Umm Christmas dinner

We were blessed this year as my mom and dad paid for the four of us to fly out to Lubbock, texas and be with the rest of the family for two days.

Friday I spent time with Shane, then Ethan and I grabbed some Home Plate diner quisine (chicken fried steak and cheese sticks). Home Plate Diner is one of those places that is native to Lubbock and missed by Ethan and I. I spent time installing and working on mom and dads computers Friday afternoon. I enjoy being able to give back in some way to them as they so often have given into our lives.

Saturday afternoon was spent playing card games and getting ready for Saturday night. Adam, my brother in law, as usual brought steaks that we cooked on the grill.

Our Christmas meal Saturday night was giant coconut shrimp, ribeye steak, baked potatoes, etc. It was goooood. It has been a blessing to be in Lubbock and with friends and family. There is something about the yearly family gatherings that adds richness to life.

Now that's stress

Try this for a stress test.

Have you ever found out you were moving immediately? Bad enough leaving family, friends, and things you've know for so long, but add to that no time to say goodbye.

Have you ever had your parents misunderstand something you did to the point of ostracizing you? That would be stressful.

Have you ever been in a situation that everyone thought you were lying about a major event in your life?

Ever had a girlfriend tell you they were pregnant and the baby was not yours? We’re talking serious hurt.

What about this? Have you ever had a supernatural being visit you and give you a message?

What advice do you have for this persons stress level?

a. Give them the Henry Cloud book Boundaries.

b. tell them not to try drugs ever again.

c. Recommend them to the Jerry Springer show

or d. Do you encourage them to continue to follow God and His plan for their life?

When thinking about Christmas we see Christmas cards with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus with halo's around their heads, sometimes we forget that they walked through some deep dark times on the road to being true followers.

It's a good reminder that following Christ is not neat and clean and happy and stressless all the time. Much of time there are more loose ends than tied ones and more questions than answers.

It is also a reminder that the road no matter how rough is leading us to Christ

Indie Allies

We had our first North Dallas Indie Allies last night. There was much passionate discussion. We touched on being organic and how that involves having intentional struture, contextualizing the gospel to our own habitat, what exactly is emerging, being missional, the little people in our brains, and various and asundry other topics. Not many answers but a whole lot of good questions and discussion.

For me the consensus on many questions keeps coming back to the fact that it is healthy to pursue questions in us. This is part of our search after more of the creator of the universe. There is something in me that continually cries out for more of Christ. I think all my questions are from that outflow. That outflow I think is a healthy one.

Life before light

In Him was life and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4) So many times I am looking for light (guidance, clarity, the next step) when I forget that life proceeds light. I'm so busy looking for answers that I forget to fellowship with the answer, the life source.

How long does it take to walk with God before we get the point. It is about daily communing with Him. He is where life flows from and light doesn't come without life.

Oh lord, have mercy on me, forgive me for idolizing light and not prioritizing fellowship with The Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Tales of the tree

I gotta stop trying to learn how to be a tree and just be a tree. Read The Tree, a modern parable, to see just what the heck I'm talking about.

Newsworthy Note

I didn't know until I read this article that Jacques Derrida died last month. Derrida has influenced greatly the postmodern/emerging church thought with his ideas on "deconstruction". I ran across this article : Jacques Derrida and Biblical Studies on the Society for Biblical Literature website.

A Generous Orthodoxy

I began reading Brian McClarens new book A Generous Orthodoxy today. The cover states: Why I am missional + evangelical+post/protestant + liberal/conservative+mystical/poetic+biblical + charismatic/contemplative+ fundamentalistic/calvinistic + anabaptist/anglican + methodist + catholic + green + incarnational + depressed-yet-hopeful + emergent + unfinished Christian.

I love that title. I speaks something I've always felt. As a believer in Christ I don't fall in one particular category, ie: baptist or fundamental or contemplative. Thinking of people in singular categories is very narrow minded thinking. In our journeys with Christ the story unfolds in many contexts and with many streams of Christian life bringing influence on our lives.

