V-Formation

Abby had a soccer game at the local Nazarene church on Saturday (that's her on the right). The church has a huge grass field that plays host to flag football, soccer, t-ball, and a myriad of other sports throughout the year. Abby is quite a soccer player. Last week, she scored the only two goals for her team. They still lost 4-2 but in Naz sports, there's no score keeping. It doesn't really matter whether or not there's a big scoreboard because - trust me - every kid on that field knows who won and who lost.

On our way to the field, we saw a flock of geese flying overhead. They were in v-formation and, I suppose, they were heading south for the fall/winter season. I don't know where geese go when they leave the valley. I suppose they seek out warmer destination spots like Escondido or maybe some suburb of Los Angeles. If I was a goose, I would find one of those great golf courses in Palm Springs and hang out in the pond on the 7th hole. Now that's living.

The v-formation flight plan is pretty incredible. It relies on the concept of drafting. When each bird flies behind another bird, air resistance is minimized. Every once and a while, the lead bird drops to the back of the pack and another bird takes over. It happens in long distance running and cycling, too. People towards the back have an easier time because of a group dynamic that relies on others to advance forward.

The same is true for me as a live in community. I am surrounded by people who want to move forward in their spiritual life - not tread water. Going nowhere is not my goal. Occasionally, I will experience a period of rest where I'm not moving at all. Those times are important. In fact, up until a few weeks ago, I was living in an extended period of "spiritual water-treading." Eventually, I realized the importance of re-joining others on a spiritual journey. It's been quite a ride. I don't really know my destination by the journey has been a joy.

Right now, I have a great friend who is flying in the lead. I'm drafting behind him. Eventually, I will fly lead for a group of people and, by God's grace, I will be able to eliminate some resistance they may be experiencing.

Who is your "lead goose"? Are you flying or resting? Are you ready to begin a new journey? Is there someone in your "pack" who needs you to take the lead?

Daisy

Can you apply scripture to the life of a dog? God made the plants and animals but The Bible says that only man was made in His image. Does that mean that dogs and cats aren't really players in the game of life? Are animals put on earth just to give us temporary pleasure or do they serve a higher purpose? Do dogs have souls? I know cats don't have souls, but what about dogs? Will all dogs go to Heaven? Will any dogs go to Heaven? (I'm just kidding about cats. No hate mail, please)

My world revolves around two kids, one wife, and one incredible dog. Daisy has been my pet since she was 8 weeks old. She and I share the same birthday and I'm sure that she understands everything I say to her. Depending on how the day is going between me and Leslie, Daisy often serves as my therapist. She listens intently and even moves her head back and forth as if to say, "Interesting...tell me more..."

Last week, we had Daisy's leg checked. She had developed a large lump and it was causing some irritation. Our doctor examined the growth and expressed some degree of concern. Her concern made my heart race. After a full round of medication, the lump remained and we took her in for a second visit. On Friday, they took a biopsy of the area. Now, we wait. We're hoping it isn't something life-threatening.

The Cantrell family is no stranger to doggie drama. Years ago we had two beagles that prepared us well for teenagers. They were rude, obnoxious, stayed out all hours of the night, and developed a knack for costing us huge amounts of money. Late in life, Rigley and Riley were completely dependent on huge amounts of medicine to control their seizures. In short, they were drug-addicted beagles. I guess the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. They were put to sleep within a year of one another but it really was a blessing. They were surviving - not really living.

It's sad to lose a pet. I lost a dog and a horse when I was younger. The loss of Rigley and Riley was tough. I'm having a difficult time with the thought of losing Daisy.

Whether the verse was intended solely for people or for the entire animal kingdom, I'm going to focus on Matthew 6: 33-34 over the next few days. It says that God promises us enough grace for today. It's amazing how many times we can apply that to so many situations in life, isn't it?

Weekend update

This week's news from the crazy world of religion...

PEORIA, Ariz. — Last Sunday, pastor Irwin Alton, 62, preached against several specific sins during his sermon. Some people in the audience gasped with recognition.

"When he talked about skipping mid-week service to go to the lake, and buying a new boat when you haven’t tithed, I felt nailed to my pew," said one man. "It was like the Holy Spirit was speaking right to me."

But it wasn’t the Holy Spirit — it was the man’s own blog where he had posted photos of himself and his buddies on his new boat on a Wednesday evening.

Pastor Alton, who cultivates a reputation as a computer illiterate techno-phobe, is actually an avid reader of MySpace pages, blogs and personal websites of the people in his congregation.

