Today I had to make a return visit to the dentist (fun, fun). Last week I had to get two cavities filled, but the one on the top is still hurting seven days later. Upon entering the lobby of my dentist’s office early this morning, an open door to the right of the entrance caught my eye. It was not necessarily the open door which drew my attention, but rather the blue sign on it. Upon further examination, the sign read “men” and in case a person could not read, there was also a stick person who was distinctly male. A sudden thought of horror overcame me as I flashed back to last Monday when I asked the dental assistant if I could use the restroom before my procedure. She told me where the bathroom was located and I found it…at least what I thought was the bathroom. You see, I did not know that there were two bathrooms. I admit it. Last week I used the women’s restroom. I was so embarrassed. I immediately called my wife because she likes to laugh at my expense. It felt good to laugh at myself. Some people are so concerned about everyone else’s perception of them that they will not laugh at their mistakes, foolishness, and follies. We all do stupid things, so let’s drop the façade and laugh together. I realize that there is much more to laughter than just laughing at ourselves, but this is a good start.

Anyone else ever visited the wrong restroom and lived to tell about it?

My wife and I are both part of social networking sites and over the last couple of months we have enjoyed being connected with old and new friends on Facebook. For those of you who are not familiar with social networking sites, it is NOT a dating service lest you think my wife and I are kind of weird. It is simply a place to interact with people you know and a convenient way to keep up with their lives, even if they live far away.

There was definitely a learning curve when we started using Facebook. For the first several weeks we were trying to understand how everything worked - the layout, the updating, and the processes. At times things did not make sense and we struggled to figure out the progression and how everything fit together. It took about three weeks or so to get comfortable with the site, but our perseverance paid off - we became pros and are now contemplating writing a Facebook for Dummies, if that has not already been done. Now, we have perished the thought because this past week Facebook unveiled a completely new interface. Curses! Initially, when my account was converted my thought was, “I like this.” That was short lived as I struggled to find my way around. I had worked so hard at learning the old Facebook and now all that was gone, except for that little link in the top right corner of the page “back to the old Facebook.” In my initial frustration, I clicked on the link and my computer screen went completely blank and I lost everything on my hard drive. Just kidding. When I clicked on the link, a box appeared which reads, “If you switch back, you will lose any changes you have made to profile boxes, tabs, and bookmarks since you started using the new Facebook.” The you are faced with two choices, “okay” or “cancel.” Without thinking, I clicked “cancel.” I was up for the challenge. For a few days this week, I was very frustrated with the changes and the inconvenience of adjusting to the new Facebook, but I think I have put all the pieces together…I think.

What is it that makes us fearful of change? At the core, I believe it is the feeling of not knowing what to do. Who wants to appear unprepared, embarrassed, or confused? Who likes to be unable to communicate a process or make sense of life? Think about how Adam and Eve must have felt when they were created in a perfect place as perfect people, but then were kicked out of the garden and sentenced to death because of their sin. They went from only knowing good to fully experiencing evil. They went from a life without death to a life of certain death. They knew God intimately, only to become fearful of their Creator. That is change. I’m sure Adam and Eve would have appreciated a “back to the old life” link; however, this was not possible as forgiveness could not be granted until the price for sin was paid. But in His unending mercy, God promised a way to get back to the “old life.” He promised that He would send someone to completely erase death and sin. This promise caused Paul to write, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ is our link back to the “old life.”

For those of you who do not already know, I keep another blog but it is focused on systematically going through different books of the Bible. I try to write four times a week (Monday-Thursday). I am currently going through the gospel of Mark. Here is today's entry to give you an idea of what it usually looks like.

