Missional

How do you like this weather? It sure is hot/cold out there. Why are we here when it's so nice out there?

My pastor has introduced me to the term missional outreach. I've traditionally called it discipleship. I don't really know which term I like better, but I try to engage those around me.

I am shy when unfamiliar with my surroundings, but very expressive when I am comfortable and in my little world. I think that is because I am a control freak, and when not in control I tend to try to figure out how to be instead of just doing it. That being said, I have discovered my favorite way to get to know someone I know nothing about.

In out modern society, most folks don't tend to talk to each other. We tend to be overly focused on our task at hand, and can not deviate from that task. We close ourselves off so that if someone unfamiliar to us speaks to us we will smile/giggle, give a short response and walk off wondering why they spoke to me.

The trouble I have had for years is that one person is into sports, another is into reading, while someone else is in to cars. It's hard to tell in most cases, what someone is passionate about. Everyone however is affected by the weather. I've found that if you say something about the weather, that everyone has a story they are just waiting to tell. They will still hide it, but they really want to tell it.

Man it was a scorcher yesterday.

It sure was, we had to go to a birthday party that was outside. (This is the response that shuts most down, but I find it best to ask questions about their response)

Who's birthday was it?

It was my nieces birthday. She turned...

With every statement made, I will figure out a connection. I'll ask more questions, and tell related stories. This shows whoever it is that we have similarities. I usually walk away knowing that I have had an impact on someone. I have given someone the attention that they rarely get.

My wife is an example of this as well. How many know the name of the postman? Our's gets Christmas presents, and conversation anytime we receive a package. We aren't best friends, but we share the joy of Christ every chance we get.


May the Lord give you a conversation this week.

In the Garden

That title reminds me of my favorite part of the Sixpence song Kiss Me. She sings In the garden.... of looooooooove. Of course it makes me think of my wonderful and beautiful wife.

We're participating in a community garden at Shelby Farms. It's been interesting so far. I believe this is an unusual year. They plowed the area late due to rain. I'm told a couple of days later they made rows when it was to wet, which created large (fist to foot size) dirt clods. A couple of days later they ran a clod buster over everything, but it was to wet to be effective.

And then we got to till it all over again. Here are some pictures of that event:






Though it looks like Nehemiah is about to cutoff his sisters head, that was not the case. He would have gotten in trouble if he had.

Joi and the girls planted part of a few rows of corn on the north side of the garden. Ezra asked, "What kind of corn are we planting? Corn on the cob?" I treasure that question. Children are so precious. They bring such joy.

Where I Am

In my last post, I explained my current situation. This is the part I've really been thinking about all day.

I've been listening to some lessons my pastor has been giving regarding baptism. That having been said, I've been thinking on doctrine and theology that covers ever aspect of Christianity. As Pastor James states, you can not separate your interpretation of God's word from your view on baptism. It is integral. I would go further to say that you can not separate your view on all of life from your view on baptism. Now all that being said, here is how I view this situation based on my view of baptism, and what I feel are fallacies of the view of baptism that partially has us in this quandary.

I believe in paedobaptism. I believe baptism is a sign of the covenant similar to circumcision for Israel. I believe we are to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and they should never know a time when they were not part of the church. They should be raised as Christians. We can not view the heart and are not able to determine one's election. I believe that there are several moments in life where we have divine revelation in our growth. I can personally point to several defining moments that without any one of them would have led me down a different path.

I grew up as a Southern Baptist. Not the reformed kind. I believed that baptism was done after a public profession of faith (which in hindsight means going down to the front of the church, telling a pastor who then asks a question where you respond in affirmation... doesn't seem very public to me now). I believed that people who have a profession of faith and backslide can rededicate their lives. Those that fall off the wagon can get saved for the first time again, and get baptized on the right side of salvation. This can happen any number of times. This is often coupled with the pat answer of well they weren't really saved. I'm not sure on the origins of this doctrinal statement, but I believe it is very dangerous. I believe this specifically creates an incompetence in situations where discipline should be administered.

