The next entry in life…

Well it has been a few weeks since I have written anything. I will be honest, the excitement to share anything has kind of gone away. Now I am not one to back down from stuff but lately I have taken this “attitude”. I don’t have words to describe it. The lack of articulation is in full force. I can’t really lead you in the way I feel but I get this “blah” feeling when I think about blogging. I haven’t done this blog for very long but maybe it wasn’t for me. If this is how I feel after being questioned about a very simplistic post, why write anything? But then I always look for the positive in everything. Good or bad, true or false there is something to learn in every event in life. There is a quote I like that says, “even in false criticism there is a nugget of truth”. I can either be “blah” or I can search for positive.

Well I have found positive in the situation. Lots of changes or transitions are coming because of it. The “blah” feeling has changed to feelings of great joy. Kate asked me the other day how my heart was (she has been concerned for me these last several weeks). I told her that I was so full of joy that if it was measured in dollar bills, I would be that person rolling around on the bed in joy throwing it up in the air. You see, I have been praying that the Holy Spirit would give me guidance in a certain area of my life. Many years back I used to give God A, B and C in my prayers and tell Him to pick one. I learned He always picks D which blows away my desires. This time I actually had the nerve to give God an ultimatum on a particular situation. (Please keep your theological challenges to yourself, this is my blog). I didn’t really give it much thought at first. Obviously to give God an ultimatum, please who am i, surly i know better. Being a child of God, I was (and still am) acting like a child with that kind of request. But being the Loving Father that He is, He met me in my child likeness. In only the way God can do, He did both of my ultimatum prayer request. I guess it goes back to the D part of the prayer. He will always do greater thing than I/we can pray for.

In due time I will be able to explain more of the transitions that God has me going through but for now I am excited for each day and what He is doing in mine and Kate’s life. My faith in Him is growing stronger by the minute knowing that following Him in all circumstances is the “safest” place to be.

I better go, I am needed in an urban warfare nerf gun war with the kids.

Clarification to last post

It has been brought to my attention that there were a couple of people that misunderstood what I was trying to say in my previous blog.   So, I am going to do my best to explain my meaning behind “Piper is not our Pope” and “Christ and Christ alone”.
Let’s start with the title - Piper is not our Pope,  Ephesians 5:23 says, “…Christ is the head of the church…” truly, that is all I was trying to say.
Next, is the story of a woman questioning me about the selection of books offered in the church’s resources area.   She simply asked a question based on her observation.  The facts are that we offer many books written by men. The Bible is not readily visible among the other books in which she saw. It was in the back of all the other resources’.   In the Austin Stone Community Church’s Affirmation of Faith we clearly state our value and belief in God’s Word   - “We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.  The Bible, including all the books of the Old Testament and New Testament, is Holy Scripture and the inspired true word of God. It is fully authoritative and our only absolutely trustworthy guide for life and faith. Furthermore, we affirm the general counsel of the Chicago Statement of Biblical Inerrancy (1978). II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31.”
Now let’s look at what my thoughts were to the conversation.   I stated that sometimes our actions speak louder than words.  Proverbs 20:11 says “It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right.” and in Titus 2:7 “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified.”  In some regard, our lack of diversity in the books offered, in particular Scripture, the more we inadvertently take away the utter completeness of God’s Word.
Next, I stated that being reformed is not “essential” to being a follower of Christ Jesus.   I also stated that reformed theology is not an additional way to salvation.   What I meant is that “theology” (man’s attempt to explain God either through verbal or non-verbal ways) is not salvation or the means to the end of being a follower of Christ Jesus.  Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” and in Romans 1:6 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”   2 Timothy 3:15 exhorts “that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
I ended the blog by stating Christ and Christ alone.
I want to say something very clear here, I consider myself one who is bent towards reformed theology.   I am not putting down or disagreeing with the reformed theology interpretation.   I am also, not putting down John Piper.   One of my top three books of all time is Piper’s book “Don’t Waste Your Life.”  In fact, I read it when it first came out and was impacted so much by it that I ordered a case of them to give to my friends.   I even sent my copy back to have Piper himself autograph it, he did.  I also have a majority of John Piper books in my library, one of them being next to the Doctrinal Standards in the United Methodist Church 1968. As my mom says “Wesley and Calvin might be neighbors in heaven.”
I am sorry for any confusion that was created by my previous blog.   I hope that this explanation is found helpful.