Mark 1:21-35

Jesus enters Capernaum, a town on the Sea of Galilee, and heads straight for the synagogue (Jewish place of worship) to teach. Mark records that those listening were amazed because of Jesus' sense of authority when He taught (1:22). Instead of teaching as the scribes (interpreters of Old Testament Scriptures), Jesus taught as One who was experienced and authoritative yet compassionate and personal. The scribes only vocalized that which they had heard from other rabbis, but Jesus was God therefore making Him the ultimate source of knowledge and truth. Of course this situation of amazement was short-lived as a demon possessed man disrupts Jesus' teaching, but He quickly casts out the evil spirit (1:23-26). Those who witnessed this power were astonished and from this point on His "fame" began spreading throughout the region" (1:27-28). Moving from this scenario, Jesus goes to Simon Peter's house where He finds his mother-in-law sick (1:29-30). Jesus quickly intervenes and heals her (1:31). After a long day, people had been hearing about what Jesus had done so they brought all the sick and demon possessed of the region to be healed by Jesus (1:32-33). All of those who came with sickness and infirmities were healed through the power of Jesus (1:34). If you are keeping score, Jesus prevailed over the demons and physical sickness which was plaguing many people. When Jesus' work was done in Capernaum, Mark writes that the next morning, "having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary [deserted] place; and there He prayed" (1:35). I wish I knew what Jesus was praying about. Some scholars have suggested that He was praying in response to the people's superficial commitment to Him. In other words, people were only seeking Him for what He could do for them physically, not what He could do for them spiritually. I'm not sure we can be certain about His specific prayer, but the fact that He prayed is significant. I'm convinced that Jesus did not have to pray, after all, He was God. But we must also remember that Jesus was also man. In His humanity, Jesus recognized His need for God's strength to accomplish His mission.

I believe prayer is a lost form of worship in modern Christianity. I'm saying this as one who is at times guilty of ignoring the example of Christ who prayed. At the core of prayer is the admission of our need for God's power and strength to accomplish His will, which brings Him all glory and fame which He alone deserves. Yes...prayer is being thankful, confessing sin, asking God for help on behalf of others, but prayer is ultimately an admission of need. Not the need for more money, more physical health, more happiness or more stuff. Prayer is simply our verbalization of need for God Himself. If Jesus needed to pray, so do we. Jesus submitted Himself to do the will of His Father and obviously depended on God's power and strength to enable Him to fulfill God the Father's purpose. Again, if He needed to do that, so do I. Withdraw to a solitary place today and confess your need for God's power and strength to help you accomplish His will knowing that obedience to God will bring the most glory to Him.

Dear God, make me a person of prayer.

The other day I was on my way home from work and right before I arrived at my house, I passed by a park which is located near our neighborhood. To my surprise, I saw this lady standing in the parking area doing yoga. I had to do a double take because she was standing on one foot with both hands in the air and her other leg was bent so her foot was rested against the side of her leg. Of course, I like to honk my horn at literally anything (and then wave the other way) but I could not convince my hand that this was the right thing to do…although it would have been funny to watch her lose concentration and possibly even fall! That would have made my day! I have a warped sense of humor and it really doesn’t take that much to entertain me. Even though I only saw her for a few seconds, I could tell that this woman was totally focused. There were people walking by her, cars driving past (with people tempted to beep their horn), and lots of other potential distractions but she had single vision. I’ve never done yoga so I’m not sure what that vision was, but it captured her mind.

Most of us have one or two particular things which capture much of our time. For me, it happens to be family and church ministry but for others it may be education, an occupation, a hobby, motherhood/fatherhood, a pursuit of a relationship, or a number of other things. Oftentimes these areas of importance have obstacles. By obstacles I mean people or circumstances which cause us to lose focus on that which is important. Most people react to adversity by changing jobs, finding a new relationship, abandoning a dream, or just simply giving up. However, don’t always view obstacles as negative. James was writing to discouraged and frustrated believers who were tempted to give up on their faith because of persecution, but James advised them to remain focused. He writes, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). Ignoring the doubts of others and refusing to quit will eventually give way to maturity. Instead of giving up on a friendship, waking up from your dream, or giving in to pressure, stay focused on that which is important.