Now back to my friend. We grew up in the same church, so he was raised as a typical Southern Baptist. He went to a Southern Baptist school and studied to be a Southern Baptist minister of some sort. He later worked in some way for the SBC and/or its local affiliates. He could spell Baptist forward and backward. He claims to have studied Christianity, but I doubt he could tell us much of anything outside of the Southern Baptist thoughts he has always had.

My issue with this is that under the SBC sect of the church, he is either backsliding or was never saved. The typical SB church holds to baptism as merely an act of obedience, and there is no value in it (thus allow and sometimes require multiple baptisms... watch what happens when a Presbyterian joins a Baptist church). I would hold that baptism brings you under the jurisdiction of the church. It is in fact a profession that you belong to God (as my children do). There are other aspects to baptism, but this is my main point, so I will not follow those rabbit trails.

I fear the SBC will never do anything about my friend. He should in fact be called under the discipline of the church if he is unwilling to repent. He should be banned from the table and cutoff. But then that brings up another point.

I also believe that we should approach the Lord's table weekly. We now have a church that doesn't understand the table. We've made it into something that happens a couple of times a year, and we miss one of those anyway, so what difference does it make if we don't participate. Well, that is the very point. Cutting the sinner off from the table and turning them over to their own sins has no meaning if the table has no meaning. They are simply doing what they were already doing. There is no call to repentance. The table is the call. We are all called to repentance every time we partake. We are reminded of our own sin and wretchedness weekly. This holds us close to the Lord... or drives us away. Being driven away is something we don't want, but it in fact happens. There are those who are not elect. They will be driven away. They may be in the covenant, but they will be pruned. We will all be pruned, but some will be lopped off. Some will remain smaller to grow again. I believe those are the redefining moments. When he has pruned us back. Not lopping us off, but lopping off the part that was holding us back.

I must say that I do not know how to call my friend to repentance in the SBC. I fear this is someone who will be lopped off. And it is due to the impotence of the denomination.

Friends Are Friends Forever

I've been thinking of this post all day. Unfortunately, it will most likely be broken down into several posts.

Facebook is a good thing. I've recently heard from folks that were integral in my life. I am now in touch with the man that I often refer to as my spiritual father. He is the one that took me under his wing, and encouraged me in the Lord. It wasn't anything very deep, but he taught me how to develop my relationship with our Lord.

Facebook is a bad thing. I've recently heard from folks that were very integral in my life. I have been in touch with who was once a great friend, someone who inspired me to grow in the Lord , someone who I remember supporting as he preached at a revival and many other places and someone who now professes a different religion. He is now a self consumed atheist and humanist.

I have learned that I am a talker. I love conversation. I usually have trouble striking it up, but once it gets going, it's hard to stop (just ask Joi). I tried to engage conversation with this individual. I've since learned that what was once bridled has now been loosed. Now that there is no reason to hold back, it is not done. In my attempts to understand how he got to his state, I had insults thrown at me. You could tell he was not having a conversation, but was waging war. I approached him for understanding how he go to this state, and hopefully make him realize those moments that changed him. I knew there is nothing I can do for the situation, but I wanted to know what happened to my friend.

Out of that, I eventually heard from someone else, and then got in touch with Brother Kevin (the one referred to as my spiritual father). I have enjoyed catching up with him. I was very glad to finally be able to express what he meant to me. With that, the later situation resurfaced. He is now going down a similar road. He has a different tactic (his sole purpose is to point out that he is wrong). He is in a different position (being someone that molded and guided him as a teenager). So we will see how he responds. I hope and pray for a better outcome.

Now, what is the point of this post? The title is part of the chorus for a Michael W. Smith song. Friends are friends forever… if the Lord's the Lord of them.

A Fun and Stressful Day

Wow. I took the day off to go camping. Due to my own malfeasance, that didn't happen. Instead, we went hiking. My fried David told me about Big Hill Pong State Park (thanks David). I've been planning to go take a peek for some time. My plan was to camp in the Pickwick State Park, and go to Shiloh for the Civil War reenactment. I figured we would stop by on the way back or something.

