Why I'm an Ambivalent Voter

This is what I've been wanting to say for a while, but didn't know how. If one of the candidates was really to run a clean campaign, would he really win, or is the majority of our country sucked into the backbiting, bickering, and the smearing, negative ads? Will the next debate be more fruitful? I'm very curious to see the VP candidates debate.

Hogging the Bandwidth

On Sunday I was taking a short break during one of the services to try and upload something online. I forget what it was now, but Kelly happened to be in the same room working on two large projects and was uploading a graphic-heavy piece to the web. I was all like, "Hey, what happened to the internet?" because my computer literally started acting like the internet had gone down, like it was paralyzed to find any available resources to do what I needed done. A couple minutes later, everything was back, which I stated aloud, and she said, "My computer was probably hogging the bandwidth."

Is something hogging your bandwidth? Is something crowding out your ability to be effective in doing what God wants you to do? Are extracurricular activities keeping you from family time? Is TV keeping you from God time (this is me)? Maybe the circumstances seem outside your control--the kids demand your time, your sick with whatever this nasty bug is going around, you're working 60+ hours a week. You have one of two options--get more bandwidth, or stop doing something to free some up. Seems like in this case, less is probably more.

Order Pictures of Aidan

Here is Aidan's shutterfly website, look to your hearts content, and from there you can order prints....you can even order them to print at your nearest Target!

Tribute to John Piper

Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Seattle posted this blog about John Piper. Does anyone have some recommendations of DVD's or video sermons online from him? I like his books but I've only ever seen him preach in person once, when he came to a Ligonier Conference in Grand Rapids when I was in high school. He was more passionate and inspiring than RC Sproul, IMHO.

The Election and Charitable Donations

Tim Stevens has a interesting post here about the current Vice/Presidential candidates and their charitable giving. I'm not into politics and haven't been watching hours of MSNBC. When the segment about the campaigns comes on the world news, I turn to another channel. But I think Tim makes an interesting point, one that reminds me of the whole thing about some CEO's exorbitant incomes.

But no matter what your income is, how you handle your money is a reflection of your heart. Am I saving and spending my money on myself, or do I bless others with what I've been given?

Missing Out

As a staff the other day we were watching a sermon by Perry Noble from this summer's One Prayer series. At one point he said that when we walk with Jesus, it ought to develop in us a sense of passion and expectancy. He illustrated this by pointing out that when we go to the movies, most of us are seated in the theatre 5-10 minutes before the PREVIEWS. We say hello to each other, maybe talk for a few minutes, but we're ready and excited for the next 2-3 hours.

When it comes to church though, the average person at any church will walk in the door two minutes before the countdown (previews), check in the kids and talk to friends until the countdown is over, and then walk in during the first, second, or third worship song. We're annoyed if something causes us to miss the first few minutes of a movie, we're fine with missing the first few minutes of worship and encountering Jesus, our loving Savior who gave his life for us so that we could worship him.

What if we had so much passion and expectancy throughout the week that we came early to say hello, and get into the sanctuary before or during the countdown? What if we left the house a few minutes early on Sunday morning to allow ourselves the margin to sit or browse the foyer and let the excitement rise within us? What if instead of talking to our same old friends that we could easily call in the afternoon or have a small group with, we reached out to people walking through our doors for the first time, who may have no friends with them, or not many friends at all? (Grace getting better at this--go Grace!)

As Steven Furtick would say, "Perhaps!..." Perhaps God would invade our hearts and our worship on Sundays, and put such an excitement in us that we would be compelled to reach out and invite people to come and sit with us, and together we would worship God passionately, because we were made for worship.

This isn't about guilting and shaming you into showing up on time and getting your butt in the sanctuary. This is about developing and increasing your desire for Jesus, a concern to create an electric atmosphere that is exciting and compelling for people far from God to be brought into the presence of the living God.

A Cheat of a Post

You should take 10 seconds to read Kepiad's post from this morning. This relates quite a bit to Mike's sermon from Sunday (Podcast--Grace Fellowship Orlando) "Who's Influence are You Under?"

More on the Generous Life Small Groups

Someone today at the office said a few folks are waiting to sign up for the Generous Life small groups in October because they are wondering what it is about. All the information you need is right here. Don't hesitate to sign up online!

