Category Archives: General

General

Catch Up

It is has been a really long time since I’ve posted here on the blog. Life has a way of getting n the way of your best laid plans and that has certainly been the case for me. The Resistance got me. Let me tell you what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks.

  1. We Moved. We moved into a brand new house that was a little bit bigger than our old house and a little bit closer to the action of our daily lives. The move was a whirlwind of activity. We ended up moving our furniture in the dark because, in all the confusion of closing houses, our power was shut off. Crazy. So that was on a Tuesday.
  2. We Are Having Another Baby. And on Saturday we found out the big news. This was not the plan but we are excited and have begun the process of getting everything together for our new family member. We are anticipating another May birthday in our house.
  3. Catalyst. This past weekend I attended the Catalyst Conference with some of my youth ministry peers from here in town. We traveled by White Church Van from DFW to the ATL last Wednesday. The conference was the best yet. Andy Stanley gave an incredible lesson on Esau and set the bar for the whole week. It was incredible. On Friday, we drove the entire trip back during the night. It was a long trip but extremely fruitful. Our personal ministries will benefit from the conference and so will the joint ministry event that we participate in together. I am so excited about what lies in store for us.

There you have it 3 great things that have kept me from the blog. Be on the lookout for more regular posts beginning today.

General

Top 20 Song (Play)list Pt 2

It is (Play)List Friday here at Kicking at the Darkness. This week, we’ll wrap up my Top 20 Songs (Play)List. Enjoy.

Magnificent / U2 (No Line On The Horizon)
One of the strongest songs off of NLOTH and one the loudest professions of faith in the U2 catalog- at least, that’s how I hear it. I turn this song into a prayer.

Favorite Line: “I was born, I was born to sing for you, I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up and sing whatever song you wanted me to, I give you back my voice, From the womb my first cry it was a joyful noise.”

All Along The Watchtower / Jimi Hendrix
Interesting fact: When this song comes on when I’m in the car, my vehicle turns into a helicopter and I fly missions into Vietnam. It’s true.

Favorite Line: “Let us stop talkin’ falsely now, the hour is getting late.”

Don’t You Forget About Me / Simple Minds
Have you seen Simple Minds in concert? I have. Did you every have Saturday School… In college? I did.

Favorite Line: “Smoke up Johnny!!!!!” (That’s from The Breakfast Club)

God Only Knows / Beach Boys (Pet Sounds)
The Beach Boys accomplish in 2:53 what it takes most bands lifetimes to achieve (Or not achieve).

Favorite Line: “God only knows what I’d be without you.”

A Day In the Life / The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Chaos and order culminates into the most definitive note in rock n’ roll history.

Favorite Line: “Looking up, I noticed I was late (huff, huff, huff).”

Last Goodbye / Jeff Buckley (Grace)
The Mighty Mississippi took Jeff Buckley way too soon but not before he left us with “Grace.” This is the best track off that album and most definitely one of my favorite songs to sing along to. I can hit those high notes like no one’s business. The key is to sing with passion- a truth Buckley lived by.

Favorite Line: “Kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation”

The Times They Are A-Changin’ / Bob Dylan (The Times They Are A-Changin’)
Was this really written in 1964? Truth is it was written yesterday and will remain prophetic even tomorrow. Did I just blow your mind?

Favorite Line: “The line it is drawn, The curse it is cast, The slow one now will later be fast, As the present now will later be past, The order is rapidly fadin’, And the first one now will later be last, For the times they are a-changin’”

Bad-40-Where The Streets Have No Name / U2 (Electrical Storm-EP)
It’s my list and if I want to list 3 songs as 1 I will do so. Taken from the Elevation Tour: Live in Boston DVD this track contains everything you need for a live U2 experience. Add to these 3 songs Bono quoting Psalm 116 from the Message and you’ve got 12 minutes of awesome, heart-and-soul rocking music. You’re welcome!

Favorite Line: “What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?”

Mighty To Save / Hillsong (Mighty to Save)
I often wonder which church songs that we sing today will my son be singing 30 years from now. I hope that he will be singing this one… loudly, passionately, and with conviction.