"I appear, shall we say, un-hip," he says. "Therein lies my advantage."

Though he publicly refers to the Worldwide Web as the "Worldwide Waste" and e-mail as "sin-mail," in his home office is a bank of computer screens with more than 170 bookmarked sites — personal web pages, blogs, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, Flickr and more. Each week Alton surfs the sites for hours to find evidence of questionable behavior by people in his church. He jots offenses down and incorporates them into his Sunday sermons.

He even checks the blogs of friends of people in his church. That’s where he found photos of Emily Dotson, 31, at a local sports bar. During the service last week Alton paused mid-sermon to say, "Some of you have been visiting places you shouldn’t be seen in as a Christian, drinking establishments and the like." Emily was taken aback.

"He was speaking right to me," she says.

She came forward and repented for being at the sports bar, even though she’d been celebrating a girlfriend’s birthday.

"I knew I shouldn’t have lingered in that environment," Emily says. "I could have gone in, said hi and left."

When mentioning sinful behavior Alton sometimes intentionally gets small details wrong, or remains vague.

"If I bat a thousand they might get suspicious," he says.

He never claims his messages are Holy Spirit-inspired, but many in the church believe they are.

"He’s right so often, it has to be God," says one man. "We all come to church because God is using Pastor Alton to address our particular situations. It’s phenomenal."

One family, the Bixbys, was tolerating their daughter’s college partying. Alton watched the girl’s MySpace for weeks before mentioning from the pulpit that "some parents need to get a lasso around their college-age children — and fast, before they do some real damage."

That week, the Bixbys called their daughter home to "re-establish patterns of good behavior."

"We felt that if God was merciful enough to speak prophetically through our pastor like that, we should take action," says the father.

For his part, Alton has no problem not revealing his sources.

"If they can’t make the connection between what I’m saying and what they’re putting on the Internet, then maybe God really is speaking to them," he says. "And they sure treat me with a lot more respect now."

The election

I grew up thinking that Christians should always vote for Republicans. Jesus was a Republican for goodness sakes. Now that I am so old and wise, the narrow-mindedness of such an assumption is quite obvious. However, as a I look at my church/religion history, a lot of ideas I had growing up were pretty narrow-minded. Since the election of Bush '41, I've tried to learn more about the people running for President - not just who my pastor tells me to vote for. I uncovered some interesting facts and figures about the current candidates this morning on the Net. The news was from a political blog that outlined the amount of money Obama, Biden, and McCain have given to charity since 1998. Here's the Reader's Digest version:

Joe Biden earned $320,000 last year and gave $995 to charitable causes - about 1/4 of 1%.

Prior to 2005, Obama gave away .9% of his annual income. In 2006, he gave 6.1%. I don't know if it had anything to do with his Presidential bid but at least his giving is increasing.


John McCain gave more than 25% of his income in 2007 to charity. He and his wife also established a charitable foundation to manage their gifts. In addition, he donates all of his book royalties.

No word on Palin.

There are lots of reasons to vote for or against a certain candidate but it's interesting to see how they treat the "lesser of these..."

Prayers

Some of the things I share with God as I travel a new spiritual journey:

"Show me what I may be missing"
"Reveal to me how close you are"
"Thank you for walking with me"
"Guide me"
"Thank you for forgiveness and grace"
"Thank you for believing in me"
"You are a loving Father and I am your precious child."
"Teach me how to love like you love me"
"Heal my brokenness"


The things I used to say:

"Be with me"
"Please love me like a Father should"
"Please stop me from sinning"
"Forgive me for not doing enough for you"

The dreaded marathon

I run in my first marathon on November 9th in Fresno. I've talked to so many people who have accomplished the mighty feat and, without fail, they have a confused look on their face when I mention Fresno. They don't understand why I would pick Fresno for my inaugural event and, I have to admit, Fresno is not really a great city for anything. There are marathons in Newport Beach, San Francisco, and one of the greatest events in California happens in San Diego. Why the heck am I going to run in Fresno? Violence has spiked so much in Fresno that I may want to pack a gun just in case something happens at mile 20. A 6 oz. water bottle just won't cut it.

I bought new shoes yesterday. Trainers on runnersworld.com say that distance runners should purchase new shoes about 10 weeks before the event. These sure are nifty shoes. At least I'll look good out while fending off criminals between Fresno and Clovis.

A marathon is 26.2 miles in length. I used the triptachtomometer thing on my car yesterday morning. The triptachtomometer thing is the button that you push on the speedometer to determine how far you drive. After driving around town all day, it showed that I had driven 24 miles. An entire day of driving and I hadn't even driven the length of my marathon. I drove a loonng way yesterday. That freaks me out.