The day didn't exactly go the way I expected. I got a couple of phone calls from friends/co-workers. I was told that someone from my area was laid off, and several others that I work around. I asked one if I needed to call my boss to find out about myself. The day went on, and I got several other calls and text messages. I listened to a voice mail informing me that there were some in our group, but I was not one. That was a relief.

Now the fun part. We took a hike. Literally. I took all of the kids hiking. Joi stayed in the van and watched a movie and read a book. We were gone about two hours. I figure we probably went two miles there and back. Now I realize that doesn't sound like much, but... but... I had five kids with me. I carried (in a backpack), the youngest at one, and my two and four year old's walked the entire way. To add to that, this was around nap time (2:30 to 4:30). The first 200 feet was a descent, where we crossed the lake to ascend the other side. It was much milder on the other side, but that meant we had to climb the major hill before getting back to the van.

All in all, we had a great time. I am so thankful that my kids love trenching through the woods. There were so many leaves on the ground, no leaves in the trees, and they were being giggly, so we didn't get to converse much. It is still a lot of fun to just walk around in nature. I think if I could, I would live in the middle of the woods. I enjoy it so much.

So with that trip, I've decided that before long, I am going to take the older kids (not sure if that will stop at #2 or #3) backpacking. We'll hike through the woods to a shelter, and spend the night. We're going camping soon, but I still can't wait to do this.

A Good Point

Joi was watching Nightline Face-Off the other night. The question was, "Does Satan exist?" This question was covered by:

Deepak Chopra, an Indian philosopher
Carlton Pearson, a bishop of something
Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill pastor
Annie Lobert, former prostitute

In the debate/discussion, Deepak Chopra, made what I believe was the most profound statement of the event. He said that when we define God, that we have placed a limitations on Him. I don't believe he has any idea what he was really saying, but it is a truth. We define God under this doctrine or that theology, but all of our definitions are limited to our understanding. The truth is we can't comprehend God in His fullness. We always put God in a box, we just have different size boxes.

3: It's A Magic Number

Today, I've been hanging out with my boy. The girls are out shopping with their aunt for some Easter dresses, while Ellie and Joi are in the bed (for a short while). So Nehemiah and I have been watching The Three Stooges on youtube. I have to admit, I love The Three Stooges. I cam across this one, and was laughing the whole time. I hope you enjoy it also.

Part One:

Part Two:


The second part isn't quite as funny after they leave the restaurant. I don't eat out as often as most. I hope you know what you're eating. Remember if it barks or meows, check under the table. ;-)

The Perfect Storm

I think we are on the verge a perfect storm.


On the way home this evening, I heard the news referenced in the article by timesonline. It is pretty scarry that we are in the perfect storm. A leftist senate, a leftist house, a leftist presidency and a bunch of criminals running big business. The president wants to be able to take over a company in order to protect the economy. It sounds like a great way to create a socialist monarchy/oligarchy.



I hope and pray it doesn't happen, but we are in the hands of Christ no matter what happens.

A Brilliant Man

I just want to say, I believe I work for one of the smartest executives in the world. I just read this article in the Wall Street Journal. I despise unions. I believe they had their place at one time, but I think they are a big reason that the US economy is messed up. The car industry can thank those highly compensated employees of their manufacturing facilities.

FedEx has had enough issues with the economy changing, forcing the company to pay wages that are unrealistic is the last thing needed right now. I think it is a brilliant move to tell congress that there will be another $7 Billion not invested in the economy because of their noses being placed where they don't belong.

Thank you Mr Smith for your brilliance.

Eleven

Eleven years is the span of time for the suns polarity to switch. In that time the sun is mostly very calm and peaceful. There are times when sunspots occur that cause issues in the earths atmosphere. The sun is continuously changing.

The same is true for Joi and me. This day eleven years ago, we got married. That has been one of the happiest days in my life. Sure, we have had our sunspots. We've been ever changing. We've grown and continue to grow. The love I have for Joi is still a consuming fire unlike anything you've ever experienced. I plan to keep doing everything it takes to make that the case. When the poles begin to change and the spots begin flaring and turbulent, we resolve. We both forgive. We both embrace, and we both give everything we have to work out the clash of polarity.