Favorite Line: “So take me as you find me, all my fears and failures, and fill my life again. I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, now I surrender.“

General, Music, My Life, Playlists

Friday (Play)List: Top 20 Songs Pt 1

To continue with My Life in (Play)Lists series that I started last week I am revealing to you today the list of My Top 20 Favorite Songs. Remeber that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is dating that guy that is obsessed with the song “Desperado” by the Eagles? That song would come on the radio and he would stop talking, close his eyes, and drift away completely tuning out everything but the song. Yeah, that’s what happens to me whenever these 20 songs are played. I’ll reveal 10 this Friday and 10 next Friday. Enjoy!

1) Beautiful Day / U2 (All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
Out of all the U2 songs out there, this one grabs my attention every time. I love the bass groove that opens the song. When the drums kick in at the chorus I’m gone- you’ve lost me to the music. Love this song so much! I remember listening to it a lot during the first year we were married in our little apartment off campus. The music is only enhanced message of the song’ “What you don’t have, you don’t need it now, It’s a Beautiful Day!” Maybe I can hook a speaker up to my tombstone and blast this song across the cemetery. Forget the Eternal Flame- I’ve got an Eternal Soundtrack!

Favorite Line: “You’ve been all over, And it’s been all over you, It’s a Beautiful Day!”

2) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

3) Let’s Stay Together / Al Green
I wish I was a great soul singer like the Rev. Green.

Favorite Line: “Since we’ve been together, Wooo, Loving you forever is what I NEEEEEeeeeeddd”

4) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

5) If I Can Dream / Elvis (’68 Comeback Special)
I’m a big Elvis fan and this is without a doubt the greatest Elvis song in his cannon. Since this is from the ’68 Comeback Special the energy and the passion is turned up to 11. It is so real you can almost feel the heat of the studio lights and the sweat from his brow. Elvis believes every word of this song and he makes you believe it too.

Favorite line: “While I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk, while I can dream… please let my dream… come true.”

6) Shelter From the Storm (Alt Take) / Bob Dylan (Jerry Maguire Soundtrack)
Any true Dylan fan can tell the difference between the album releases and the numerous alternative takes that have been leaked, released, and traded around for years. While I cannot give you any technical reasons this alternative take of Shelter is different the Blood on the Tracks original I can tell you that this is the superior one. This song totally envelops me whenever I listen to it.

Favorite Line: “I bargained for salvation, She gave me a lethal dose.”

7) Won’t Back Down / Johnny Cash feat. Tom Petty (American III)
We live a world that settles for mediocrity. I hate that. When things get tough or the pressure is on we wither and melt. Hearing Cash’s weather-beaten voice is a bit of motivation for this young pup to keep pushing, keeping shipping, and keep standing firm when everyone and everything else settles for less that what they deserve.

Favorite Line: “I know what’s right,I got just one life, In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around, But I’ll stand my ground, And I won’t back down.”

Eight) All These Things I’ve Done / The Killers (Hot Fuss)
Invisible Children used this track for a simple yet powerful video highlighting teens leading the charge and sounding the cry for children in Uganda who were being abducted and forced to serve in illegal armies. I don’t know if it is because of the video or because of the song but I get completely lost inside this song and I still get goosebumps every time I listen. Great song.

Favorite Line: “If you can’t hold on, Hold on.”

9) Fix You / Coldplay (X&Y)
A modern day hymn complete with organ, longing, promises, and reverence. Is there anything about this song that isn’t absolutely perfect.

Favorite Line: “Tears stream down your face, when you lose something you cannot replace.”

10) How He Loves / John Mark McMillian (The Medicine)
Another song that gives me goosebumps. It is worship in the raw and John Mark McMillian dedicates every word to Almighty God. A simple song with simple lyrics suddenly becomes complex and earth-shattering when the implications of these lyrics sink in. Our great and mighty God loves us enough to send his Son to earth to die in our place and offer us real and eternal life. Oh How He Loves!

Favorite Line: “I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about… How He Loves Us!”

General

Too Easily Pleased

Challenging thought of the day from C.S. Lewis:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

What are you too easily please by? What lesser thing do you choose over and above the infinite joy offered to you through Jesus Christ?

Father, help us to settle for nothing less than you.

General

Grace Over Lunch

IMG_0297

School is officially back in session next week but today we started our new school year routine. Sandy went back for teacher in-service and I went back to using my desk full-time after a summer of using the youth room as my office. This year I have decided to pack a lunch and take my lunch time at the office as often as I can. Sure, I’ll visit schools and eat with students some days and I’ll have occasions where I’ll have a lunch meeting but if I can save a buck (or eight) here and there more power to me.