My stress fracture still bothers me but nothing like it did last month. I ran 12 miles Monday and have a 6-mile run this afternoon. Stretching has become become a critical component of my training. If I fail to stretch before a run, my muscles scream until mile 2. If I don't stretch after my run, my muscles scream for 5 hours. A trainer who is walking me through the marathon prep process tells me that muscles have a short-term memory and, unless they are reminded of their role, they fail to "fire" "Firing" is what happens when we engage our muscles. When muscles don't "fire", it takes a long time for them to work the right way.

My spiritual life needs to be fired on a regular basis and when it doesn't happen, it takes a while for it to engage. It's like a car that's been sitting in a driveway after a cold night. We start the engine and there's a certain warm-up period before things start working like they're supposed to. I'm going to a mountain cabin this week to get re-charged. Just me, the Kaweah River, a Bible, and a legal pad for notes. I want to meditate, read, pray, read some more, and let the re-charge happen.

Catching grace

It's a hokey picture but it really reminds me of God's love that starts up there and comes down here.

Over the weekend, a well-known speaker and writer came to Visalia and really opened the eyes of so many people. His one-hour talks packed a powerful punch. Wayne is a former pastor who was "fired without his permission" from a local church many years ago. That part of his story provided an instant connection between us but that's just part of his story. He has also been the driving force behind my current spiritual journey. I am spending each day reminding myself of God's incredible love for me. I can come to God broken, filled with shame, and burdened by guilt. He takes my pain and covers me with his love. As Sally Field said at the Academy Awards many years ago, "You love me! You really love me!"

Wayne co-wrote a book called So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore. In it, he tracks the spiritual journey of an associate pastor who learns the importance of God's love which has nothing to do with performance-driven Christian activities. The pastor learns that God's love isn't predicated on what we do for Him. Instead, we can begin a life journey that starts and grows when we wake up and go to sleep with a greater understanding of His favor.

Here are a few excerpts that have rocked my religious world;

“This is no distant God who sent his Son with a list of rules to follow or rituals to practice. His mission was to invite us into his love—into a relationship with his Father that he described as friendship.”

“So much of what we do is driven by our anxiety that God is not working on our behalf, that we have no idea of the actions that trust produces. Trusting doesn’t make you a couch potato. As you follow him you’ll find yourself doing more than you’ve ever done, but it won’t be the frantic activity of a desperate person, it will be the simple obedience of a loved child.”

“I’m learning the joy of resting in him, doing what I know to do and not doing what I don’t know to do. It’s been one of the hardest lessons to learn, but also the most freeing.”

Wow. WOW!

Be still

I've spent the last week focusing on the words of Psalm 46:10. It says, "Be still and know that I am God." Be Still and Know That I am God" was a song written in 1975. It's been sung around campfires millions of times since then. The song has a catchy tune and if you've spent any time in church since Carter was President, you can hum the song right here - right now.

See - you're doing it.

A good friend of mine is walking through a challenging time and he's finding comfort in David's words. Being still is a good thing to do, especially when we need to hear from God. I still struggle to figure out how God speaks. I've never heard His voice like other people. I think I would freak out if it ever happened. In fact, I'm going on a day-long retreat to a friend's cabin on Friday. Just me in the mountains. The Bible says that God speaks in a still small voice. Maybe if I listen real hard, He will make himself known. Still kinda freaks me out just thinking about it.

My dad taught me early in life that he demanded respect. When he spoke, I listened. When I misbehaved, he gave me "the look." I was trained to settle down and re-focus when his stern eyes turned my way. They hit me like a laser. I learned the importance of being still - at least until he showed mercy and let me return to being a kid.

Dad (and mom, for that matter) also offered comfort in my times of fear and anxiety. When I stubbed a toe, failed a test, or got chased by a big dog on the corner, they would dry my tears while holding me in their arms. Those times always included a soothing word to settle me down. Every parent has said it in those tearful times. For us, we used the word two nights ago when Parker woke up from a nightmare. It's a simple word with only two letters; "shhhhhh..." It's repeated over and over again, usually combined with a steady rocking motion with our arms wrapped around their arms and our hands stroking their hair. Before long, Parker was back to normal and ready to get back into bed.

He was still. He experienced stillness after his daddy assured him that he would be ok. Parker believed in his daddy's reassurance. I comforted and he trusted.

Our Heavenly Father reminds us to be still in the tough times. He also reminds us that He is a Father who loves beyond measure - a love that comforts and reassures. I need it. My friend needs it. My son needs it. You need it.

