One Word 2011

I've seen quite a few folks jump on board with "One Word 2011" over the past few days, and in true late-adopter fashion, I've decided to join.  It didn't take too long for me to come up with a word, but in doing so I hit a bit of a snag.  The word I have chosen immediately remedies one of my biggest problems, yet, that very problem is what keeps me from blogging most of the time anyway.  Ideally, this word is not just something I know I should say.  Hopefully, it is God-ordained idea that will take hold of me and transform me forever.


Without further ado, my word is: Relentless

At first, I thought the definition was a little bit overbearing. "That does not relent; unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting: a relentless enemy."

I realized though, that one of my biggest probelms throughout the years has been settling for the mediocre, doing enough to just get by with as little fanfare as possible. That is no longer an option for me. I want to be unyieldingly severe when it comes to mediocrity. It will not be accepted. I want to be strict, and harsh, when my mind tells me that getting by is good enough. I will be the relentless enemy to apathy and boredom. I can apply this word to so many aspects of my life, such as relationships, righteousness, vocation, and physical fitness, to name a few.  It is a big word, with a lot of implications.  I hope this won't just be a good idea, but rather, a completely active lifestyle of unrelenting pursuit. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

The Christmas That Changed It All

This Christmas, our family is splitting up names and so we only have to buy a present for one other family member. I drew my cousin Roman, who lies in Hawaii. My first thought, "What else does he need?" Even if he lived here in Kentucky, I'd have probably thought the same thing, because the fact is, he really doesn't need a gift from me.

I've been considering just getting him a book and using the rest of our allotted sum ($50) to go towards mosquito nets or a well for a family in Africa. I know that it is kind of a cop-out, I mean, it's a measly fifty bucks so I wouldn't be making that much of a difference, right? Well...no, at least, not in my mind. Here's why I'm doing it:

1. The old cliché, "Give a give that keeps on giving." While my cousin would no doubt love a steak knife set or maybe even a surf lesson, he doesn't need any of those things. A family in Africa needs mosquito nets so they can sleep at night without worrying about catching malaria. They need clean water. Orphans that live in trash dumps in Nicaragua need food, clothing, and shelter. Yet, I'll mindlessly send a $50 gift to my cousin in Hawaii so he can pawn it off, or better yet, just leave it in the attic until he throws it away one day? I'm thinking helping out someone in need will give him much more peace than giving him something he'll try to take back to Wal-Mart, in essence, an errand.

2. My view on Christmas is probably considered heretical by my family, but since there isn't really any mention of it in the Bible, nor was it established by any early Christians, I try not to get too caught up in "the reason for the season." However, the fact that it has been established for as long as it has coupled with the fact that it isn't by any means a bad thing leads me to try and be Christ-minded throughout this season. What does that look like? I think to Matthew 25: 34-40.

"Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."

3. Don't do things without thinking about them. Most of us give gifts just because it is the socially/culturally accepted norm. Think about the reason behind it and give gifts with intention, not just out of obligation to tradition.

4. Don't fall victim to corporation's mind games.  Advertisers have conditioned us to believe we have to get certain things for people and give certain gifts. They don't care about the reason behind it, they just want our money. Don't be a pawn.

5. Lastly, think about the difference that could be made if we spent even half as much on Christmas gifts as we did last year, and used the other half to feed the poor. Americans are estimated to spend $450 billion on Christmas gifts this year. The cost associated with equipping most of the world as we know it with clean water, $10 billion. Be a catalyst for change. It isn't going to start with Wal-Mart or any shopping mall, it is going to start in the hearts of those that care about the things that God cares about.

Visit some of these sites for ideas on Christmas giving:

World Vision
Samaritan's Purse
LUO

I know it is late in the season, and most of you have already purchased all your gifts. This wasn't meant to look like any type of condemnation for those of you who give gifts at Christmas. I'll be getting gifts for immediate family and the girlfriend. However, I do want the idea to spread, so if even if you just did this for one person, it will have made an impact far greater than I think we may ever really know.

Collision of Grace and Truth...

Most certainly, grace and truth are not mutually exclusive.  However, the line can be blurry sometimes. 

This week Belmont University, the university from which I obtained my Master's degree, has come under some scrutiny for decisions that have been made recently.  It seems as if a coach who wanted to share her sexual preference and decision to mother a child with her team has led to her being "run-out" by athletics department administrators.  We don't know exactly how it happened, but the result was that the coach has decided to resign with no further explanation.  The story from The Tennessean is here.  The question of whether or not she was already thinking about resigning due to having a child has been brought up, and is a fair question.  We know the media loves to blow things up, but I think this is a good case to bring up some discussion on the topic...so look at my questions below and let me know what you think!

Belmont has implemented policies based on Biblical truths, and so by allowing this coach to share her sexuality with her players, is the school condoning a choice that is in opposition to their policy?  Or does this just reflect a calloused, judgemental administration that has failed to show love and grace?

In Whom/What Do We Delight?

I was recently talking to someone about some of the service opportunities I've had over the past few months.  I was saying that although I went and did some of these things, I was still very comfortable in my life and rarely "stuck my neck out" to help anyone out.  The other person said, "Sure, but look at other people your age...and older!  They aren't doing half of these things."  I felt consoled for a moment, but realized that I didn't want to be compared with other people in any of these matters.  For as many good things there are about me, there are a hundred things that other people do better than I do, with more gusto and conviction than I could ever dream of.