My hope is to watch sermon podcasts or listen to leadership lessons while I eat each day but today… I needed to rock out to the second (SECOND!) encore from U2360: Live from the Rose Bowl on DVD. My soul gets fed in all sorts of ways.

I listend to Ultraviolent (Light My Way) which dovetailed quite nicely with my morning scripture meditation from the Sermon on the Mount.

First from Matthew 5:

“Let’s not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here’s what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile.” (Matthew 5:29 MESSAGE)

From Ultraviolent:

Oh sugar, don’t you cry
Oh child, wipe the tears from your eyes
You know I need you to be strong
And the day is as dark as the night is long
 Feel like trash, you make me feel clean
I’m in the black, can’t see or be seen

Baby baby baby light my way

It is impossible to overcome the foul stench of sin and unrighteousness we find ourselves in. Sin takes us for a joyride only to drop our rotting corpse on top of the trash heap. We are left exposed to the world- our sin, our humilation, our choices- open to ridicule and contempt. That’s when the grace of Jesus comes, picks us up, covers us with his righteousness. (1Peter 3:18)

Sin leaves me feeling like trash. Only Christ makes me clean. Light my way, Lord! Light our way!

General

Get Away

We are taking a few days off to celebrate our anniversary. This short get away has us crossing the northern border of Texas onto Oklahoma.

I am looking forward to spending a couple nights away from it all with my beautiful bride lounging at the pool, sleeping in, and eating some great food.

See you when we get back!

General

Sabbath

According to Wikipedia, “Jewish law prohibits doing any form of meleachah on shabbat, with some exceptions Though melachah is commonly translated as work in English, a better definition is deliberate activity or skill and craftmanship. There are 39 categories of prohibited activities.”

Some of these 39 activities include:

  • Planting
  • Plowing
  • Baking
  • Selecting
  • Writing more than 2 letters
  • Erasing more than 2 letters
  • Igniting a fire
  • Applying the finishing touch
  • Tying
  • Untying

There seems to be a lot of debate about the use of modern electronics and appliances. Can you drive a car? What about watching a tv- even if it was on when Sabbath began?

Before I began this journey, I had to decide exactly how far I was going to take my Sabbath attempts. The laws aren’t just confusing they are overwhelming. For example, according to my study it was permissible for me to use the refrigerator but when you open the door the incandescent light bulb is triggered and thus violates the law prohibiting igniting a fire. I could drink my cold sweet tea but each trip to the fridge violated the law. The solution for some is to unscrew the bulb in the fridge before sundown on the Sabbath.

Some Rabbis have varying rules and teachings on the use of electronics. Some believe that typing and deleting text in on a computer doesn’t violate the writing laws. Also, many people see sitting at the computer a way to relax and rest. What would I choose? How could I observe the Sabbath appropriately?

I started by turning off the electronics all together. I turned off the tv. No iPod or XBOX. I handed the iPhone to my wife for safe keeping. For me to truly rest and connect with the spirit in which the Sabbath was intended I could not be tethered online or to mindless entertainment.

Second, I decided not to read any “ministry related” books or magazines during the Sabbath. I love to read and certainly reading does not violate the Sabbath. However, for me to read a ministry book would keep me connected to work. I can’t just passively enjoy a book about ministry. The point is rest and I can’t do that while taking notes.

Thirdly, my Sabbath would not infringe on my family in any way. Well, the first one at least didn’t get in the way. Part of the reason I decided to choose April for this experiment was that my wife is scheduled to be gone nearly every weekend. This way my experiment wouldn’t infringe on her too much. That first Sabbath was a great time of zero expectations and no agendas and we were able to share it together. Although, she didn’t appreciate the fact that I couldn’t help her move a table. It wasn’t that heavy anyway.

So, what does the Sabbath have in store for me this weekend? Since I’m home alone again I’m taking it up a notch by not turning the lights on or off. If the light is on at sundown, it stays on. If it is off at sundown, it stays off.

Oh, and I’m unscrewing the little light bulb in the fridge. Ya, I’m going there.

General

Revealed Part 4

So in the beginning God revealed Himself through CREATION and then through His WORD but the Apostle John tells us that something amazing happened. He tells us that God REVEALED Himself by becoming a man and living among us. John tells us this by using almost the exact same language as in Genesis.