I got nuthin'

Absolutely nothing. I guess it's just been an "empty" kind of day.

Hope to get some spiritual nourishment tonight. Great speaker and author Wayne Jacobsen is in town to speak. He published The Shack which created a huge uproar in the evangelical Christian community. I love it when the evangelical Christian community freaks out.

I'll be back on Monday.

Wounded healers

Frederick Buechner says,

To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do—to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst—is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed. (The Sacred Journey)

Buechner is one of those authors who really make you think. In fact, you probably read the above paragraph a few times before you actually caught the main theme. Put simply, the faith journey becomes much more colorful for those who make the choice to recognize their own wounds. Colorful because it adds something different to the norm. For me, recognizing and processing the wounds of my past is a difficult road. It stirs emotions and feelings - two things I like to avoid if possible. Being hurt was painful the first time so why would I want to revisit that pain a second time? My child wouldn't choose to touch the stove top a second time if he was burned the first time. I never again want to experience the pain of addiction and all of the relational tragedy that followed. But, my addiction history has become a critical element of my ministry.

Our church looks like a big AA meeting. There are homeless people who are struggling to make it through each day. There are wealthy people who have worked hard and can enjoy the fruits of their labor. And there are people who work two jobs, eat u-bake pizza on Friday nights, and do the financial limbo twice each month in order to cover the minimum on their credit cards. Regardless of their status, everyone has something in their past. In hundreds of ways, they are wounded. Some more than others but all them carry something in their "backpack of pain." Occasionally, often with the help of somebody they trust, their backpacks will be dumped out to reveal the pain inside. Then, in some cases, their pain becomes a beneficial tool for others. I have watched people come to church with deep hurts and months later, I hear a story about how their painful experience helped another person in their recovery journey. Divorcees walk with divorcees. The addicted help the addicted. The recovering person helps the recovering person.

Transformation is possible only when we address the pain and shame of our past. It's a scary road that's never easy. When we make the commitment to "go there" we help others "get there."

Words

In 1977, Ken Olson, the founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation, said, "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." The advent of personal computers didn't really hit until the early 80's but when it did, it was huge. Apple opened the floodgates and, today, nearly every American owns a personal computer or can easily gain access to one.

It seems like Olsen didn't know what he was talking about. In fact, he sounded incredibly dumb - especially in light of what's happened in the last 30 years. In an interview recorded shortly after that statement was made, Olsen set the record straight (or at least tried to.) He said that he was referring to something completely different. In the 1950s and 1960s there existed the notion that the computer not only could but would control all aspects of our lives. Images of the fully computerized home that automatically turned lights on and off and that prepared meals and controlled daily diets were popular. And the fear that computers might, as in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, even try to take charge altogether was widely experienced. He said that he was repudiating was the idea of a home computer so controlling that residents' engaging in ordinary human activities would create a source of conflict. That's not what most people heard.

People are constantly making judgments about our character based on the words we use. It happens to me all the time. Someone will overhear something I've said and, within hours, 17 other people have been told something completely different. For example - I say, "Elephants are pink." Later that day, 17 people hear that I said, "I have decided to go on a hunting expedition to kill elephants but I really hope to bag some endangered species like a spotted turtle or a bald eagle." It happened to me last week when someone finally approached me about something she heard that I said in August. She was completely wrong on two levels; she waited a month to confront me and her facts weren't facts at all.

Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything.
Proverbs 13:3 (Message)

Ken's words were misinterpreted but I would argue that he was a little careless with his words. I have been careless, too. And it happens with some degree of regularity. My hope is that as I strive to be more like Him, my carelessness will become less frequent.

The park

Relationship happened on Sunday after church.

During my message, I invited our crowd to the park after church. The invitation took my staff by surprise since we have always relied on heavily programmed events that require days of planning. There's nothing wrong with heavily programmed events but there's a level of spontaneity that's lost in the "production." All 1,100 people were invited and I made it quite clear that nothing - absolutely nothing - was planned. Crossroads wasn't going to be barbecuing hamburgers or hot dogs, there would be no big bounce, and carnival games weren't planned beforehand.