The Lord gave me an analogy a long time ago that makes a lot of sense to me. When we start in marriage, we are the two lower corners of a triangle. Christ is the top corner of the triangle. As we both come to Christ, we grow closer together, and the line between us gets shorter and shorter.

I have no doubt that Joi and I are closer today then we were eleven years ago. I also know that we will be closer eleven years further down the corridor of life.

It's a miracle...

Only in Memphis

Yep, last night is snowed the 2nd (but maybe 1st) biggest snow I have seen in my lifetime living in the Memphis area. After Tuesday, the temperature is supposed to be in the 70's and dip to the 60's by the end of the week. Where else can you get eight inches of snow and have 70's in the same week... I mean besides Colorado Springs... They cheat... they are in the desert and scrunched up against the Rocky Mountains.

The snow just came from nowhere. It had snowed about three to four inches when I put the kids to bed last night. Looking into the light, you could see the snow coming down, but not very much. I assumed it had played out. I was surfing the internet and got an email from our Pastor letting everyone know that church was canceled. I was very disappointed, as I didn't think it was that bad. Fifteen minutes later, a branch from my neighbors tree fell on my back porch. I went outside to evaluate the situation, when I discovered that it had not played out. In fact, it had snowed another fiver or so inches. We had played in a parking lot that night, but the snow was just wet and slushy. This morning we went back, and the snow was dry and powdery. It didn't matter much. We managed to sled down a good hill several times (I actually participated more than the kids did, and I am sore from it). The kids just wanted to tromp around in the field. Nehemiah just wanted to lay in the snow and rollover.

On the backside of a hill, there was a drift pile. It was well above my knee. That was a lot of fun for me as well as the kids. Nehemiah couldn't get into it. Andie said she felt like she was sitting down it was so high. It was a lot of fun. I am glad we made the little excursion. It was a memory that will last a lifetime I am sure. I think Joi has some pictures. I will post them if they are any good.

From where?

I was just reminded that I wanted to post this. Joi was watching an interview of Alan Keyes, and he said the exact same thing I've been thinking.

On my drive home from work the other day, I heard discussion about the federal government taking over Citibank for a period of time, and that the government was going to back the banks.

The only thing I could think was

Who's going to back the government!!!

It's not like there's any money there. What do you think that multi-trillion dollar debt is? I'll tell you what it is... It's leadership. Our leaders have taught us that we can spend more money than we have. That's why we are where we are... debt... encouraged by the federal government... like the energizer bunny... it keeps going... and going... and going... and going...

What an encouraging story

All I can say is Wow. I have a close friend who recently had a close relative die. I wanted to minister to him in the time of his Fathers death. I felt I had failed to do much ministering due to Gods providence. It turns out I was wrong. I just had a conversation that blew my mind.

It was not long ago that my friend was thinking of quitting his tenured job where he is well respected for his abilities. We had a conversation about it one day at lunch. It turns out it was the day he was deciding one way or the other. We talked about a lot of things that goes into that type of decision. I specifically played up whether it was the right one for the family, or a selfish one for personal gain. There was still a lot of teetering. After dodging the crux of the question several times, the ball finally hit me and I was it. The question now was, "how do you know if you are making the right decision?"

This opened up a little gem of a conversation that I had forgotten about until it was retold to me tonight. This came up in a Bible study he was attending. They were discussing the Israelites lack of faith when led to the Red Sea. He brought up the same question... How do you know you are making the right decision... and then pointed to my response. (He told this a bit differently than I am retelling here, but I have a great deal more learning in doctrine and theology that I will account our differences. He was none the less on target with everything he said.)

My explanation on how you know you are making the right decision:
When we practice our faith, we grow in the image of God. The more like Christ we become the more our decision and the pulling on our heart reflects the will of our Lord. So knowing which decision is really a matter of acting out our faith. Being true to what God has placed in us.

That changed his decision. The conversation is still somewhat vague, but that stunned look afterward is etched in my mind. I think that was met with thanksgiving and angst. Either way, it had a profound impact.