My kids have been attending a day program at our church camp this past week. My son, Ty, got to catch up with a friend he met last year at camp and was very excited to see him again. In fact, we were able to have him over to our house tonight so that they could play for a little while. Immediately following day camp, Ty came home and there was about an hour or so before his friend was to arrive. If you remember what it was like being a kid, this hour was long and painful for my son. I seem to recall the same feelings when I was young and excited about something…time seemed to drag on. I would often get impatient and keep asking my parents when it was time. If memory serves me right, I stood at the front window of our house waiting in anticipation of what the future held. Today when I caught a glimpse of my son perched at our front window peering at the empty driveway awaiting the arrival of his friend, I thought about how life changes as we get older. Times of waiting are still a major factor in our lives, but often the patience is through times of pain. Instead of anticipating an exciting adventure, we await relief from private pain and hurt. Instead of waiting at the window anticipating the arrival of a friend, we wonder if help will ever arrive. Have you ever been there? Maybe you are staring out the window right now.

I must be honest, I’ve been through disappointments and frustrations, but compared to others I am not familiar with extreme pain. My heart aches for those who are hurt, broken, and confused about life, having encountered situations which have driven them to the point of emptiness. I have stood in the same room with many people who were looking out the window wondering how much longer. Even though I am supposed to represent God and provide easy answers to these people, I often find myself just being silent or admitting my inability to find words to explain. Why God? Why do these things happen? There are probably many things we’ll never figure out or understand, but those who put their faith in Jesus Christ have hope. Hope does not always guarantee a quick solution or total deliverance in this lifetime, but it does promise a future existence without pain, suffering, and emptiness (Revelation 21:1-4). The book of Lamentations reminds the reader that “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” Paul added that if we only have hope in this life only, “we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). You may be standing at the window and asking God how long.

Ty’s friend finally arrived tonight and right on time.

A couple weeks ago at a routine cleaning, my dentist discovered that I had two cavities. Several years ago these words would have evoked fear and trembling, as well as screaming, crying, and acting like a wimp. All these pent up feelings stem back from when I was a child. I’m just going to lie here on the couch to tell you about it (for those of you who enjoy psychology). When I was younger I had a bad experience at the dentist. I cannot remember one particular situation where the dentist either stabbed my gums with his pointy instruments or refused to use numbing medication, but he just wasn’t nice. In fact, I can only recall one particular thing this elderly gentleman told me while showing me all the fillings in his teeth, “You see all these fillings in my teeth? Never go see a dentist who doesn’t have a lot of these because he doesn’t know how it feels and he will certainly hurt you.” Alrighty, then. That was my final visit to the dentist for many years following.

The older I get, the more I see my need for the dentist. Over the last few years I have had two wisdom teeth removed, a root canal, and an emergency root canal where I’m sure I died and came back to life. (more)

For the last couple days our family has been watching re-runs of an old show that was on TV when I was young. At first, I wasn’t sure if my kids would like the thirty-minute throwback from the late 80’s but to my surprise, they think it is hilarious and keep asking to watch more episodes. For me, the show brings back memories of being a kid and even sitting with my own family around the television watching the same sitcom. In a weird sort of way, I was glad my kids liked it because it was something I enjoyed…and still do. Even though I watched this show for the first time twenty years ago, it became new to me again when I heard Ty and Lexi laughing and repeating the same comedic phrases as the main character. I used to do the same thing.

There is always something truly empowering when another person newly discovers something which you experienced many years ago. I have had the opportunity to be involved in church ministry for the last decade and there have been very few moments of regret (some frustrations, though). One of the things which still empowers me is when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ and they experience what I experienced many years ago. There are times when I forget how it felt to first realize that God loved me so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment I deserved for breaking God’s law. However, when I am able to have a part in an individual’s newfound faith, it brings to life my own memories.