After church, the kids and I went to Taco Bell and took our lunch to Blain Park. It has a big open area and a playground. There are some picnic tables and lots of trees for shade. It was a beautiful day. In our city park system, people request certain picnic areas for birthday parties, family reunions, etc. When I thought about the park thing, I thought I should call the city first to see if there were any open spots. Keeping with the theme of spontaneity, I figured that we could just show up and see what's available. As it turns out, we sat down in a picnic area that had already been reserved. Halfway into our meal, the people who had reserved the spot showed up and promptly told us that it was "their" space for the day. No biggie. We could just move. I think they were expecting a fight. By we were kicked out, many other Crossroads people had started to sit around the table. It was a real mix of people. I think one of our homeless folks actually walked 2 miles to get there. A couple of biker guys were there, too, who I recognized from the lobby after church. There was a family who I had met before. They were eating Subway sandwiches with their 1-year old in tow. What an eclectic group. Some of them stayed. Others left after lunch. I couldn't really keep track.

After a couple of hours, the crowd seemed comfortable with one another. People who wouldn't normally spend time together (for a variety of reasons) were just hanging out. Parker and I played Frisbee and a little baseball. Some kids who were there for another party came over and wanted to play. Against Parker's wishes, we let them field balls in the outfield. I told him that Crossroads would always be a place that attracted people - and I hope that's always the case in the future. I hope that we, as Christians, are able share a Christ-like nature to others. That doesn't mean we have permanent smiles on our faces and hug everyone in our path. Christ spoke the truth in love and, sometimes, He angered people. But, people knew that He cared for them and that they had value.

Good day at the park.

Welcome to Rap Bible Baptist Church

I hope there weren't too many visitors that Sunday.

Elements of the journey

I'm learning that my new journey with God will be a long one with various stops along the way. These temporary rest stops may be difficult to endure.

For me, shame is a constant companion. I have done catastrophic things in my life that have hurt people. Because of my addictions, trust became nearly impossible between me and my wife, I was forced to get very honest with those closest to me, and I finally had to deal with my "history of hurts." My family loved me from the day I was born but there was some major fallout between my mother and father and, in later years, me and my mother. I continue to deal with those relationships today and once I entered recovery, I learned just how much those issues affect me today. My addiction numbed the pain. Today, I am able to deal with those issues with a clear mind. It's sometimes easy and sometimes not.

No matter how much those things affected me, turning to substances was wrong and created many more problems. I created a pattern of sin in which I failed to do the right things and constantly chose the wrong things. That pattern of sin created shame - shame that I harbor today. God forgives and He has forgiven me. The Bible says He forgot my sin the second I asked for forgiveness. It's not so easy for me to forget.

I have to remind myself, sometimes hundreds of times a day, just how much I am loved by God. I am His child and His favor has nothing to do with what I do or what I've done. With sin comes consequences. Some sin creates greater consequences. For example, an affair could result in divorce and a lifetime of pain. On the other hand, stealing a pencil doesn't seem like such a big deal. Sin is sin according to God and forgiveness is possible across the board.

God doesn't want me to live in guilt and shame. He came to give life - life that's abundant (John 10:10). If you're like me and struggle with guilt and shame, my prayer is that we can focus on the freedom He promises to each of us.

Jesus loves me this I...am working to understand

I've been on a deep spiritual journey over the last couple of weeks. I've been on spiritual journeys before but this has been different. Deeper. More intense. For the first time in my Christian life, I am coming to the realization that I've been transferring my performance-driven nature into my relationship with God. There's no doubt that I do things for the acceptance and praise of others. I've done it with my parents, I do it for my boss, I do it for my family, and I've been doing it for God. Although seeking the praise of others may be an acceptable and worthy goal in some arenas, God does not need us to work for his approval. He loves us. Period.

I have written another blog (www.nofishallowed.blogspot.com) where I'm going through the Bible chapter by chapter. This month, I'm spending time in Galatians. In his letter, Paul emphasizes that Jesus' grace covers everyone regardless of what they "do" for him. Back then, any Christians (just like Christians in the 21st century) thought that following certain rules would put us in better standing with Father. With bulldog tenacity, Paul often responded with a firm "NO!" In fact, the original language (Koine Greek) has Paul actually saying, "HELL NO!" when responding to religious rule-makers who added conditions to the Gospel message.

My challenge these days: how can I really live in the love of God? How can I walk through the day and believe that I'm a precious child of God? How can I break the cycle of thinking that I need to read my Bible, say my prayers, and do "spiritual" things in order for God to find favor in me? How can I, instead, recognize His love for me FIRST so that my time in the Word, my time in prayer, and my spiritual growth becomes a natural outgrowth of understanding His love. It's backwards, isn't it. It's the complete opposite of how we're trained to live; performance leads to praise and acceptance. God accepts and loves because we are his children.

That's my journey today.

