gave me the opportunity to reflect on the many blessings I have been given. One of the big questions I had ask myself was whether or not I would devote myself to God given the same circumstance. Do I serve Him because He has blessed me or do I serve because of who He is? I must be careful not to serve out of the abundance of blessing, for there in lies the trap and lie of prosperity gospel. What if the blessings stop coming from God? Does my loyalty to Him then cease as well? No. It must not. Then I only love God for His gifts and not His love. We all need to make sure that we are serving for the right reasons. How bitter would you be if you couldn't even afford a bathroom for your wife and 4 kids?

Mission 2 Mission

I will be leaving with about 50 other people from our church bright and early in the morning headed for a town in south Texas called Mission. Ironically enough, we are calling this a mission trip. Mission to Mission. Yep, ironic. Last year's trip proved to be fruitful and eye-opening as I trust this year's experience will be much the same. It is a great privilege to be able to serve in this capacity and I am filled with mixed emotions. God will do great things through this little trip and I am thankful that He has made this possible. Be in prayer for the recipients of the gospel for they are a huge part of our motivation. Also, pray for our hearts to be aligned with God's Spirit in order that we would represent Him well.

Project Rescue

I have not made time for a post in a while, but this bit of information was too good to overlook. There are lots and lots of ways for us to spend our money, whether we invest in our 401k, go to a movie, or donate to charity. I recently came across what seems to be a very worthwhile charity, but don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself: http://www.projectrescue.com/. The organization strives to help the victims of sex trade. Their website is certainly worth a look. And while you're at it why not see what you can to do help? You just might help change a life.

Lady GaGa, Sexuality, Christ...

It's no secret that Lady GaGa has made it to the spotlight of our culture. Unfortunately, she's also made it to the spotlight in the eyes of kids and teens, too. Her tunes are edgy and her beats are catchy. She's actually not a bad performance artist. Like so many other "icons", though, she lacks in many areas. Because of her willingness to push so many limits in so many areas she has attracted the attention of so many people. Maybe its her willingness to wear scimpy outfits that attracts young men to her, or maybe it's her provocative song lyrics. Either way, she's won the idolization of testosterone pumping males thus beginning the domino effect. Girls treasure so much the way they are viewed by guys. When a guy adores a scandulous, provocative, bi-sexual pop star young women take notice. Could Lady GaGa's living example be considered trendy? Let's hope not. The last thing needed in this world is another person living completely contrary to God's word while simultaneously being exalted. Her 4 number-1 hits this year are a sad demonstration of the worship she's been granted - the same worship that should belong to Christ. I feel that sexuality and spirituality (particularly Christianity) are very closely linked. Consider sections of scripture like these: 1 Cor 6:18 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body" and Eph 5:3 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality". The Bible indeed has much to say concerning sexuality, much more than can be discussed in this discussion. It's sad and sometimes even sick to hear about the life styles lived by people like this. The message they preach is a message filled with unholy principles that needs to be countered. It can be. Our job as Christians isn't condemning anyone whose life or words fail to honor God (mine doesn't always). Instead our job is to educate ourselves, with God's Word, and make ourselves aware of the Truth. We then need to exhaust ourselves with trying to live in that Truth. Of course we don't earn extra credit by living "right", we've already aced the exam through God's Grace. We strive to live Holy in order to honor God and exemplify His ways to everyone, especially those outside the faith. Christ gave Himself on the Cross for everyone, not just us "Christians". If we live loud enough and bold enough His message can overcome.

Be Holy, Because I Am Holy

1 Peter 1:16 is such a small statement, but if I really accepted this statement for what it is, a command, then my life would look contrastingly different. Tonight in our guys campfire group we talked about how disturbingly easy it is to fool ourselves by living halfway in the light. We only expose the part of our lives that we are comfortable letting other people see. This message really hit me between the eyes! Last week the question of the night went something like, "If you knew that every minute of your life would be put on TV for the world to see what would you do different?" Again, the question found its mark directly in the center of my heart! I want badly to be holy, but I feel so very far from it! The awareness of shortcomings in life can sometimes leave me feeling discouraged, but I'm reminded that only through the power of Christ given to me through the Holy Spirit am able to live a life worthy of the calling of Christ. Consider this prayer from Augustine:

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

Augustine realized, like we all must, that we are powerless on our own. We must acknowledge Him and His power! Too often I live oblivious to Him and do things on my own. This only leads to failure after failure. We must strive to mesh our lives with Him. John 15:5 reminds us: "Apart from Me you can do nothing."

Father, thank You for reminding me that I am nothing without you. Thank you for inspiring me through Your Word, my fellow brothers, and those who have preceeded me like Your servant Augustine. Empower me to live a life that reflects my adoption into Your family. Help me to live well. Strip away pride from my life that I would focus on Your plans, Your ways, and Your Love. Breathe in me, act in me, draw my heart, strengthen me, and guard me. Thank You for your neverending compassion and mercy. I love the way You show Your love to me. I love the way You love me. I love You.

Creation VS Evolution: Awesome Video Online!

The debate ensues: Creation, Evolution, Both? People arguing from opposite sides of the fence are educated and well prepared for debate so who do we believe? Do we accept the stance of Christianity blindly without "scientific" evidence or do we reason with logic that the scientific community, with all of its conclusions and evidence, must be right? It's a confusing topic that is long from being settled. In the meantime I suggest that you check out this incredible (and FREE!) video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5488284265590289530#

It's well worth the time you'll spend watching it as it provides a well-rounded view of the issues at hand from the world's leading experts on the topic.

Grace, The Gospel, and Luther

The Luther Rose. This symbol is commonly found in Lutheran churches. As I've been studying the life of Martin Luther and his contribution to the Church I was introduced to the symbolism behind this image. The Yellow Circle surrounding the blue represents the eternal life of all believers. The blue space was Luther's color for eternity spent in Heaven with The Christ. (Sidenote: Heaven is not so much a place but a reality that we will never be physically absent from the Christ). A Christian, because of their redemption, should live with eternal joy, thus the White Rose. The red Heart shows the new life that a person possesses through Christ. And last, but certainly not least, the black Cross. The Cross in the center, thus showing that is central to the faith. Apart from the Cross, everything else represented would not be possible. The new life, the joy, and eternity in Heaven are all dependent on the Cross. Why is it black? To represent the sin that Christ took upon himself to bring the world to the Father. Christ accepted the curse of the Cross as an eternal act of love for us. He did this so that we would become new, joyous creatures elated to live with Him forever. The centrality of the Gospel is Christ and His supreme act of grace demonstrated on the Cross. It is this same grace that restores all of us. I pray that I will daily live in the grace afforded me through the Cross.

Toilets and Blessings

I just saw this picture on my twitter page from charitywater.org. This organization has a simple mission: give safe drinking water to people who need it. The caption that goes along with this picture says, "this toilet was used by slumdwellers in Monrovia, Liberia." It reminds me that I am blessed. I have never had to use a shack positioned on the edge of a pond to relieve myself. My gut says that if you're reading this from the convenience of your home, office, or school using your computer and high speed internet connection that you rarely, if ever, experience conditions like these. We are blessed. Spend time giving God credit for how incredible your life is.