It's been a while...

I know I'm not the only one, but sometimes you just don't feel like doing something, and I haven't really felt like blogging for a while, which makes me think, 'what else do I not feel like doing?'  So, here's a list...

1) Showering.  I know, I know, and yes I do everyday (except for Shower Free Thursdays).  But I have grown to hate being wet, I hate swimming, I hate water hoses, I hate rain, and I do not enjoy taking a shower.  To me it seems like such a waste of time, it's just an annoying necessary evil I suppose.

2) Getting gas.  I hate having to stop what I'm doing or where I'm going to feel up the gas tank, it just takes me away from what I feel like I should be doing, which is moving toward my destination.

3) Mowing my stupid yard.  It doesn't get much lower on the totem pole for me folks, I hate my yard, I hate grass, I hate having to take the time to mow my grass.  

4) Spanking my kids.  My first question to myself is why do they have to do something in order to be spanked?  Why, why, why?  But it doesn't matter, it has to be done otherwise they'd go plumb wild.  

5) Getting up in the mornings.  It's no secret to those who know me, I'm a night person, not a morning person.  But in order to be a 'responsible adult' one HAS to get up in the mornings.  

But in all honesty, I could go on and on and on with things that I hate, but what's the point?  I mean, isn't this LIFE?  Life is full of stuff that we don't want to do, hate to do, don't want to take the time to do, but it's necessary.

For Christians, how many of us HATE to share the Gospel with the people we know?  How many of us would rather do something, or anything than go to church on Sunday?  How many of us will do anything we can to avoid the service we are called to do.  The reaching of the lost, giving of our time and money, searching for 'the least of these.'  

But just as showering is a necessary part of life, spanking is a necessary part of parenting, mowing is a necessary part of home ownership, and getting gas is part of driving (or riding), serving, telling, committing are necessary parts of Christian Life.

By the way, I picked up Mute Math's album Flesh and Bones Electric Fun and it's off the hook.  If you love music, you'll love Mute Math.

Is this Wed Night? Since it's 4:45am on Thur...

Yes, it is quarter til 5 and I'm up and have been up, but there's a good reason.

Had a very good day, actually experienced one of the most moving and powerful times I've ever had in my life.  It was a breath-taking situation, a first look into the Grand Canyon type deal.  I won't give it away so you parents can hear about it from your kids...

It's so rewarding and encouraging to work with hearts that are still malleable, that are accepting to challenge and change, that are more accepting to the idea that maybe I should be different or that it's ok to have my life rocked by God.  It's not to say that all adults in church have Pharaoh hard hearts, but let's be honest here, how often are the majority of church adults willing to allow themselves to be taught something new, challenging and different?  How willing are we as adults to have our hearts melted by God to be molded to what HE wants from us?  Oh yeah, I DO remember that when a finger is pointed then 3 is pointing right back at me, I'm included in this deal here too.  

There's something glorious about allowing ourselves to be broken by our Creator, the greatest Lover, the one who is Passionate and the One who heals.  To allow Him to say, 'Justin, I love you, but Justin, it's time.'  Time to completely let go, time to 100% buy in, time to be so radical that people think you're crazy.  Not radical for radical sake, but radical because you're in LOVE with GOD!  

I really think it's time for us as Americans, American church attenders, to rethink our reality.  To rethink what we call commitment to God, to rethink relationship and community, to rethink service.  I believe it will be hard and it will hurt, but these things usually are and do, but if the outcome is what we were intended to be in the first place, then how is that bad? 

TUES(?) night

I can never keep my days straight at these things.  We had a really good day, went to the lake and played, had a challenging night, a concert by Stellar Kart and I had girl night.  Complete with hamburgers, pedicure, beard braiding, and gas?  

God is continuing to work, so it's going to be fun to see where it goes from here.

Monday Afternoon of Jr High Challenge

WOW, zero time to blog so far...

Last night was really good and so was this morning.  The speakers are the most age appropriate speakers I've ever heard and are biblically sound, not afraid to say what needs to say in a way jr highers can understand, so it's goot! 

Most importantly, we baptized Kennedy Sallee today at 2 at the foot of a cross on a hill!!!!  She's a really amazing girl, you just have to meet her if you haven't.

THU NIGHT

Amazed, completely amazed!!!!  I'm speechless as I've never seen anything like that before in my life.

My question is, why are teens more apt to embrace certain, tough aspects of BEING the church but adults not so much?  

BTW

BtW = by the way in teen text language

the times on the bottom are Pacific, so the blogs are gettin written purty late.

Wed CIY

Wow what a powerful day!!!  We've pretty much established that here in our culture we pretty much do some things wrong in church, now don't get me wrong.  We nail some things, like baptism, but I'm beginning to think we miss it pretty big on how we hold on to stuff and think OUR desires and wants are GOD's desires and wants for our lives.  It's obvious we think we are  the center of the universe and not God, like what Jim Johnson spoke about the song 'Above All', how God thought of us Above All which is SOOOOOOO not the case, God thought of HIMSELF above all!!

And 2 more of our students thought of God above all tonight.  Paige Anderson baptized Lauren Bailes tonight at 11:15 in the creek and Alex Grigsby was also baptized into Christ as well.  WHAT A GREAT THING!!! maybe we should start supporting CIY financially as a church...

By the way, Paige brought Lauren to church and was her friend and shared Christ with her, Paige is a sophmore in high school and did what Jesus told her to do by baptizing and teaching.

What's your excuse?  Remember, it's God you'll have to answer to not me.  Too harsh?  But it's God that told us to do this, so talk to Him about it.