I vote for a post categorical Christianity. I fit in the kingdom of God not in a category.

Jesus-brand spirituality

Check out the interview of Ken Wilson about being missional in his own community of Ann Arbor Michigan from Cutting Edge magazine.

A worshipping community of missional theologians

I heard Dan Kimball speak recently. I have latched on to the four key values in the dna of vintage faith church. Dan described their church as a "Worshipping community of Missional Theologians".
I like this description, not because it is cool and Dan Kimball the emerging church guru likes it. But I like it because it brings some values in my own heart clarity. more about his later.

Who let the dog out ?

My job is an adventure. You never know what will happen or what you'll run across each day. Saturday I was out in Midlothian with my trusty co-worker Mark. This was creature day for the property preservation guys. The grass in the back yard was waist high at points, even walking through it and surveying what we would need to do made me a bit nervous. I wondered what creatures lurked beneath the thick grass.

Our first encounter with the habitat came with Mark. We had noticed many nice crafted one foot high ant hills as we came into the back yard and strongly cautioned one another about mistepping. Mark picked up a wood pallet and was holding it against his leg. The stings brought to his attention the hundreds of ants crawling on his legs. They had been all over this wood pallet and had transplanted themselves to Marks leg as a likely meal. Mark created a couple of new dances as he got rid of these menacing little beasts.

The next encounter was mine. I was walking in front of the house measuring the width of the yard, appreciating the coolness of a mild fall day. I approached the house next door which even though there were obviously residents there also had grass about 2 foot high. About two feet away from the next house I hear a high pitched growl that I can tell from the sound is approaching me at a high rate of speed.

I then see the meanest looking dog I have seen in a long time. His eyes are just a little crossed, one ear looks like it has been bitten or caught in the lawnmower, and he is doing a real good impression of mean, real good. I am thinking the rope will catch this dog any minute. I know all good dog owners tie their dogs up especially if they don't have a fence. But not out in the sticks where we were. I realize their is no leash, no rope, no chain and I am thinking I am about to demolished. The dog stops two feet from me. I reach down and with my hands push my leg backwards because my leg has turned against me and even though my brain is tellin it to move, it aint budging. By some intution unknown to me, but that I am very thankful for this dog does not move beyond the property line. Who needs red bull to wake you up with moments like that.

There were some wasp, large spiders, and slugs to deal with but we survived the creature house and got our jobs done.

life

John is an interesting gospel. It is thought to be the last gospel written and one of the later books written in the new testament. John chooses 7 particular signs out of Jesus ministry to highlight. Seven signs out of in John's mind the amazing number of signs Jesus did. John says all the books in the world (at the time he wrote his gospel account) could not contain all the signs.

John gave us specific signs that we might believe and by believing that we might have life. Belief is not just to say "yea that sounds right" or " I think that statement is true". It is not just a mental assent. Belief is something you put your weight into. I read recently of one of Billy Grahams explanations of belief. He was on a large stage and commented that he so believed that the stage would hold him up that he was unafraid to put his whole weight into it.

The life John speaks of is not just the breath of human life or animal life but it is a God kind of life. It is a God consciousness that can not be unless we do have this life within us. In chapter 3 of John Nicodemus comes to Jesus to talk about the kingdom of God. Jesus response is "Nick we can't even talk about those things unless you have entered into the kingdom of God" (or you have had the God life in you).

I pray for more of a God consciousness to permeate who I am and the everydays of life.

George W.

I may not agree with everything President Bush does or says but I so appreciate the authenticity in him that comes out. In his acceptance speech his appreciation for his family and wife seemed very genuine. I also appreciated his reaching out to those who voted against him. I truly believe he was sincere in that jesture.

Harvest festival to remember ?