Sunday Dump on Monday Night

I got the idea of a mind dump from Gary Lamb, pastor of Revolution Church in rural North Georgia. I don't know that it will become a weekly tradition, but it's just my excuse for not titling the post "Random Thoughts."

I posted the first half of the mind dump earlier on Grace's blog, which will post soon if it hasn't already.
Because of my part of working with the small groups at our church, I'm finally learning to type the word "curriculum" without having to hit 'backspace.' Back in 6th or 7th grade I went to Ann Arbor, MI for a state-wide spelling bee. I only made it two or three rounds. It still is the most time I've ever spent in Ann Arbor, home of U of M.

When you're on staff of a church, the rhythm of your week is a bit different from the rest of the world. On Monday morning I have a small group of men that meets at 6am. It's sort of my time for connecting with my own spiritual life and growing with other men. Around 8am, after the group, is when I begin to count down toward next Sunday. I think about the day before and what went right and what didn't. I actually kind of appreciate having staff meeting on Monday mornings, because even though we're tired from the day before (especially when you're getting up that early two days in a row), we hit the ground running.

Tomorrow night and Wednesday we're taking a quick retreat as a staff. Some pastors are renaming these "Staff advances" rather than retreats, because it's a time to plan, focus, set goals as we look to the future of our church. It just so happens that a friend of Grace is allowing us to use their beach condo for the night. The beach is so relaxing!

Here's a recent pic of Aidan...Being his Dad is wonderful and profound.

Growing Around Your Scars

An acquaintance of mine from Grace Clinic began an e-newsletter article with this. I thought it worthy of passing along:

"Take a good look at this picture. It is of an Aspen tree I came across during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park this summer. While my friend and I were taking a break from the ascent, I was looking at all the initials carved into the trunk when I noticed this fascinating work of nature. Unlike other types of trees I've seen with initials carved into them, the Aspen does something wonderful with the nicks and carvings etched into its life: it grows around them. Some initials are dark and clearly cut into the face of the tree, while others are bubbled and white. After time, it seems, the Aspen makes its scars a part of who it is in such a way that its beauty and the new markings are still there but reshaped to give the tree a unique identity. As I stood in front of this Aspen, it reminded me of a well-lived life: full of marks that change the face of it forever, but full of life that grows around the marks so that they become a beautiful part of its story."

An Opportunity for Some Sweet Moola

Yes, if you would like to make some sweet moola with Uncle Rico, I have the opportunity for you. While we have plenty of childcare help stepping forward for evenings, weekends, and other incidental occasions, we are looking for someone we know to be willing to watch Aidan from as early as 8:30 in the morning until around 6pm on a weekday. We are so grateful for everyone's support and love for us as we enjoy our newborn son. We just realize this is a bigger ask and we need someone who can commit to it at least twice a month.

When Anne goes back to work, we already have childcare for her three regular work days of the week, but when it comes to working an extra day here and there, we need someone to watch him. If you are someone we know who will be available for this, please email me. Know that if we receive multiple responses, we will choose the person that seems most compatible for us. For those we don't choose, we love you and appreciate you, just have to go with what works best for us and Aidan.

Burping Aidan

I mostly post this for my mom who lives far away and won't be able to come soon to see Aidan. Here's the next best thing. Maybe some other moms (even dads?) will like it too. Probably the cutest Aidan gets is when he's burping. During this particular burp he was working on a big dump too. :-)

Mac is just Easier

So, for a year now I've been using Microsoft Entourage on my mac. This week, for the hundredth time, I was in the middle of an email trying to attach something and the program froze up and then decided to jump ship. Thanks to Kepiad of Masking and Unveiling fame for setting up OSX's mail program in the midst of the other 200 things she's doing this week.

Life has been so much easier since I got off entourage. I only open my entourage once a day now to check hotmail, which is mostly forwards about banning Citgo and how Barack Obama=the devil (Honestly, people, I don't have time to read that crap). Address book functions so nicely, as well as the integration of iCal when people send dates, and the ability to make quick notes and to-do's. AND, when I used Entourage, I only received about 1/5th of my total emails on my phone. Now, with Mail, I receive 100% of my emails on my phone, which is largely just redundant until the time I'm on the road and need to be accessible. Yet another way that Apple's clever, slightly sarcastic commercials, ring true.