They dance, they sing

That's it. I'm going to Branson. Don't try to talk me out of it.

Guest blogger Kristin Pinter

Kristin Pinter is the childrens' pastor at Crossroads. She is also a mom of three and a wife of one.

Warning: If you have a weak stomach you may not want to read this entry.

As a children’s pastor, you might assume my children are little angels. I have been Blessed with three wonderful little girls, but they are definitely not angels. On Monday morning, I prayed that I would be able to have a loving heart and voice with my girls all day long. Brianna, my middle child, must have seen that as a challenge.
Every Monday, the Crossroads staff meets in my living room to discuss the events of the week and plan for the future. Believe it or not, we are all friends so we enjoy our weekly meetings. The “pastor kids” also have fun during these meetings – until this week.

Darrin’s daughter Abby and my princess Brianna are best friends; however, with two little girls you have A LOT of drama. On this particular Monday, words were exchanged between the buddies and the evening ended with some slinging of poo-poo. No, that is not a metaphor, Brianna literally slung doggie doo-doo on Abby.

Back to my morning goal and prayer. What am I supposed to do with that? Is staying calm in this situation humanly possible? Let’s just say my evening prayers included asking for forgiveness.

Unfortunately for my children, I am a teacher so they receive some serious lectures and lessons. Monday evening’s lesson came from Proverbs 26:11, “As a dog goes back to its vomit, so a fool repeats his stupidity.” Both children and adults make some interesting choices with friendships. Often times, we treat the one will love with the most harsh words or actions. Why do we allow our friendships to become so unhealthy?

The girls are only 7-years-old, but you have to start somewhere. Brianna and Abby have been told that if we hear negative stories about how they treat each other, they will be separated for the remainder of the week. That is the most horrible form of torture for these little buddies.

Lesson for the day: If a friend slings doo-doo at you, don’t be a fool and ask for seconds!

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah

It's been a blast watching the rise of Sarah Palin. From small-town mayor to Governor to Vice-Presidential candidate. I've been a registered Republican since the age of 18 and, for the most part, I proudly endorse the Republican platform. There are exceptions but that's a discussion for a later time (or maybe not).

I really like Sarah Palin. She has proven to be a bulldog with lipstick - a phrase by which she described herself at the Republican National Convention. Yesterday, Barack Obama made headlines when he said, "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig." I love to watch politicians hang themselves with their words. Biden has been a kick in the pants already.

The support of Palin from Evangelical Christians has been huge. Just in case you've been living on another planet, Palin is pro-life. If you want the conservative Christian vote, a pro-life position is necessary and Palin waves the banner with pride. Shortly after her nomination, Pope James Dobson proudly said that he would "...have no trouble pulling the lever for the McCain/Palin ticket.' This, after Dobson publicly chastised McCain for his many votes in Congress that Dobson called liberal and anti-family. His endorsement was a huge turnaround and millions of people will follow his instruction to vote McCain/Palin in November.

What's interesting about Palin's superstar status in Christian circles is that, while she is being supported as a viable leader in government, she would not be allowed to fill the pulpit or take on significant leadership positions in many churches. A favorite pastor of mine says that "...we are supporting her as a leader to that extreme capacity of 303 million people, yet in a complementarian rural church of 50 people, she would not be able to lead both men and women there." Wow. There is a denomination that I've studied for the past year that is dealing with the issue of women in leadership. There is a huge divide and it's become incredibly contentious. Yet, the denomination has already endorsed the Republican ticket - female leadership and all. Some say they're ok with her role as the potential Vice-President because she will be second in charge and that's ok for women. They can be number two but never number one.

The Apostle Paul, my hero, took some real hits because of his support for women in leadership. In fact, he even called one woman an apostle (Junias). Jesus always made sure that women were part of his ministry. Three of the pastors on my staff are women and they have been amazing in their roles. To be fair, Paul also says in 1 Timothy, ""And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence." But he also says, "“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Hmmm...

It's interesting to look at this stuff.

Recovery is important

My stress fracture put me on the sidelines for a couple of weeks but I'm happy to report that I'm back to running every day. What was initially diagnosed as a moderate fracture turned out to be pretty minor. The doctor said that continued rehab would make me stronger and better prepared for long runs in the future. The marathon in November is still a possibility.

Any doctor will tell you that sickness isn't just fixed with medication. If you have a cold, there are simple things you can do to get better. If you break a leg, there are certain exercises that will keep your leg strong. If you decide to deal with an addiction and enter "recovery", you will have a better chance at success if you follow a "recovery plan."