That decision change meant weeks and months spent with his Father that all would have been lost. I didn't realize how I ministered, but I did. Everything we do works to tell the story. The story is of God and His wonder. Don't dodge the questions. Answer them with vigor. That Christ might prevail.

I have found a good thing

It was a long time ago through Gods providence, but I have found a good thing. Joi never ceases to amaze me with her abilities. Our friend by acquaintance, Jim Bob Howard, has posted a webinar regarding saving money by shopping with coupons. We've done this before. I'm sure we all have. It never seemed worthwhile though.

That has all changed. Saturday, Joi went to the grocery store and loaded up for our small family of seven. She had her list and her strategy. I honestly didn't know anything about it until she returned. She returned with a receipt the size of a football field. This is mostly because Kroger chooses to print the paragraphs that no one ever reads on all of their receipts. All in all, the receipt wasn't that long considering what all she got. When she handed it to me, I looked at the price to see what would be hitting our check registry. It was $65. I looked a little further down, and saw that she saved 48%. She saved $56 and spent $65. That means we got $111 worth of groceries for $65. This was the first time Joi has used this strategy, but I like it already. That is cheaper for the name brand stuff than we pay out our cheap store Aldi. I will let you know how it works out in the future. I suppose someday the grocery store may give us money to shop there.

Fight FOCA

This is a multi-purpose post. My first point is to point out that the Freedom Of Choice Act is coming. With a Liberal Congress and a Liberal Presidency, this is the first opportunity it has had to become law. I would encourage you to watch for this bill to be introduced and fight for it's death.

The second point is to keep FightFOCA ranked highest when searching for FOCA. Join with me in adding links to you blog or personal webpage.

Oh, and sign the petition. For more info visit the FAQ.

On another note...

My Love is a godly woman. I have known this for many years, but there have been several events lately that have made this more pronounced.

I hope and pray that some of this is the result of me being a godly husband and leading Joi. I know a majority of it is her growing in grace.

Recently Joi went to coffee with a friend of ours and a friend of this young lady. Kelly has been trying to get Joi and her friend together for sometime. When Joi returned, she had many stories that made her laugh in humility while I was encouraged for her.

Joi said they kept saying things such as, "she is always giving little bits of wisdom" and "whew, I'm glad I'm not the only one". She was an encouragement to these young ladies, and a gift of wisdom for their endeavors in raising godly children in a godly way.

Today, Joi received a book in the mail. Our postman delivers mail in the morning. Joi has done an outstanding job of reaching out to him. He gets cookies every Christmas. Joi makes the best Chocolate Chip cookies in the world. She has a secret recipe, and I am the only one that knows it... I will never tell Jess... back to the story. At around four o'clock he rang the doorbell and said he forgot to deliver our package this morning. He asked if she had gotten the mail, as he was going to retrieve it and bring it to the door for her. His route brings him back down our street on his way back to the post office. That being the case, I wonder how many other people he would have given that type of service. We appreciate him, and it shows he appreciates us. Well, Joi that is.

That's my love... My Joi... My Prarie Muffin...

not all they're cracked up to be...

Well, this is the first time I've gotten to cook my eggs. Joi has used several eggs for this and that, but tonight we had breakfast for supper.

Here is my account. I cracked nine eggs that I received by the grace of God from my chickens. I then cracked six eggs that I received by the grace of God from the store. The end result is the picture on the left. I should note that we receive eggs regularly from some friends who have a lot more laying hens, so this was not my first experience with non-commercial eggs.

The first thing I noticed was that the egg shells were very, and I mean very, hard. I have a pretty good single strike and crack in half reputation when it comes to egg cracking. I struck the egg on the metal bowl several times. I noticed that the outer/inner membrane did not break. I literally had to tear this bag like membrane. I know what you are thinking... Is that good? I was talking to Joi, and it dawned on me... It is virtually impossible for me to get part of an egg shell in my cracked eggs... so I believe it to be not just good, but very good.

Joi asked me about the color, and I did notice the color to be very vivid. You can see a distinct difference in color in the picture. Can you tell which side came from the store and which came from the backyard? I'll let you know in the comments which is which.

