Archive for March, 2008

I am a good waiter, but not a good wait-er

March 24, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , ,

Psalm 37
Of David.
1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

I am waking up on a Monday morning with the knowledge that I am to expect two different calls this week that contain information that I am very anxious to find out. I realize that when people say, “I will call you next week…”, they don’t often mean before noon on Monday. So, it seems a bit ridiculous to even think on an outside chance that I would get a call before Wednesday.

I am just having a really hard time guarding my heart against wanting to get excited about the news, but realizing that the news could be not-so-good and disappointing. How do you wait patiently? How do you give up that control? I guess you “do good, delight yourself, commit your ways.” So for me practically, I am going to do good work… I am going to try to keep myself enjoying life, and I am going to stay focused on God. I use praise and worship to keep my mind focused on HIM.

All this would go really well if accompanied by a ton of people praying for me as well… so, would you please consider sending a prayer up for me? That I would be guarded and I would be prepared for whatever answers I get on my calls this week?

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When I yell at the television…

March 19, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

There are two occasions where I yell at my television. I know that they cannot hear me, but there is some satisfaction that I derive from letting my side of the argument being heard. (wow, now that I put it in writing, it seems creepy)

Anywho… One is somewhat innocent and motivated by love… My beloved Nashville Predators sometimes need some motivation and encouragement to play the game properly, if I am not screaming at the screen, “PASS, PASS… SHOOT, COME ON THAT’S A PENALTY…” that could seriously effect the outcome of a game…

The second happens less often because I rarely watch The Today Show on NBC. I used to watch it religiously, but I have not been a fan in a long time. I thought that they had their finger on the pulse of the news and our culture, but lately it has been so amazingly sensationalized and trashy. They might as well bring in Jerry Springer’s staff to run the show, they are only a few good fights away from being that disgusting.

This morning’s episode that sent me into a tirade was a segment on “the science of cheating.” All of this is motivated on the governor’s scandal with the prostitutes. So they bring in these experts to explain the biology and science of monogamy. The underlying tone of the segment was… “you know what, there is just no way that you can fight the evidence that the science justifies cheating.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? With this same logic, you could justify people giving into all kinds of addictions… alcoholism… I mean the science is there… so let’s just face facts… WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?

They didn’t ask anything about the theology of this issue, but it is pretty easy to figure out.. Let’s look at Romans 7:17-19:

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

Here it is: Science or Theology agree on this… we are not wired to live holy and righteous lives. We are in a constant battle with our flesh. But, if we were to follow the logic that our disposition somehow justifies any action, we have completely missed the boat, and we are starting down a slippery slope that none of us want to see the end. If we accept at any level the idea that our flesh is an excuse and justifies our sinful activities, then we are headed for a personal demise and as a culture absolute chaos.

So my suggestion to the fine folks at the Today Show is this… “Why not get on people who have been married 25, 50, 60, 75 years? Who have been faithful and not cheated and figure out how it is possible to live a happy monogamous life? That might actually be something worth watching.

Sorry, got a little “soapbox-y” here in this post, I don’t generally do that, but I was a little fired up this morning…

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Walk-in casserole

March 14, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

I used to work at a conference center and camp where they would once a week or so offer something that was called “walk-in casserole.” It was mostly eggs that held it all together, but inside the casserole was leftovers from the preceding week. It was a fun game to eat through the mixture and try to guess what was in your mouth. It sounds really disgusting, but it was actually one of the better meals that we had there. I have aways been a fan of leftovers.

That was a really long set up to say that I am writing this post as a catch-all… much like the “walk-in casserole.”

I had the opportunity to meet with my pastor this week. He is pretty amazing. We didn’t meet for very long, but I walked away from the meeting very encouraged. A few things that I took from the meeting. Isn’t it interesting that a lot of times we choose to communicate to other people in ways in which we don’t even respond to ourselves. For example, I will send out mass emails and texts about things when I generally don’t respond to that when others do it to me. Interesting.