Sunday night we took the kids to a Harvest festival at Covenant church. October 31st should be a fun time for kids, at least in my mind that is what should happen. Most of it was fun, but as Callie and Ethan went into one of those giant air play grounds, I noticed the 30 foot muscle man full of air began to fall on his side. No official announcement, no organized retreat, just a ton of people yelling "Get out, it's going down". Well I found Ethan in the back of the thing but couldn't find Callie. Finally when I did locate her, she was pretty shaken, not knowing how to get out of this sagging giant play ground that had turned into a horror movie for her.

Although I love the people of traditional churches, I wonder if our Harvest night fiasco wasn't a great picture of traditional church in America. It is supposed to be fun, with everything a good Christian would want, but inside it is losingground with the culture and not fulfilling the purpose it origionally had.

Well anyway, a couple of times bowling for candy and then getting to eat a huge cotton candy salvaged the night. I also appreciated some of the people of the community as they dressed up as various Bible characters and went around dialoguing with the kids. I could tell they really had a heart for the kids.

Coming up for air

I have been under the blogging surface for some time now. I am hoping to come up for air and begin this again. I am enjoying all the election rhetoric happing across the country. The best thing about election time is all the people digging into the issues that face our nation.

:: The Lord is good and a stronghold

We have been looking at Nahum and 2 Corinthians 11 at Fuel on Sunday mornings. Paul says that the weapons we have for the war we are in are not natural weapons but weapons that are incredible strong in the Lord. These weapons are for the tearing down of strongholds.

Paul being a scholar of his time knew well the story of Nahum and how Ninevah was thought of as a great stronghold in it's time. The walls of Ninevah were 100 feet high and three chariots width wide. The towers went up another 100 feet. The water around the city was 50 yards wide and 60 feet deep. It was said that Ninevah could withstand a 20 year seige.

Yet when Nahum prophecies against Ninevah, He proclaims that the Lord can take down their stronghold like taking ripe fruit from a tree. Historically we know that the Babylonians were able to penetrate the stronghold because of a great flood that caused the walls to have a breach. The Babylonians wiped out the Assyrians in Ninevah and the capital city.

This is the power of God to tear down the strongest weaknesses in our lives. There is hope for us as we think of Gods power over Ninevah.

:: Little graces

This is a trying season for me and my family. There are many financial stresses that we are up against. Yet in all the discouraging things that have happened, I keep finding small graces all along the way.

There was the man who approached the kids and me one hot day while we were mowing a lawn with an ice cold glass of water for each of us. There was the man who stopped and helped me fix the trailer one day when the strut broke in busy traffic.

We found a lawn mower left at a house that vibrated just when we needed another lawn mower on a big job. We were able to change a bent blade and it worked fine for a bit. It lasted for most of that job and then died. It just happened to be the almost exact model of mower I have and I can use parts off of it on my main mower.

Down to one vehicle because my car died, I was able to use Chris and Kristi's truck while they were on vacation and I didn't lose any work.

My aunt had a Ford Ranger pickup she was trying to sell at a price lower than blue book. We were able to get a loan and buy it for a second vehicle.

Friends and family have helped us buy the kids school clothes and supplies. The little graces of God encouraging us to persevere through trying times have done just that.

How does anyone make it through the tough times without an Incredible Father that helps them and encourages them? Thank you father for your little graces.

:: Mercy is falling

This is a recent prophetic expression given at Trinity church in Lubbock, Texas. I think it speaks to many of God's sons and daughters today.

My children, I speak to you tonight as your Father. You sang, you said have mercy on me. You cannot even begin to understand how much mercy I do have. I want to speak specifically to some of you here tonight, you have in your past a great sin, something that troubles you and you are ashamed of it and you hide it and somehow you cannot let go of it. You cannot believe that it can be forgiven, but in my mercy I have forgiven you a long time ago and yet you allow the devil to remind you of it, you let the devil bring up to you what you have done and you hide it, and sometimes you question whether you are even saved or not. But in my mercy I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you. It is gone. I do not think about it, I just look at you and love you with compassion and I wonder why will you not move on. Why will you not believe and let go of that which I have already cleansed and taken out of your life?

