No Thumb?

My friend Mark Nothum will kill you. Watch what he does to this kid.

not me…

This was a rather busy week for me.  I finished last week feeling like I was on top of things.  I started this week feeling behind.

I started the week with an idea of what I wanted to talk about on Wednesday night.  I had planned things and was very confident on what my message was going to be.  I started writing and got pretty far.  Then God stopped me and said - “No.”  I scrapped what I had and started again.  I didn’t realize how much God was telling me while I was writing and preparing for LINC.  Really - it wasn’t until I was finished and actually thinking back to what I had talked about.  I walked away feeling very confident and feeling like everything came out and flowed together.

And then I started to think about what I talked about.  At that point I realized - I didn’t plan this.  I didn’t write this.  Technically - yea, I did write it.  But I don’t know where this came from.  I was completely lost for what to talk about.  I didn’t know where I was really even going until Monday afternoon.  It was God - he did it.  Not me.

It really gives me confidence and joy to look back and say that God wrote that message.  All glory and honor and praise belongs to God.

Lucky

Every Tuesday morning - we have our weekly staff meeting.  At the beginning of the meeting - Cliff prayed.  During his prayer I realized what I am doing.  I realized that I was in a staff meeting.  I realized that my job is to serve God.  Literally - my job is to teach, hang out with, disciple, and love students.  And in the midst of all of that - my job is to serve God.  I am extremely lucky.  Sure - I am not making millions.  But God is giving me joy and purpose.

I have found my calling and am extremely happy with what God is doing in me.  Have you found yours?

Have I “Been With Jesus?”

Dustin and Beau have started a conversation about the difference that takes place when someone has “been with Jesus.”  First off - read what they had to say and think about it.  Read Acts 4:13.  And now think about your life.  Do people, regardless of their faith, notice that you have been with Jesus?

That is my new goal in my social and everyday life.  I want people to look at me and hear me talk and be able to say - “That guy has been with Jesus.”

I am going go spend some time with Jesus.

Do Work

First off - I don’t really know where I have been.  I always feel obligated to apologize or explain why I haven’t blogged any time that I get slack.  I am not going to do that today.

This week we are starting a new series at LINC.  I am really excited about it.  It is called “Do Work.”  I am very pumped about this summer.

This summer is going to be filled with several opportunities for our students to “do work.”

Secondly - check out Tyler’s message.  This website is sweet.  Divide the Sea made me a (real) fan on Saturday night.  Ben has started a blog.  And this game is so addictive.

Renewed

I am with Cliff. He says that he has felt like he is running behind this week. Let me tell you what - I have felt sluggish and run down and behind since I got to the office on Tuesday. The reality is that I am actually ahead of schedule - but I have felt way behind. Physically and mentally I have been struggling.

Yesterday - the first thing that Robin said to me was that “You look hungover. What did you do last night?”

I wasn’t hungover - but I just felt beat down. God has a way of speaking to you even when you feel at your lowest. I sat in my office and I couldn’t even read a blog. I couldn’t put the effort or energy into reading blogs that I normally love to read. For some reason - I really felt tired and exhausted.

So - I picked up my Bible. And what came to my mind was Romans 12:2. I needed to renew my mind. The only way to do that (that I know of) is to spend time with Jesus. I felt like crap when I came in - but I also feel like God renewed me after we hung out.

Real Men Play Slow-Pitch Hardball

Last night - we had our first real softball game.  I mean - we have played several teams, but it can’t really count as a game if you the score is 30-3 or 24-10.  We have gotten beat down time after time.  Last night - we finally had a good run at it.  We went us by about 15 in the second inning only to give it up and lose by 1 in the bottom of the fifth inning.  I hate losing - but it was fun just competing for once.

I hit the ball further than I have ever hit a softball or baseball in my life.  I hit the fence on the fly - it was probably just a few feet from being a home run.  At that point - I was feeling good.  I was feeling proud.  I think I let it go to my head.  My next at bat - I grounded to the shortstop.  He gunned me down - but that wasn’t the end of the play.  I proceeded to trip over the first base bag.  I tumbled into the dirt and was brought back to my lowly state of mind.

How embarrassing!  I guess Proverbs 16:18 is right.  Pride came before my fall.

Wednesday Recap

Last night was a great night. Here are my thoughts.

• Last night was the first time I “talked” to the students in three weeks. I really was excited about “talking” again.
• God woke me up last week and gave me last night’s message. I really felt like he worked it all out.
• I used cups overflowing into other cups to talk about our lives overflowing into lives around - discipleship.
• Tyler helped me with the illustration one night two years ago.
• One day - if i do this message again. This is what I want my illustration to look like.
• Kent led worship for us. He did a really good job.
• David Cook won American Idol.
• I wasn’t as excited as I thought I was going to be.
• I had prepared myself for being upset. I had prepared myself to complain. I was ready to talk about how it wasn’t fair. And then he won. I don’t know. What does that say about me?
• Laura Beth figured out why David Cook won. All of David Archuleta’s fans have a 10:00 bedtime. David Cook’s fans can stay up and vote until the poll’s close.

Last night went really well. Thank you God. I can’t take credit. God did it. If it weren’t for God - it would have completely sucked.