There is a biblical principle that I have talked about on here a few times, but I was reminded of as I walked away from our meeting; Whatever it is that you need in your life, you need to give away. If you need good friendship, be a good friend. If you need money, give money away. If you need encouragement, give encouragement away.

I am reading a book called “Spiritual Mentoring” by Keith R. Anderson & Randy D. Reese… It is really amazing… a little pretty thick and heady, but good. It quotes Aelred’s Spiritual Friendship with a great quote…

“A good friend,” says the Wise Man, “is the medicine of life.”

so there it is… my blog version of “walk-in casserole”

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Like-minded

March 11, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , ,

Philippians 2 (NIV)

1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I had two meetings yesterday with guys who were like-minded. It was incredibly encouraging. I have been preoccupied with some of the immediacy of life and lost focus and that which is truly important. Spending time with these new friends helped to take my focus off of the immediate and helped me remember my passion for that which is important and eternal.

As I turn to this passage and look at what the body of Christ, the Church is supposed to look like, I can only wonder what effectiveness we would have if we really lived this out. And like the great song “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

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Unclouded day

March 7, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , ,

For some reason my thoughts today seem to keep circling around how temporary this life is. I haven’t lost a good friend. I haven’t had a near death experience. I just seem to be thinking that all of this is so minuscule. All of my worries about what seems to make every day seem like forever-long, really is just one day in the grand scheme of things. There will soon come a day when all of this will pass.

As I write this it is gloomy and grey, and I am not a fan. Especially since there is an impending snow storm on the horizons, so they say. As I was eating my lunch I channel-surfed and came across a Gaither Homecoming show. They were singing this old hymn and it sums it all up… everything I am thinking about and feeling… I love hymns…

Words & Music: Jo­si­ah K. Al­wood, cir­ca 1880

O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.

O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an unclouded day,
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise,
O they tell me of an unclouded day.

O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away,
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance through the unclouded day.

O they tell me of a King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold.

O they tell me that He smiles on His children there,
And His smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again
In that lovely land of unclouded day.

I am going to be honest: I CAN”T WAIT!

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God’s Favor

March 6, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , ,

Genesis 39 (NIV)

2 The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So he left in Joseph’s care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

I try not to overspiritualize things in my life, but I had an experience that seemed to parallel this story that I have been coming back to in my personal bible study.

I had the opportunity this weekend to pick up some work as a production assistant for NBC’s Last Comic Standing open casting call here in Nashville. It was a lot of fun. Television is a completely foreign world to me. I knew basically nothing going into this. I actually found the job on craigslist.com and applied with my resume. I don’t think my resume is extensive and impressive, but I might have a weird view of it, because it is me.

I got the call to be booked as a Production Assistant, a “p.a.” in showbiz talk… haha Television is a great business. The production coordinator and the entire crew that came in from L.A. were really awesome to work with, including the talent. I thought that the talent could have been real divas and pull a lot of attitude, but I was way off.

I worked with Bill Bellamy (MTV, and many other credits) for a good bit of the day, and he was amazingly generous and very approachable, good to know that there are still good people out there. George Wendt and John Ratzenberger (Norm and Cliff from Cheers) were the talent judges and they were really sweet as well. It was a bit surreal to be around them, because of growing up watching Cheers and all of the shows they have done.

From the beginning of the experience, I felt like Brandon the Production Coordinator liked me. He trusted me and respected me. I assumed that I was just going to be a grunt and have to do some really crappy jobs, and some of the stuff wasn’t glamorous. Early on the casting day, Brandon looks over at me and says, “okay, today, you are just going to be with me, and be my guy.” I was like, you are the head guy, and you want me, I have no experience with this stuff, but okay.

There were several p.a.’s on this shoot that obviously had a lot of television experience, so it took me by surprise that I got the call. The only thing that makes sense is that my tour management experience on my resume might have spoke to my skill set, but I don’t know.

It really felt like I was experiencing God’s favor, much like Joseph with Potiphar’s household. I have to tell you it felt good. I am not trying to make this more than it is, but it definitely felt like I was being looked out for, and I am thankful for it. I had a great time, and I can’t wait to see the show knowing all that went behind the scenes to pull it off…

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