Work in Progress

Can you envision the possibilities? It may not look like much right now but it will in a few weeks. It's been about a year since a tree fell on our shed in the backyard. Wow. I can't believe it's been a year! A few things kept us from being able to replace it up to this point. But now we're close. I can almost see it. To ensure production and completion we've solicited the services of a contractor. That's him in the picture. Right next to his "not-so-handy, but eager to help and offer moral support" workman. Some friends are coming over toward the end of the month to release a little stress on the old building. Then hopefully sometime in June our new backyard addition will be complete.

It's amazing to me what a trailer-load of materials can turn into in the hands of someone who has a plan and the ability to fashion it all into something better than it was before. I'm thankful God takes the old, beat-up, broken-down junk of our past and re-fashions us according to His plan and purposes as we walk with Him into a new future!

It's a work in progress...and I'm grateful there's a contractor who's not me!

Birthday Girl

Today is a special day. Actually it would be more accurate to say that this week is a special week! But today is Sara's birthday. Today I am reminded once again how thankful I am for the gift of her life. She is a beautiful person both inside and out. I love her more and more each day. She is kind, compassionate, thoughtful, giving, creative, determined, hard-working, grace-filled, responsible, fun, funny, a gifted counselor, a talented photographer, a hot babe, a wonderful wife and the best life-long partner a guy could ask for!

Sara, I hope birthday week is just a taste of how much I love you! Happy 27th...

Sonic Love Language

You want to know one of my wife's main love languages? Sonic diet cokes! In this case, it's not really her giving them, but receiving them. It speaks even more volumes about my love if I'm able to score one during Sonic happy hour from 2-4pm. It's simple really but it's taken me 5 years to even begin to figure it out.

Today it was 9:30am so happy hour was out the window. I had to run an errand on her side of town and after I was finished I thought, "I have an opportunity to speak Sara's love language this morning!" So, off to Sonic I go. Just a $1.50 later, I possess in my hands 32 oz. of sweet love for my girl. I head to her work to drop it off, knowing I am minutes away from making her day.

Strange. Her car's not in the parking lot. Ohhh...maybe she is at the school today (sometimes she goes to a local school for a morning a week to observe some classes and students). So I casually make my way to the school. ..anticipation building. Even stranger. Her car is not in the school parking lot. At this point I know the ice is already beginning to melt...and I don't want to communicate anything close to "watered-down love."

So, I think to my drugged up self (I've got a little cold going on that's kind of put me in a cloud of haze)...self, what day is today? Thursday. Thursday!?! Shoot! On Thursday's Sara works at a satellite office in Murray (about an hour away). Bummer...

I guess I spent a $1.50 to show my self some Sonic lovin'! But, it's really not the same. See, 5 years later and I'm still learning...

Maybe the fact that I went through all this will be sweet enough. After all, she and I both know I'm nowhere near fluent in her native love language. But I'm sure trying to learn my share of vocabulary!

Man Truck

I've always looked younger than my actual age. For instance now at 27 I might be lucky if a person would guess my age to be 21. A couple months ago after I finished preaching, a woman who was visiting that day came up to me to tell me she enjoyed my sermon. In the context of our conversation she asked how long I had been here at Reidland. I proceeded to explain that my wife and I moved here from Abilene, Texas almost 3 years ago. She almost stopped me in mid-sentence to say..."You're old enough to be married????"

I've also lived in Kentucky now for coming up on three years but have yet to become very "Kentuckian!" I grew up a city boy mostly. I don't really fish. I definitely don't hunt. Barely know how to shoot a gun. I don't own a four-wheeler. And I'm yet to bleed blue and white.


Well I think I've found something that could be a solution to both of those "shortcomings." Let me introduce you to...the Man Truck.


I'm not sure if it makes me look older (I probably shouldn't count on it) or if it really makes me any more Kentuckian (although it's a step in that direction) but it is fulfilling a boyhood dream of owning a truck. Something about owning a truck just makes a guy feel more like a hombre! Now I can haul stuff and put me a big metal box in the back (for my tools of course). It communicates toughness, dependability, and towing horsepower.

Or at least it would if it wasn't a single cab, 4 cylinder, white truck. I guess really all it communicates is that I'm a 21 (not 27) year old, city boy from Florida...but I like it anyway. Just me and my truck. Who knows...perhaps one day the man in both of us will finally be evident to all!

And if you're curious, yes, I'm old enough to be married...at least in most states with parental consent.

Shake, Shake, Shake...

4:36AM. To the best of my knowledge...sleeping and more sleeping. 4:37AM. Wide Awake. The reason...the house was shaking! A lot of things instantly run through your mind when you are stirred awake from a deep sleep to find the house moving more than you are used to. (Thought #1) "Alright, who's playing the prank on us this time?!" Only to roll over and see the iridescent glow of the clock suggesting sure hibernation time. This is no prank. Hmm... (Thought #2) "Well...it must really be storming outside! The wind must be blowing like crazy." Only to peek out the window blinds to see the trees standing statue still. What's going on? (Sara's response as she too woke up) I'm not sure actually.