The last thing that I noticed while cooking the eggs was that when I removed the eggs from the iron skillet there was very little remnant of egg in the pan. When I placed the store bought eggs in the skillet, the remains were absorbed into the uncooked eggs. When I was done, I'd bet there was half an egg stuck to the skillet. To their credit, I was cooking them very hard for my dear wife.

The last step was the taste test. I placed some on the right and the other on the left of my plate. I ate from my eggs, and then from the store bought. I then reversed the order. There was a distinct taste as well. I am grateful that we have made this venture. It has been good... by the grace of God.

Bob Wahr'

I am beginning to get some opportunities to take on the agrarian life. It's been my hearts desire for some time now. Unfortunately, I haven't always been focused on it. Lately, I have been really working towards that goal. I helped some friends slaughter and process their chickens. I have been raising chickens for eggs, and two of the three are laying now. Today I was blessed with being able to stretch out a part of a barbed wire fence.

In preparing for the day, I decided I should read something on the subject. I've strung fences before, but I've never been any good at it. I just haven't had the experiences necessary to understand the delicacies of the subject.

I read the article on Mother Earth News. I felt it was a good article. There are a lot of little tips that really set it apart.

So armed with my new information, I went to put up a fence. Russ had done this for himself before, but was not real experienced either. The big difference between our fence and the one in the article was the use of T posts. These were used for the run, and wooden posts for the gate and corner posts. The corner was done with a horizontal brace and two other posts.

So we started at the bottom from the wrong direction. We pulled from the corner post to the gate post. We pulled from the opposite side of the gate. Russ remembered that as being the best way to go. It turns out it was not the best, but it was an Edison moment. We discovered another way not to stretch the fence. We would correct it later.

I suggested we pull from the corner post. Russ agreed. This worked out great. We put some tension on the line. It was very tight. We were proud. So we did another line in the middle. When we got finished with that line, we realized the top strand was sagging. We loosened up the staples and stretched it again. We managed to get it a good inch and a half tighter. We moved to the lower middle line. Once I got the stretcher nice and taught, Russ noticed the top was sagging. I loosened the stretcher to discover it was sagging. Then I thought about it. When to applied tension to the top wire, it only tightened up to the first barb that was on a post. Ah ha. Another moment of learning. We decided to go ahead with the middle lines. We decided tension should be judged based on the higher middle strand. This worked out great. We knocked out the lower middle and the middle wires. We then reworked the top and lower wires. In the end, I think we will do better when we do the rest. We know have a system.

It must be the bread...

I could only pick one title. Other thoughts included, "A train a train, could you would you on a train?", "The incredible edible", "Sunny side up", "Chicken or the Egg", etc...

To the left is our first egg. She's on the small side, but that's ok. We've had our chickens for several months now. A friend got them past the baby stage for us. We got them at 5 weeks. I get to go out every morning to feed and water them. When it's really cold, I get to de-ice the water before changing it out. I've been feeding the pup we got around the same time.

My father-in-law started getting eggs last week. Joi suggested we might not be getting any because Lassie (the pup) is terrorizing our chickens. That may be true. Joi mentioned that her dad was giving his chickens day old bread and talking to them.

Since that time, I have been out talking to my chickens. I'd say things like, "If you don't give me some eggs soon, then I'll get me some legs soon". You know coersing them into laying.

Last night we had some rolls. Joi wanted me to give them to the chickens. It was raining horribly, and cold. The chickens were running around in mud puddles. I moved the tractor to a spot that looked better. Once I got it there and looked in, there were more mud puddles. I moved them to a grassy spot under the tree and there was less mud there. Joi reminded me with a knock on the window that we had bread to give them. I retrieved the bread. It had a tin which I was glad to see, because the chickens haven't been eating out of their tray lately. I was able to put the scratch feed in the tin rather than on the wet ground.

So when I went to check on our chickens this evening, to my surprise I found this very special blessing. We took several pictures. Most were blurry. I was getting ready to put it in the refrigerator and wanted to mark it so it wouldn't be confused with the eggs we get from friends. I picked out the crayon, and was just going to put a dot on it. I got inspired.

In the end, we figured it must be the bread... I am sure it will be eggcellent.