The conversation floated to giving and talking about how once again, I gave, but never to the amount that I had felt any discomfort (the running theme in my life, to this point, is obviously self-preservation).  The other person said that God expects 10% (a common misconception) and that He has blessed us with what we have.  He wants us to be happy, and enjoy life.  I don't disagree that God wants us to be happy. 

What I believe though, is that our hearts should be broken more for those who have little, than happy for the things we have been given.

Maybe that is a little self-defeating, but Jesus never told anyone to go and gather up their money and buy new or better possessions.  If anything, He told them to go sell everything they had and give it to the poor, or to drop it all and just go with Him.  I believe we'll be much happier and fulfilled when we see justice done in the name of God than we will when a new toy arrives in the mail.  Psalm 37:4 says to delight yourself in Him, and He'll give you the desires of your heart.  Notice that before those desires are met, you must delight yourself in Him.  When you are delighted in the Lord, your desires will match that of God - in essence, you'll desire the same things that God desires.

I know this was a bit random, but I'm getting ready to read the book "Radical" and the "trailer" made me realize I had better be prepared for this read...

Tolerance basically means not spitting on someone

A word that's been thrown around a lot since the uproar over mosque building and Qur'an burnings is "tolerance." Public figures of all types have been preaching non-stop the significance of being tolerant of other people's religion, traditions and so on. Most notably, Christians (of all levels of spiritual maturity) have been asked to be tolerant of our Muslim neighbors and their wishes to build places of worship in our communities. Over the past week, I've heard the phrase a ton and began to think about what it really means to be tolerant.

A quick look at dictionary.com gives some general definitions:

tol·er·ance

1. a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry.

4. the act or capacity of enduring; endurance.

The two definitions above paint slightly different pictures, one being more permissive and the other more indifferent. According to a Wikipedia entry, "Conversely, 'intolerance' may be used to refer to the discriminatory practices sought to be prohibited." With that being said, I think I can surmise that tolerance basically means not spitting on someone.

Okay, maybe it's a gross exaggeration but the point I'm trying to make is that tolerance is a lot closer to hate than it is to love. Pastor Mike Glenn once said, "Do you know how dismissive it is to tolerate another human being, rather than to love that human being? To have someone and say you tolerate them...that's the best the world can offer. Jesus says, you love your neighbor. It isn't based on who they are or what they do, it is based on proximity. It is the person nearest you, the person in need nearest you, that is your neighbor."

Fellow Twitter user Dan Eggenschwiler tweeted recently, "Tolerance is a falsely promoted idea that is often confused with love & grace. I believe in love and grace. I do not believe in tolerance."

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself." Christians are not called to tolerate. We are called to love, and love like we would love ourselves.

Who in your life have you merely tolerated? Is there someone in need of love right now?

Music That Soothes

For most of my post-elementary school life, country music was not my music genre of choice.  As a general rule, that is still true today, but that is changing a little bit.  I'm not talking about the new country either, the stuff that sounds more like pop than the "country" I listened to as a wee lad.  I'm talking about the folky country, with simple yet brilliant lyrics, and musical genius not tyipcally finding a home on "99.7 THE TRACTOR" or whatever station is spinning the newest country tracks these days.

Anyway, you can listen (for a short time) to Justin Townes Earle's newest album, "Harlem River Blues" in it's entirety right here: Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues

Let me know what you think!

Madness, Madness I Tell You!

As is generally the case, I was able to connect Sunday's sermon (and subsequent small group topic) to a very specific part of my life. Pete spoke on the tendency we have as humans to take something that is good, and make it ultimate. I think most humans get that there is a certain hierarchy within the universe, a natural order of existence that places things of importance above the average and mediocre. Family before friends, friends before complete strangers - it's very simple, but no less a part of the way we intend to function. However, we stray from this model. We let good things (work, hobbies, entertainment) become more important than things that "matter." As Christians, we know God tops the list of the hierarchy. But how often do we forego any time spent with him in a given day to pursue our interests and families and friends? If you're like me, it's a lot. We have a way of taking what is normally good and making it an ultimate, something that should only be reserved for God. It's not like we're out there every day looking for a fight or drugs or a pyramid scheme to get invovled in. We are stuck chasing not what is obviously evil, but what is deceptively good.

Okay, I know what you're thinking..."cool story bro." But it applies, watch.

There's a title given to this time of year where we immerese ourselves in something good. And then we immerse ourselves more, and get deeper and deeper in and get a point where we are crazy (aka, mad). Get it? March Madness.

I love this time of year, and so does everyone else. If you question whether or not we make an "ultimate" out of the NCAA Tournament, chances are you've already gone mad. The tournament isn't a bad thing, but (much like other massive sporting events) we worship it and give it a lot more attention than we probably should. After all, the main story on ESPN's homepage right now is detailing the bracket picked by our President (yea, like...the most powerful person in the world right now). 1The NCAA says that 1 out of every 10 Americans fill out a bracket, but I'd bet that is a very conservative estimate. Additionally, the Nevada gaming commission claims around $80-90 million is wagered every year, with another $7 billion or so being illegally wagered in office bracket pools and with other bookies. It's a crazy time, but it is fun. The question remains:

What are we to do?


I don't recommend boycotting the tournament (Lord knows I won't be). But what I might suggest is that we not let watching games or filling in brackets get in the way of maintaining our relationship with God and/or others. Take a look at the hierarchy of things in your life (if you aren't a Christian, maybe you value your family most and that shouldn't suffer because you like watching basketball) and make sure the good things (like March Madness) don't become ultimate things.

On that note...GO RACERS!




1 http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2009/03/17/ncaa-march-madness-can-cause-lifetime-gambling-problems.html