Piper is not our Pope

Originally posted 12-27-08
Being a mobile church that meets in the gym of Austin High School we are very limited to the amount of space needed to set up our resource (bookstore) area. They have done a great job of making series packages from past sermons series that have been preached. Then there is the worship CD’s by our two worship leaders. The books that are offered are where the story comes in. The other day I was standing there. I was looking around at what we have to offer as resources. There was a common theme of John Piper books. A woman then asked me, somewhat jokingly, if Piper was our pope. The question caught me off guard. The confused look on my face must have beckoned for a follow up response by her for the reason for such question. She asked why we would have a resource area that only has books written by “man”. She looked around and asked where the Holy Word of God, the Bible is. I had just happened to see the Bibles that we give away if you “need” a Bible over behind all the other stuff. Still speechless, I pointed towards them towards them. She smiled and said that is my point.
I didn’t take her as being negative at all. She had a point. Sometimes our actions speak louder than words. Not having a more diverse resource area that includes Bibles and other authors that aren’t of one line of theology does say something. Yes, we have books by a few other authors but being reformed is not “essential” to being a follower of Christ Jesus.
So to answer the question, John Piper is not our Pope. Neither is reformed theology the additional way to salvation. Christ and Christ alone.

Kate’s new shotgun

I love to do ministry with Kate as much as possible. So last year Kate asked me if I would teach a Song of Solomon Bible study with her. I agreed but with one catch, she would take skeet shooting classes with me when we completed the Bible study. I think shooting a gun is the next to last thing on her list to do. The last would be sky diving. So this should be fun.

I would like to thank Steve and Anne Smith, Colin and Christine McLean, Mark and Katie Telschow, Val Vance, Molly and Meagan Corrigan for being apart of the group and for helping me get Kate to shotgun classes. We are starting a new group for the Song of Solomon in January so I need to come up with something new for Kate to do. I will post pics of her at shotgun class as soon as we go.

My beautiful wife Kate

I don’t know if Kate realized what she was in for when she said yes to marry me. And I know she didn’t understand what it would be like to have a boy with part of my genes. My mom tried to warn her of me but I guess love was truly blinding.
Kate is the youngest of 5 kids. Fourteen years ahead of her is the oldest which happens to be the only brother in the family. She really didn’t get the full effect of what is like to live with a boy until we got married. She was an innocent ballerina.  I on the other hand was a hellion as a teenager. I use to bungee jump off the roof with a water hose tied to me and a tree. Oh and there is the whole boy and fire thing. Tampons, sling shot and a lighter were ingredients for a great day of fun. Dodge BB was a great afternoon game.  That was just a sample of the trouble that used to find me. Honest, I tried to be good, but it just kept finding me.
When Kate and I first met, it took Kate a while to like me. We worked together for a few years at the YMCA as after school coordinators and then in the summers as lifeguards. I found out later by her mom that she really didn’t like me. I think it was that I made a commit that she didn’t like and I saw that it irritated her so I kept on with it. The old phrase “kicking a dead horse” fits well here. Kate would say I still kind of have that problem. (She said take the words “kind of” out). When we first got married I thought it would be great fun to play jokes on each other. Not really on each other just me playing them on her. One of the first was when she would be in the shower; I would get a pitcher of ice cold water and pour it over the shower curtain. The other fun one was “pants”. I can’t count the number of times I “pants” her in public. (That is when you grab your soon not to be friends pants just above the knees and pull down leaving them standing there in their underwear.) I would like to say I have gotten a little better but I think it was last week that I “pants” her again. The problem that has happened lately is that “little eyes” are watching.  Enter, Benjamin Baker. He is a chip off the old block.
A few weeks ago Kate and Ben where racing each other on Mario cart. Ben is very good at those games and a sore loser I might add. Well this time Kate was about to beat him. Apparently if you win all four levels of Mario cart you get a parade.  Kate was almost there. She was taunting Ben and I felt bad for him so then it hit me, I had to step in but what could I do. I was standing there eating a piece of bread. That is when it all came together. Kate was sitting Indian style on the floor. The back of her pants were opened a little bit. Enter Ella, the most obnoxious weimaraner dog ever. I took a piece of my bread and showed Ella. I then dropped the piece of bread down the open part of Kate’s pants. Ella’s cold nose and wet tongue went flying across the room and down Kate’s pants. Up flew Kate screaming at Ella and in the process Ben won the game. I succeeded at both, getting Ben to win and causing the blame to be directed elsewhere.  It didn’t last long; I think it was the rolling laughter on the floor that caused her to direct her dissatisfaction at me.  The problem that has come from that is every chance Ben comes across he finds something to put down Kate’s pants. Pennies, ice, legos just to name a few. Maybe it is time I start to grow up.  Naaaahhh!