You need to believe what I have said. I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you and now you need to let that go. My mercy is tremendous and I will speak to some of you that you have a sense of shame because you try and try in yourselves and you fail and you fail and you just feel so guilty and so frustrated that the enemy is just doing all those things to you, but to you I will say, I have not left you without power or ability. Did I not say in my Word and is it not true that I live within you. Is there anything that I cannot do? The reason that you fail is because you try and leave me out in what you are doing for me. I have never asked you to do anything for me. What I have asked you to do is to allow me to work through you, allow me to work with you. Work with me.

I would use this as an illustration to you. You are trying to mow an acre of grass with a push lawnmower and right beside you is a tractor that you can drive and do it. The tractor that is within you is the Holy Spirit and I have had mercy in every failure. I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you and I will say to you forget the past, forget the failures, you need to begin to believe for the Greater One in you will enable you. You need to begin to expect to do the things you have been failing to do. If you will trust me, if you will yield to me, and allow my power to flow through you, then you will have success. I am a merciful God, but once mercy is done, I then cover you with love and compassion. I have a plan and desire a goal for each of your lives, your age has nothing to do with it, if you will just trust me and receive my love. So many times you sing and you talk about loving me, but you do not receive my love because you do not believe that you are worthy, that I could love you for any others, that I love you. My love is waiting for you to receive it and walk in all that I have for you.

:: A week of weeks

This has been some kind of week. First of all last Saturday I get home and have a flat tire that is ruined so in a time of financial difficulty I'm having to buy a tire. This was just the beginning. I am learning to say blessed be the name of the Lord in all seasons of life. Monday the strut broke on my trailer, then as I am loading the lawn mower the handle breaks in half. Okay, I am taking another step in learning to praise the Lord in all seasons. Tuesday my wife has a wreck in our Mercury. It's her fault and we only have liability, so now our car is looking pretty sad, but it is drivable. I am glad she isn't hurt. Again I am learning to praise God in all situations.

Of course there are other thoughts running through my head also, like scrap this living by faith deal and get a real job or that voice that says see how God treats you why would you still live for Him? Those are a few of the various and unsundry thoughts pelting my brain. I realize that these thoughts are ones that I have to say no to. I'm hoping there is a rhyme or reason to this week and the past month which emotionally have been excruciating.

Well to give the week an exciting finale, Friday my car just quits. I'm driving down the road and it gives up the ghost. I can hear the suspenseful music in my head that sounds a lot like the theme from Jaws. I'm thinking okay I've got a fuel pump that went out or alternator. My local mechanic gives me the news. Mr. Alvis your engine is done in. The heads are bent. I hear the cymbals crash. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry or run away in the night to Alaska. I guess this is a great opportunity to see what God will

:: Definitions

I wonder what is the true defintion of a blogger. Is it someone who blogs daily? Is it someone who puts their whole heart into each blog? If you blog weekly are you a wannabe? Anybody seen any good blogs or articles along these lines?

Life is so stinkin busy these days. I am working a job that is taking me 60 hrs a week. Somewhere in the middle of all that I am trying to be involved in a church plant. Lately it has been survival mode. Survival mode is when life is spinning a little too fast to keep balanced emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially. There are days in here I feel like the old Randy Stonehill song "Stop the world I wanna get off".

I am sure God is up to something in all this. For the life of me I haven't got it figured out though.

I better stop this is getting too much like a rambling rant. Later.

:: The Wedding

We were in Lubbock this weekend for my sister Beths wedding. It was a family event with me doing the ceremony, my other sister Sherri as the maid of honor, My wife a bridesmaid, my brother in law a groomsman, and my kids candlelighters. It was a great time at the wedding and seeing family.

Going into the wedding I kept praying that it would not be just a wedding but a time of giving glory to God. For me I can tell when the Lord intervenes strongly in a place and this was just such a time for me. I'm not saying all was perfect, but there was such a peace about the whole ceremony. Thanks Lord for your hand upon all of us this weekend.

I decided to begin a photoblog this week also. You can find it at: http://bear.fotopages.com