Calling....

I get to share this weekend on one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. It's one of those passages that years ago as I was reading almost jumped out 3-D off the page at me. It honestly solved a mystery for me that I think had existed in my life for over 20 years. The question I had wrestled with (subconsciously mostly) was, "what can God do with some guy who talks a lot, a guy who looks at things differently than everyone else and a guy that usually gets himself in trouble for weird, strange and some off the wall ideas." I knew that in ministry it could SOMETIMES "pay off" because I helped people see God in a new way...but because I wasn't like everyone else, it almost seemed like people "tolerated" the "unique angle" at which I approached things...and even acted nice when some of those "unique ideas" worked.

Then this verse smacked me up side the head. You ready...here it is..."We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to to the good works that he prepared in advance for us to do." (insert cool music crescendo here) And there it was. The creator behind the creation (me) revealed himself and solved the mystery. "I'm no accident." While I had worked to convince hundreds of people that THEY were no accident, the truth of it had never gripped me or penetrated my own heart and head. I guess the number of times I got in trouble for "talking" outweighed the simple truth that the creator of the universe made me... and made me like that on purpose. The countless laughs I experienced as I threw out an idea, concept or thought had somehow outweighed THE TRUTH that God had uniquely wired my brain to think differently. (In fairness to them, because of the way I use humor people often simply thought I was joking. Sometimes I would even laugh with them to try and convince them I wasn't serious) Thanks Paul for including that little line in your letter to the church at Ephesus! Not sure how much they needed to hear it, but it solved a pretty big mystery for me!

Here I sit years later sometime still coming to grips with the fact that God has wired me differently than anyone else on the planet...but I'm excited about the fact that the creator of the universe has something specific and unique picked out for me to do that will have an eternal impact for HIM! The really funny, ironic and creative part is...he's going to use the very things that earned me strange looks, "time out's" and revoked meeting invitations to do it. I can't express how much this verse means to me. I can't wait to share this passage on Sunday as the Teaching Pastor at Sonrise...a position (and location) that is rewarding, welcoming and utilizing my creativity. A position that allows me to talk for a living and gives me the opportunity to introduce people to the One who created me...as strange, different, unique and off the wall as I may be.

My RESET friend.

I need a RESET every now and then. I can get carried away with my "American thinking"...the kind of thinking that leads to internal dialogue like, "I deserve more"...or "Ya, I'll take the larger one...because I need it" ...or...things like: excessive frustration over missed opportunity, too many emotions over mis- appropriated credit or blown gaskets from small inconveniences.

My friend Joe has provided me with a RESET on more than one occasion. With comments like, "ya, I'm frustrated too at the fact that little kids in Africa will die today because they don't have clean water." Or comments like, "I don't care as long as God gets the credit." RESET...COMPLETE. He is a guys who embodies John 17:4. He's not a "Glory Seeker". Joe is a guy who doesn't care about "credit". A win for the Kingdom is a win for the Kingdom...and Joe doesn't need the credit. (this blog entry will actually make him very uncomfortable) As a matter of fact, I think he often goes out of his way to make sure he doesn't get the credit. I need to be more like Joe. When I see him do that, it's like a RESET for me. When he smacks me with one of "those statements" it makes me want to laugh, cry and then crawl under a table and hide because of my selfishness...Those times help me to realize I need a RESET and I need to be more like JESUS. It's almost like being around him helps me keep my life in perspective. I think everyone needs a "RESET" friend. Thanks Joe!

Blog entry to see who is still following

Well, it's been a while...a long while since my last entry. Many times I have looked at Deanna's blog and thought, "I should start writing again." I refuse to say that this is the beginning of that (did that once before) but I must say that I kind of miss it. What do I miss? Not really sure. Not like there was ever a large audience of followers. Who knows.

Recently (within the last two months) a friend asked me why I quit blogging. The only thing I could think of at the time was that I was working on a couple of writing projects that forced me to write and I was potentially using up all of the words on those projects. Now that I am looking back on what I have written thus far, maybe it's because I don't always have a lot to say. Either way...tonight's ramblings will force me to consider beginning my blogging journey...again.

Listening to stuff like this...makes me want to write more, but makes me feel dumb at the same time.