Life and all his friends ...

What a great moment it was to talk with Mike. He is 17 years old and has three kids (triplets). He was upset about the fact that he doesn’t have the greatest patience with them at 2am when they are crying and he is tired. With tears in his eyes he shares with me that he has yelled at them, put his hand over one of the kid’s mouths and has just been fed up. He believes that his actions have already profoundly affected his kids and that was eating away inside of him. To talk to him and share that he didn’t have to give in to this anger and that God is with him and that he can choose the best way at 2am was a HUGE relief to his already heavy heart. To hear that I struggle at 2am with a crying child and don’t always have the patience for that was another huge relief for Mike. I had my opinions about this kid when I first met him. I thought he was a punk who was just here because his girl was. It was great to spend some time talking with him about being a dad. I believe with all my heart that God has brought them here because he needs to be shown what kind of dad he can be through Jesus. My hope is that God teaches him what that looks like and I get to be apart of the process. Thanks Mikey!! You’re a great daddy and will only get better!! 1 John 1:9

Judge for yourself ...

Just read Acts 4:19. It speaks about speaking about the things we have seen and heard. That’s a confusing sentence by the way. Ok, so here is something that I have seen and heard lately. I ran into an old j-higher from about 6 years ago. He hasn’t been doing to well, drugs, baby (unmarried) and very aimless in the way he lives. I saw him at a restaurant here in town. He was asleep in his car (I wasn’t aware of this) when I parked next to him. When I walked back to my car he was still asleep. My buddy and I tried to wake him up by knocking on the window and shaking the car. Finally he did and looked right at us, groggy and all, and that’s when I realized it was this kid … now an adult. We chatted for a while and he was very thankful we woke him. He had an open taco in his lap and was holding a hot sauce packet while he slept. His tacos were cold so I offered to buy him some new ones (I know, how sweet of me … they were 3 for a buck … huge sacrifice right?). When I came back out we chatted a little longer and I invited him to come and hang with us @ YCC. Then we parted ways. It was one of those “redeeming” moments that we all want to be apart of. Letting someone know that your love was not conditional to “attending a group I happen to lead” but this love is just that … love! He was one of those “drive you nuts, shoot me in the face” kids when he came to group. I know there were moments where he could tell I felt that way. Maybe that’s why he continued to act the way he did. Of course I didn’t act any better. But it was good to be there and see him. Obviously, running into him for the first time in 4 years, I’m not sure what will happen next. I hope Jesus does a number on his soul and I see him hanging with us on Sunday. I hope Jesus refreshes his heart and I get to journey with him as he lives. I hope that Jesus revives his mind, because I could see the effect of the (rumored) drug use (which wasn’t such a rumor anymore after I chatted with him). I hope in Jesus that this young man knows that he is loved just the way he is and God refuses to leave him that way! So do I! Maybe in 4 years I can buy him a lobster!! I’ll have steak …

Dear Mr. A-Rod

I heard you were in the news recently … is that true? Something about mistakes, bad choices, dumb decisions? Look, I realize that there will be those who will rip you to pieces. Some will even go as far as calling you names … maybe like “A-Fraud” or “A-hole” or whatever. Maybe they will even call you the prince or princess of baseball. I hope that doesn’t have to happen. I hope that maybe we can rise above some of this nonsense of name calling, being greatly offended, horribly deceived and move towards why. Why did you believe this was something you needed to do? Was it the money that the “horribly deceived” owner gave you after he asked you about this topic you admitted to? Was it the fame that we, the fans, gave you because you hit the baseball like some of our “heroes” of the past? Was it the overwhelming thought that you ARE a baseball player and incredible at what you do? Or maybe was it you? Maybe you thought you were bigger and better at everything? Maybe you thought you were superior to those around you and wanted to keep that status? Maybe I don’t really know why you did this and maybe I could write all day about all of the reasons you, “stupidly” did these “things”. Mr. A-Rod, you don’t know me or want to know me. In fact, you have never heard of me. What I’m about to say to you will mean nothing. We have never met and most likely won’t. I might see you this summer when your team plays the one I cheer and go nuts for. That may be our only interaction. I say all that to now say this: I don’t need to forgive you. I hold nothing against you. You didn’t hurt me by “cheating”. You didn’t anger me by trying to “get an edge”. If I’m really honest, I would be more concerned about your failed marriage than I am about the “cheating” in baseball. I love being married. It’s the most incredible thing. It’s a gift from God. It’s a way his love in displayed through us. It’s how we can begin to understand how he feels about us and takes care of us. He never walks away. He never signs “irreconcilable differences”. There isn’t a thought of cheating, on His part. He welcomes and loves. Loves us just the way we are but refuses to leave us that way. Wow! Soap box! Sorry, Mr. A-Rod. Mr. A-Rod, what I’m trying to get at here is simply this: I hope for you! I hope that the one who saved my soul will connect with yours too. I hope for the one who rescued me to come and invite you to the rescue too. I hope for the one who is the name above every name, including yours Mr. A-Rod, will become like a servant and friend in your life. See, he didn’t need his title, his rights, his servants, his friends or his family to remind him of who he is. He knows exactly who he is. He knows exactly what he needed to do. He knows his choices will lead to death. He knows his obedience was the only way forgiveness and rescue and glory and honor can ever take place. Mr. A-Rod, I hope for you to meet him and discover that pressure, stress, angst, hatred, lying, struggle, and any other word that fits this idea is set free in him. It’s forgiven in him. It’s ready for you. I hope you are ready for it. So, thanks for not reading this because you don’t know me and most likely never will. Thanks for playing baseball so well. Thanks for being honest. Thanks for putting up with those who think they have a reason to hate you. Thanks for letting me share something that, most likely, no one but me will read. And thanks to you, the one who saved my soul, Jesus Christ, for giving us identity … not in fame, money, roids, PED’s … but in you! AMEN! Oh and P.S. ... might be a good idea to not do those "things" again!

The way it is!!

Just really hit me today. This whole economy thing. I went to print some stuff for youth group tonight and printed more than I should. I felt horrible. I wasted paper! I guess this hit me more than usual because I heard that some of my friend’s co-workers are going to be laid off from their work. And then I read that some bailed out banks are partying on America’s dollar. Shane Claiborne writes about money and allegiances in his book “Jesus for President”. One huge point that I’m thinking about right now is: when we deal in trades, some work for some work. Some clothes for some clothes. Some food for some food. That sort of idea, we’re not dependant on money but more on each other. This is what I believe God sees us doing in the church, the body of Christ. When I read that I thought “we’re too far into this money thing to go in a different direction.” But maybe that’s what this “time” is for. To look at the new ways of doing things. Maybe it’s not even the new ways … it’s old but we haven’t tried it yet. Wow! I’m not sure I would jump on board with that. It’s awesome to talk about, but that doesn’t help anything. My actions need to lead my words. Blogging only gets the thoughts out there when many people close to me are losing jobs and aren’t sure what’s next. Gosh! My mind is racing and my heart is heavy. God … what do we do? What must I do for this to become a reality? I’m asking …