The WORD became flesh and God REVEALED Himself through His Son, JESUS CHRIST.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5 TNIV)

Through Jesus Christ God REVEALS to us a number of things.

Jesus Reveals:

God’s Love & Blessings

Forgiveness

Faithfulness

Salvation

Grace

Redemption

Glory

New Life

“We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart; he has told us about him.” (John 1:16-18 NLT)

Through Jesus Christ we have hope for a new life. We are not burdened by sin anymore. The Creator of the Universe stepped down, lived as a man, died as an innocent, and was raised to life again. And this new life is offered to you and me.


Book Review, Ethos, Experience, General, Leadership

Bob Dylan & Leadership

I have been devouring Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? Godin’s aim is to enlighten, encourage, and equip people to become an indispensable leader in their organization rather than a nameless, faceless cog that can be replaced anytime.

One of the things that keeps people from standing out and excelling at work is because they believe that they have to become perfect in order to become great. That is not the case. Godin uses Bob Dylan as the perfect example.

“Bob Dylan knows a little about becoming indispensable, being an artist, and living on the edge:

Daltrey, Townshend, McCartney, the Beach Boys, Elton, Billy Joel. They made perfect records, so they have to play them perfectly . . . exactly the way people remember them. My records were never perfect. So there is no point in trying to duplicate them. Anyway, I’m no mainstream artist. . . . I guess most of my influences could be thought of as eccentric. Mass media had no overwhelming reach so I was drawn to the traveling performers passing through. The side show performers—bluegrass singers, the black cowboy with chaps and a lariat doing rope tricks. Miss Europe, Quasimodo, the Bearded Lady, the half-man half-woman, the deformed and the bent, Atlas the Dwarf, the fire-eaters, the teachers and preachers, the blues singers. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got close to some of these people. I learned about dignity from them. Freedom too. Civil rights, human rights. How to stay within yourself. Most others were into the rides like the tilt-a-whirl and the roller-coaster. To me that was the nightmare. All the giddiness. The artificiality of it . . .

The interviewer then reminded Dylan, “But you’ve sold over a hundred million records.”

Dylan’s answer gets to the heart of what it means to be an artist: “Yeah I know. It’s a mystery to me too.”

Avoiding the treadmill of defect-free is not easy to sell to someone who’s been trained in the perfection worldview since first grade (which is most of us). But artists embrace the mystery of our genius instead. They understand that there is no map, no step-by-step plan, and no way to avoid blame now and then. If it wasn’t a mystery, it would be easy. If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth much.”

I am about halfway through Linchpin and I am ready to declare this a must for you to read- regardless of your job and regardless of your position. Come back tomorrow for some more choice quotes from this incredible read.

General, Heroes

The Only Way: MLK 2010

Loving Your Enemies
Martin Luther King, Jr.
November 17 1957

There is a little tree planted on a little hill and on that tree hangs the most influential character that ever came in this world. But never feel that that tree is a meaningless drama that took place on the stages of history. Oh no, it is a telescope through which we look out into the long vista of eternity, and see the love of God breaking forth into time. It is an eternal reminder to a power-drunk generation that love is the only way. It is an eternal reminder to a generation depending on nuclear and atomic energy, a generation depending on physical violence, that love is the only creative, redemptive, transforming power in the universe.

So this morning, as I look into your eyes, and into the eyes of all of my brothers in Alabama and all over America and over the world, I say to you, “I love you. I would rather die than hate you.” And I’m foolish enough to believe that through the power of this love somewhere, men of the most recalcitrant bent will be transformed. And then we will be in God’s kingdom. We will be able to matriculate into the university of eternal life because we had the power to love our enemies, to bless those persons that cursed us, to even decide to be good to those persons who hated us, and we even prayed for those persons who despitefully used us.

Oh God, help us in our lives and in all of our attitudes, to work out this controlling force of love, this controlling power that can solve every problem that we confront in all areas. Oh, we talk about politics; we talk about the problems facing our atomic civilization. Grant that all men will come together and discover that as we solve the crisis and solve these problems—the international problems, the problems of atomic energy, the problems of nuclear energy, and yes, even the race problem—let us join together in a great fellowship of love and bow down at the feet of Jesus. Give us this strong determination. In the name and spirit of this Christ, we pray. Amen.