I love anything which has to do with electronics…computers, cell phones, home theater systems, and most things found in Best Buy. I am not even sure when technology became one of my hobbies, but I do remember my first experience with a computer and the internet. While in high school, my parents ordered a dial-up connection for our home which connected with extremely slow speeds. Most of the time we would log into our account and wait about 30 minutes before the home page even loaded. We were patient back then. Even though it took forever for the internet to load, it was always worth it because there was instant access to a lot of information. Of course I never imagined the potential of the internet back then, but it is amazing what can be accomplished now through the use of online technology.

One of the biggest downsides of using the internet is that there are many dangers associated with it because a small percentage of people have turned something useful into a tool for security risks or destruction. Whenever a customer purchases a computer, the sales associate always attempts to sell something alongside it - virus protection software. Virus software protects computers against harmful files or programs which can render a person’s system useless or compromise sensitive information. I never used to buy it because I was too cheap to spend the extra $50...that is until I got my first computer virus causing me to lose all the information on my computer. All my files were lost. What is even more frustrating is the fact that I could have avoided all of this by heeding the advice of the sales associate.

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This weekend I will be speaking in the main service at our church. Our Pastor has been in a series entitled “Treasures of a Transformed Life” and it has been an intensive study on the beatitudes found in Matthew 5:1-12. He has already covered the significance of the beatitudes, which are basically inner attitudes which lead to happiness or satisfaction in life. God asks His followers to live distinctly from the world and Jesus teaching proves that His ways are contrary to human nature. Jesus challenges his followers to be poor in spirit (humility before God), peacemakers, and ready to be persecuted for doing right. I cannot say that these things come naturally for me. The particular one I am teaching on is meekness, which is found in verse 5. Jesus simply states “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Sounds clear, right? Wrong. I have had a real struggle while studying through this verse, especially since I am responsible to communicate it to the congregation. In my 21st century mind, I like definitions and so I was looking for a biblical definition for meekness. I could not find one. In fact, I would say that the Bible hardly ever defines terms, but rather chooses to illustrate concepts with real life stories which are detailed in a person’s interaction with God. I guess I always knew that God’s word was not a book of definitions or bullet points (like many of my messages), but a living, relevant book which demonstrates truth through the lives of people, history, and written letters to individuals or churches. When we approach the Bible we should not look for formulas or perfect outlines, but rather to get a grasp on God’s message to His people in order to conform our lives to His ways. Any thoughts?

I will be 34 very soon. I was born in 1974. I graduated from high school in 1992. I graduated from college in 1996. I got married in 1997. I graduated with a master’s degree in 1998. I also became a high school pastor in 1998. Leah and I had our first child in 2000 and our second one in 2002. Time flies. It has been a while since I have had a major transition in my life…until now. In less than 60 days I’ll be taking a step that I thought I would never take – becoming a lead pastor. Since I was very young, I had always wanted to be a pastor to youth. There wasn’t this idea of using youth ministry as a stepping stone to become a pastor. I guess that is why I’ve stayed in youth ministry for 10 years at the same church. I really believe in students. So why am I making the transition? Over the last year and a half I felt restless. I was not unhappy or dissatisfied…just uneasy. Instead of looking for a way to solve the restlessness, I waited. Waiting is not usually me, but I felt as if being patient was the right thing to do. During this period of unrest, God began developing in me a desire to become a lead pastor. At first, I pushed the feeling away but it actually became stronger. Then through a series of events, God dropped an opportunity into my life. Our church, which I love with all my heart, was going to open a second campus 30 minutes north of the main campus and I would lead that group of people. Transition in life is tough but exciting because it brings new challenges as well as fresh opportunities. Are you going through a transition right now? Maybe you should wait. At the proper time, God will show up and probably do more than you ever expected.

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I have been on a writing hiatus this week, actually since the beginning of July. I've been so busy with vacation for a few days last week and our high school camp this week that there has been very little time to write. I briefly checked our website today and realized there are only 60 days (and a few hours) left until our first launch service. I hope all reading this entry will keep the first service in their prayers. We have a lot of work ahead, but the potential reward is worth the effort!