At most 20 seconds passed. The shaking stopped. Sleep was stronger than my curiosity. My eyes closed with the fleeting thought(#3)...was that an earthquake?!?

Somewhere around 7:02AM. Sara wakes to a text asking, "Did you feel the earthquake?" 7:03AM. She wakes me up proclaiming..."Mike it was an earthquake!" Really, I wondered if that's what it was! She quickly replies, "No you didn't!" Seriously, I did...even though I've never experienced one before what else could it have been. She of course hadn't read my thoughts at 4:37AM during which I logically concluded the only possible outcome...earthquake.

Earthquake!?! It wasn't much. It wasn't very long. But it was still disorienting, even unsettling. For the earth to shift miles and miles away from us but still feel it simultaneously...wow...there's some power that's hard to fathom. To think about its potential makes you feel weak, small, and unprepared.

Next time I'll be ready for it...that is if I'm not sleeping...

Actually the more I think about it the more I realize I'd rather not have the opportunity to experience a next time!

High School Confidential

Reality TV. We've all had the discussion. Is it really reality? In most cases no. It's sensationalized to attract a viewing market who love drama and the idea of reality tv. I think though that some shows serve a purpose. I think about the Biggest Loser. Helping people turn their lives around and live in healthy ways is inspiring, motivating and even redemptive at it's core. Sure, like any television show, they care about ratings and money but in the midst of that they are making a difference.

There is a "reality" type show currently airing on We TV on Monday nights called High School Confidential. From its website...the show "follows 12 diverse girls through their tumultuous and exhilarating high school experience. They encounter sex, drugs, unwanted pregnancy, health crisis, and family chaos -- all while trying to discover who they are. Each episode explores the girls' stories through four years of heartache, discovery, friendship, and self-acceptance." One of the truly interesting aspects of the show is that they followed these girls through all four years of high school and have combined the footage from all four years to help share each girl's high school story. They reveal views, passions, beliefs and morals expressed by the girls as they entered high school compared to their perspective as seniors close to graduation.

The more I watch the show, the more I'm convinced parents of all types should at least be exposed to much of the information conveyed throughout the series. That doesn't mean it's all good but so much of it offers a very insightful window into the general teenage culture of our world today. I even think the show could be used as a conversation starter with teens in an attempt to help them open up about the realities they face everyday. The shows creator Sharon Liese explains that the show "explores a phenomenon experienced by teenage girls: the inescapable struggle to forge an identity while facing pressure to lose her "self."

It is a documentary that (at least within me) evokes a spectrum of emotions. Encouraged. Inspired. Shocked. Determined. Frustrated. Motivated. Scared. I know during at least one of the episodes Sara and I commented to each other..."we aren't having kids!" We were joking (sort of) but it really does put life in perspective and motivate you to want to make a difference in the lives of young people. Whether you have kids of your own or you work with them on a regular basis, I think you can benefit from this up-close and (gut-wrenchingly) personal look at today's teenage experience.

Just to provide you with a little more info about the show, here is the ad for the premiere...

Jesus Calling...

Another word from the devotional book titled "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young...

Taste and see that I am good. The more intimately you experience Me, the more convinced you become of My goodness. I am the Living One who sees you and longs to participate in your life. I am training you to find Me in each moment and to be a channel of My loving Presence. Sometimes My blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through pain and trouble. At such times you can know My goodness only through your trust in Me. Understanding will fail you, but trust will keep you close to Me.

Thank Me for the gift of My Peace, a gift of such immense proportions that you cannot fathom its depth or breadth. When I appeared to My disciples after the resurrection, it was Peace that I communicated first of all. I knew this was their deepest need: to calm their fears and clear their minds. I also speak Peace to you, for I know your anxious thoughts. Listen to Me! Tune out other voices, so that you can hear Me more clearly. I designed you to dwell in Peace all day, every day. Draw near to Me; receive My Peace.

I really try each day to find God in every moment. I want to look for Him in every person, in every situation, and around every bend. I want to be a part of His purposes in my life and in this world. But often the noise distracts me or maybe it draws me into complacency. Sometimes I can be so aware of God, other times I'm only aware of myself and what's important to me.

God designed us to dwell in Peace even in the midst of a world in unrest. But, I need to constantly tune in to His presence, to intentionally look for his fingerprints and listen to His voice. He knows my heart...and longs for me to continually search after his.

May we draw near to his presence and dwell in his peace!

Your Future Plants Will Succeed

You just gotta love fortune cookies. Most of the time, the "wisdom" they offer is so random. Other times you question whether or not what is on the paper inside is actually a fortune...maybe a proverb but not a fortune. And are they ever really specific...the ones I always get seem to be so generic...empty platitudes to wish me joy and prosperity.