My dad suffered a major heart attack last month. It was the classic heart attack scenario. As he was brushing his teeth, he experienced a sharp pain in his chest and down his arm. A visit to the emergency room confirmed his fears and a angioplasty showed blockages that could have killed him. Two stints and one day later, the doctor told him that he could avoid open heart surgery if he made some lifestyle changes. He was told to stop smoking, stop drinking alcohol, and avoid rich foods. It was like telling a preacher not to preach. He had grown accustomed to a certain way of living but following an appropriate recovery program would, almost assuredly, guarantee more years on this side of Heaven. Dad is stubborn and treated the doctor's orders as mere suggestions but, after serious reflection, he made the changes. He hasn't smoked a cigarette since mid-August and, as far as I can tell, his drinking has dropped off dramatically. His recovery program is working.

I'm in recovery for a variety of things: narcotics and anger top the list. I've been able to avoid the former for years but anger is a daily struggle. For me, there are things I can do to stay "clean and sober." Daily prayer is a biggie. Surrounding myself with people who ask tough questions is another thing I can do.

Consider what a recovery program would look like for you. If you struggle with something (which includes all of us) commit to the process of getting better. Find someone who can help you through the journey and pray for God's guidance along the way.

A new thing

I struggle with stuff. I eat too much sugar, I get angry too often (often with a loud voice), and I don't read my Bible with consistency. As a pastor, that last one generates a lot of guilt and shame. However, I've been around Jesus long enough to know that He isn't a fan of guilt and shame. In fact, He wanted everyone to know just how much He loved us despite our failures (even those failures involving sugar, anger, and Bible study.) So, I shouldn't feel guilty about the Bible thing. Maybe a better defined emotion would be "empty". Quite simply, I have a better day when I spend some time reading history lessons from the Old and New Testament, stories of grace and forgiveness found in the New Testament, and those red letter words. When I don't read, especially over the course of a few days, I feel like I'm missing something. When I read, I have a better perspective on things. I don't eat less sugar but the anger thing is affected for the better.

So, I have created a new blog in an effort to prompt a regular system of study and analysis. It's not going to be brain surgery. I will read a chapter and write about it every day. I'm no Bible scholar nor do I consider myself an amazing writer by any means. But, my thoughts may generate some new thoughts for you. I like to talk about a spiritual "journey" and this blog may be a journey you choose to join.

Comment on the blog or don't. Read along in the Bible or don't. Agree with me or don't. Just visit if you have the time and maybe, we will learn something together.

A string of comments about one of my favorite books, Galatians, starts tomorrow. See you then. Address is:
www.nofishallowed.blogspot.com

New worship direction

Suddenly, the leaders at Crossroads Community Church began to wonder what worship would look like if we all got sucked up into a black hole filled with people from the 70's who preached mid-week revivals about satanic messages in rock music and different translations of the Bible.

Oh yeah...and wore matching shirts and vests with feathered hair.

Great day followup

It was a great night at Dodger Stadium with perfect weather, a perfect view, and a perfect game. Parker and I had a blast.

I think the greatest part of the night occurred shortly after we sat in our seats. I splurged on tickets for this game. Our seats were just 11 rows behind the Dodger dugout. The gate ticket price for our seats was astronomical but thanks to StubHub and a season ticket holder who couldn't go, we saved 40%. We arrived before the gates opened and were one of the first fans through the gates. We had to show our tickets to a series of ushers since our seats were so close to the field. We felt like movie stars since we were getting such first-class treatment. We found our row and started walking down towards the field. We kept going further and further down and soon realized that we had absolutely scored.

After we sat down and started to experience the beauty of being so close, Parker looked over at me and said, "Thanks, Dad." You have to know my son. He's not the most appreciative kid in the world - much like I was in 4th grade. In fact, I remember my parents reminding me how blessed I was but that I never seemed to appreciate the life I had. We had lots of "things", a great house, and I always had spending money. I was blessed but, apparently, didn't say "thanks" enough. Parker is a lot like me. He goes to private school, has a room full of stuff, and his mom and dad spend a lot of money on things like baseball tournaments, nice clothes, and weekends away. But he rarely recognizes what he has and, more importantly, what others don't have.

He didn't specify why he was thanking me but he didn't have to. He was so genuine and it generated a couple of emotions. I was happy that he was really appreciative. And I was proud that our constant instruction about saying "thanks" was finally breaking through. It was the highlight of my night.

Great day

Taking Parker to the Dodger game today. Can't wait to tell him although he may think he is in trouble when he gets called to the office. He's been there before. That's my boy.