My apperance on Praise the Lord Show

Ok, a lot of you have been asking about the picture of me at the Trinity Broadcasting Network. So here it is.
I have this unwritten list of things I would like to do. You know like ski dive, climb Mt Everest, own a master craft ski boat. Those are just a few. Well last summer I got to scratch off 3 of them in one week. The first one was being Vanilla Ice. Let me explain before you click on the back button on your browser. Kate and I went away to a private island 23 miles east of Key West and 80 miles north of Cuba called Little Palm (side note- AMAZING PLACE) During the trip we stopped off in South Beach Miami to see some old family history. So back to being Vanilla Ice. In his hit song from the 80’s, Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla sings about riding in his 5.0 with the top down, hair blowing while he is on the A1A beachfront ave. So I set this elaborate plan in motion to rent a convertible, not a 5.0 but even better, a Chrysler Sebring. On the way to our hotel, that was on the A1A beachfront, I put the top down and played Ice Ice Baby real loud and sang at the top of my lungs much to Kate’s embarrassment. I was able to check that off my list. Next was to play Crocket and Tubbs for another 80’s classic, Miami Vice. Again Kate was not playing along but I drove real fast down the street they filmed the opening credits on and played the theme song. I asked her to be Tubbs and I would be Crocket. She was still not amused. Either way I lived my dream of being Miami Vice and Vanilla Ice in a two day span. The third dream came true while staying on the island. We had a motorized Boston Whaler to use but I saw the kayak. It was my time to be Magnum P.I.  I always wanted to get up before breakfast and kayak in the blue ocean and then come running up on the beach like Magnum did. The only thing I didn’t have was the O.P. shorts. Well this didn’t go as I planned. I have a problem of running or riding my bike far away and not thinking about the return trip back. The kayak was no different. After paddling for what seemed like half way to Cuba I got tired and turned around. Something about ocean currents and excitement made me go a long way so what was supposed to be a 20 minute exercise turned into 3 hours of H. E. double hockey sticks. Once I finally got back to land I was in no mood to run up on the beach instead I laid in the fetal position on the bathroom floor trying to cool off for the next few hours.
That brings me to being on the Praise the Lord program. I flip channels like any other man and many times come across TBN. I can imitate the blue hair ladies all day long meanwhile Kate is demanding that I change the channel. A few months ago during one of their Telethons I told Kate I was going to be on that show. She just laughed. (side note- after 14 yrs of marriage shouldn’t she know not to laugh but be very scared at most of my ideas?) A few weeks ago we found ourselves in Orlando Florida, the world head courters to the Trinity Broadcasting Network. As I was sitting in the hotel room in Disney World I began to use my trusty iphone to design another elaborate plan to fulfill my dream. I found out that they have a “Biblical Theme Park” on their grounds and that is how I was going to manipulated Kate and the kids into joining me. I found out that they were having a special guest speaker at 3:30pm and that was going to be my way in. We showed up early that morning to spend the day doing whatever it is you do at a Bible theme park. The fencing, the armed guards and the fact that only 10 other people were there should have been a warning to me but I was close to my dream being lived out. After paying a large chunk of change we were in. I used cash for all my purchases’ as to not ever be traced to there, but I guess I am blowing my cover by blogging about it. Anyways, it is a small place with lots to do. Everything is spray painted gold, just like you see on tv. The cheese factor was extremely high. We watched several plays, went to a replica of the wilderness Tabernacle, which was pretty cool. Their museum of Biblical manuscripts was pretty cool too. At lunch we ate at the cafeteria and “Paul” from the Bible ate with us along with the lion of Judah. That was a hard lunch to keep a straight face. After lunch I saw the special guest arrive via limo, I was getting excited. There was one last show in Solomon’s temple before the 3:30 dream come true time. We got there early so we could get seats in the shade. By the time the show started there was quite a few people there. Once the show started the people where getting into it. Let me put it to you this way, they weren’t Southern Baptist oh wait, they weren’t white southern Baptist. So far Kate has been pretty cool about my great plan. I think she was thinking I wouldn’t do it but as the time got closer and closer she began to worry. She leaned over to me during the musical and said she and the kids were not sitting near me when we went into the Praise the Lord set. I could see fear and panic starting to set in on her. I was close to my dream but I had to hold her together. The kids didn’t care; they were too busy watching the lion and the lamb characters wrestling over on the side. I could taste it, I was getting close. The musical finally finished, it was time for me to race for the doors. I had already mapped out the quickest way from Solomon’s temple. I had even decided who I was going to take down if they got in my way. I was ready. As we stood up to make a run for it, Kate grabbed my hand and said she couldn’t go through with it. My heart sunk. I was SO close! We had wasted a whole day, traveled land and sea, I was within feet. And in that moment I saw the NO! in her eyes. All I could say was “yes mama.” We gathered up our stuff and headed out. Maybe next time. I did get a refillable mug so next time I get free refills.
My list of dreams changes often, so maybe I will come again on one very soon.

I am finally blogging

Well, as if facebook wasn’t addictive enough, I am trying my hand at blogging