The above title was a "fortune" I received a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if it is a sign that I might have a future career in the farming industry or if they knew about my wife's lack of a green thumb. For some reason I think it was intended to communicate something else to me. Today, I got a "two for the price of one" special as there were two pieces of paper in my cookie. The "mysterious" thing is that they were both similarly applicable. One offered this nugget "You will enjoy doing something different this coming weekend." The other simply said, "Do something unusual tomorrow." This cookie must have had some inside sources because after all tomorrow is the "live" show of the Charity League Follies, and it is both unusual and different for me! Hmmm....

Sometimes I wonder if as Christians we attempt to offer people the "good news" equivalent of fortune cookies. We've been trained to say and do certain things when we encounter people that what we end up sharing with them is as generic and out of place as a fortune claiming "Your future plants will succeed." We offer them empty sayings that don't provide any more depth or meaning than a shallow "do something unusual tomorrow." Does what we offer connect with where they are right now...in the valley of darkness, in the depths of despair, in the frustrations of making ends meet, or in the anxiety of approaching the end of their rope? I often laugh at the humor in random fortunes. But what does the world around me do? How do people see me? Do they laugh at the "out-of-touch randomness" I offer or do they see a fellow human being who simply understands the grace of God and longs to invite them to swim in its depths?

Much more than just a generic piece of paper in a cookie, may I daily look for opportunities to connect in deeper ways with people who are looking for the love of God. And much more than any empty fortune, may those around me see a Christ follower, a forgiver and a friend!

I Follies and I Can't Get Up

Slow blog time for me lately. The main reason...my brain, legs, arms and voice are tired. For the past two months I've been involved in a musical performance called the Charity League Follies. It's a fund-raiser they do every few years to benefit the Easter Seals program in town. I've been singing, dancing, and learning my lines and I'm about ready for this whole "out of my box" experience to be completed. I've enjoyed parts of it and I hope the actual performance will be fun. But, so much of it has been stressful, overwhelming and time-consuming. We've had Dress Rehearsals all this week and they will continue tonight and tomorrow with the live show on Saturday night. I have fun on stage but I have to take the long road to getting comfortable and confident in order to do so. We'll see...

Sara's dad came in for a "brief" visit last week and one of the things he was trying to do while he was here was sell one of his bird dogs to a guy in Tennessee. Well, Dennis had to leave early so I had to complete the sale and drop-off the dog. This dog is the son of a Grand Champion and so just his name and that fact alone get a lot of people interested in him. He is a very well-trained animal or so I've been told. Because I learned while watching him for a day that it doesn't matter how well-trained a hunting dog (or any dog for that matter) is if you don't know the right commands. Let's just say I learned rather quickly that he doesn't respond real well to "Come back Copper!" I guess I got a little exercise out of the deal though.

Then I met the "buyer" at Cracker Barrel in Calvert City. The funny thing was some people from church saw me there, in a different vehicle (a truck), with a dog they had never seen before and I was passing this dog off to another truck next to me and receiving something in return. When they came up to say hello and ask what was going on I immediately started to think about the rumor possibilities..."in order to make ends meet, local minister dabbles in dog-dealing on the side!" Just another example that often in life, there can be more to circumstances than what meets the eye...

Jesus Calling

Somewhere around six weeks ago I attended a leadership retreat with Sara. The presenters at that retreat gave each couple who participated a devotional book entitled "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. The book is designed to share a few thoughts each day as if they were the spoken words of Jesus to me and you. Occasionally I plan to share an entry from this book and reflect on the message God has for my life as I listen for and rest in the words that reveal the heartbeat of Christ...

Rest In My Radiant Presence. The world around you seems to spin faster and faster, till everything is a blur. Yet there is a cushion of calm at the center of your life, where you live in union with Me. Return to this soothing Center as often as you can, for this is where you are energized: filled with My Love, Joy, and Peace.

The world is a needy place; do not go there for sustenance. Instead, come to Me; learn to depend on Me alone, and your weakness will become saturated with My Power. When you find your completeness in Me, you can help other people without using them to meet your own needs. Live in the Light of My Presence, and your light will shine brightly into the lives of others.

I think it is easy to agree that the world around us spins faster and faster. When we live in the midst of that spinning it doesn't take long to find ourselves dizzy from the experience. We search for a way to regain our balance, to reestablish equilibrium. But often the hard part is finding our way to the "cushion of calm" at the center. I wonder though if it is difficult because more often than not I try to go to the world for sustenance--for rest, for relaxation, for peace. What would it be like if I learned to depend more on God and less on myself, less on others, less on the comforts of the world? I desire in my heart to have the power and presence of God "saturate" my life...but what does the order and direction of my life communicate about that desire?

God, help me to see I am complete in you. May I slow down long enough to find you at the center of a fast-paced, me-first, spinning kind of world and may my light shine bright enough for others to see as they too travel through the world's dizzying fog...