Ran 5 miles yesterday - felt great.

Reading one of the best books I've read in a long time. Check it out here --- http://www.mybeautifulidol.com/

Talk soon and have a great weekend.

Better news

Great news yesterday. My doctor conferred with the radiologist and determined that the stress fracture was...well...much less stressful. I will still require a rehabilitation period but running is not out of the question and the marathon is still a possibility. After 6 days of rest, I ran 2 miles yesterday and it felt great. I'm really thankful.

Parker and I are going to a Dodger game tomorrow night. We will leave after school and, hopefully, make it in time for batting practice. It's a surprise so if you see him today or tomorrow, don't tell him. If you do, I will find out where you live and make your life miserable. Loud music and bright lights at night kinda stuff.

I treasured the days that my dad showed up to pick me up from school. It didn't happen much. I pick up Parker and Abby every day because mommy is a teacher so the novelty of daddy being there isn't really a novelty. I'm just the regular pick-up guy. But tomorrow will be different. I will have the school secretary pull him out of class a little early, meet me in the office, and deliver the news. He will be ecstatic and we'll have a ball.

Church advertising

At our church, we've explored a variety of advertising methods. I'm in the advertising business so it's natural that I would use things like print and radio to share our message with a broad audience. Radio has been our main advertising medium and it's "worked" incredibly well. I'm not sure how many people have come through our doors because of our radio commercials but it's amazing how many people think of Crossroads when they think about going to church. In radio and print, it's called "top-of-mind" advertising. It's what happens when people think about a certain brand when they think about a certain product. Paper towels - Bounty. Toilet paper - Charmin. Macaroni and Cheese - Kraft. Church - Crossroads. I really believe in the value of Crossroads but, truthfully, I just want people to be in church - any church - that shares the message of Christianity. But if people have a choice about where to go on Sunday mornings, I want Crossroads to be an option. Advertising helps.

A few weeks ago, we ran a full page ad that generated some interesting comments. I posted the ad above. Click to view. Advertising can bring out the worst in people. Some of my happy email comments are below.

"The Bible is very clear about standing firm against homosexuality. Your newspaper ad seems to invite homosexuals to church and that their lifestyle is acceptable."

"...fag lover"

"It's obvious that you are just trying to pack your church by offering some "feel good" message that appeals to everyone. That's cheap."

Thankfully, we received more positive comments than negative ones. Many people appreciated the bold statement that we made but I knew the ad would generate some real emotions. It's important for me to remember that the medium is not the message, the message is the message. It doesn't really matter if we use radio, print, or billboards - the medium is only as valuable as the message we are communicating. A well-known media consultant said it this way; "Ad campaigns don't fail because someone chose the wrong media. Ad campaigns fail because someone chose the wrong message. The job of the media is to deliver your message. Your job is to give the media a message worth delivering." Sometimes, the message is so important that a bold statement is necessary.

Great weekend

We had an amazing weekend. After Parker's football game on Saturday, we drove to Bass Lake - about two hours northeast of Fresno but light years away from stress and smog. We were the guests of two great friends and a third couple joined us. Six adults over the age of 30 and seven kids under the age of nine. It was quite a party.

We stayed at a beautiful cabin. It's a few steps away from the water with a private dock, a ski boat, a pontoon boat, and perfect surroundings. Lakefront homes at Bass Lake are a site to behold. They are absolutely incredible. Owners spend millions of dollars to create a paradise in the mountains. In fact, the owner of our weekend retreat oasis is selling his cabin. We had a whale of a time trying to figure out exactly how we could pool our money to amass the dollars needed to make the purchase. I don't know how much the owner is asking but if you have to ask the price on these homes, you probably can't afford it. Let me retract that. I have no idea how much money you have. If you are considering a lakefront home purchase at Bass Lake, let me know. There are three other families who have worked out the details (which banks to rob and how much money we could fetch for our children.)

I think people who work hard should spend money however they want. If they've achieved a position of financial security - even abundance - they should live in any degree of luxury they so choose. I think rich people get a bad rap. I've found that so many people society would label as "rich" are some of the most incredibly generous people around. I don't, however, agree with the tv preachers who say that we will be super-rich if we follow God the "right" way. I guess that means that if we are middle-class, then we are way off the correct spiritual path. Verses taken out of context or "creatively crafted" to say certain things are not what God intended - at least I don't think so. I think God honors hard work and hard work reaps positive benefits like more money.

So, when given the opportunity, I will keep enjoying the riches of others. And, again, if you are looking for a place to utilize $3 million or so, let me know.