January 2008 Archives

are you kidding me?

30 days have passed in 2008... as i sit here and reflect on this number several thoughts come to mind...

that is 720 hours...
43,2000 minuets...
just shy of 2.6 million seconds...

of what?

...of life that has passed before me in the last 30 days.

i wonder...

how much of that i wasted.
how many opportunities i missed.
how many lives i touched compared to how many i could have touched.

in the last 30 days... i wonder if my life glorified god. i wonder if he is smiling at my life.

i don't want to miss it for the next 30 days...

F

remember... VISION LEAKS...

we often need reminders... i know that i do.

the last month in recap:

MAVERICKS... the path of the UNcommon
serve... (the person(s) next to you)
aware... (are aware of the opportunities... WAKE UP)
move... (the invitation has always been the same... "Come, follow me.")

it is time to move from our safe harbors that have keep us protected for so long... that have provided us with comforts and conveniences... but ultimately that may have led to atrophy and degeneration due to disuse and inactivity.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

WHERE WILL YOU GO?

WHO WILL YOU BE?

HOW WILL THEY KNOW?

always remember that you are special... but the question that begs to be asked is...

ARE YOU DIFFERENT?

i believe in you... do you believe in you?

F

for all the details and the down low on WIRED 08 this year go check out http://www.realmnoise.com/wired08/

there is even a "hint" on the theme this year... but don't worry you will NEVER know!

all i have to say is this... you NEED to be there.

F

shift happens...

F

this video will blow your mind on how this "new world" gets, receives and gives information.

How we will... the church... adjust and pursue in this "new world"?

How will you?

F

at some point every man wishes that he sounded like barry white, or at least could sound like him when they wanted.

well... that wish came true for me this past weekend.

as if i don't already have an awkward nasally voice (thank you new york) i now sound like an awkward nasally barry white. pretty entertaining actually.

i have a severe sinus infection, PLEASE PRAY FOR ME!

thanks,
F

can the church stop its puny, hack dreams of trying to "make a difference in the world" and start dreaming god-sized dreams of making the world different?"
(soul tsunami)

what will your life be?
what will you do?

F

a traveler encountered a guru on the road and asked him, "are you a deity?"

the guru said no.

"are you a saint?"

the guru said no.

"are you a prophet?"

the guru said no.

Exasperated, the traveler asked, "then what are you?"

the guru answered, "i'm AWAKE."

(excerpt from soul tsunami, leonard sweet)

are you awake?

are you aware?

don't miss the opportunities that come your way today.

F

i recently read a good read... the culturally savvy christian by dick staub.

most of you may know that i have always been OBSESSED with the culture at large and how we as followers of christ fit into it. i have always been obsessed with LIFE and living at a high level and being winsome with the people around us. the bible is pretty clear on being careful how we live with "outsiders" (col. 4:5-6)

for far too long... the church has been silent on the tension that life kindly offers and a little too loud on issues that have essentially caused her to begin to atrophy.

dick staub writes that brennan manning once told him, "i believe the real difference in america is not between conservatives and liberals, fundamentalists, charismatics, republicans and democrats; the real difference is between the aware and the unaware."

i wish that i could write the sound of a face falling off and hitting the ground because that is the sound that i am hearing right now! my face just fell off!

THE REAL DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN THE AWARE AND THE UNAWARE!

are you aware of what and who is next to you?

opportunities come to those who are aware... those who are aware then have a choice to make...

faith, risk, influence, change...?
or
idle, atrophy, die...?

are you one of the aware?

F

i challenged everyone that attended the gathering last night at the REALM to have a conversation with god, to pray and ask for ONE face and ONE name...

i think that as humans, but more specifically american christians (i understand that i am being very general here... but remember the perception) we can hear about the plight of the poor, the water crisis, human trafficking, sex and slave trade, aids pandemic, etc and know that we can possibly and should do something about it. most will never do anything, some will act, those few will be the ones that make a difference... those few will be the ones that leave their mark on history as anonymous as it may be, nonetheless, they will act... they will change... they will risk!

the "church" needs to answer these questions... we need to be a part of this solution... YES!

but what about the person next to you?

you see... it is easy to give money, but to take that step of faith... now that is risky!

one life at a time, as we reflect christ, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

today, serve the ONE next to you!

mark 9:35... "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

get dirty,
F

i showed this interview wednesday night at the gathering... let me preface this interview by taking a step back. i understand that last week i posted and commented on the conversation that is being had about the negative perception of christianity and the church in america. i have been part of that conversation for many years... i believe it is and has been time to act...

but... i also felt that it was needed for us to be as keenly aware of this REALITY as we can be...

i pray that disturbs you!

F

the three words that will move you...

from what... from where... you ask?

from where you are to where you want to go... life was never meant to be lived in neutral... we were never meant to be idle... we were created for action, for movement, for influence...

somewhere in the time between the early christians and now, something shifted in the individual lives if christians... yes we know that the "church" has undergone some incredible persecution and people for millennia have misunderstood her and again to an extent rightfully so...

but here we are... here and now... what are we going to do about it?

what will this generation be... do... and be remembered for?

"we cannot change others until we first change ourselves."

have faith...
take a risk...
then you will influence...

ready?

"go"

no... literally, "go" - that is what life was meant to look like... GO!

F

finally... they are here

TOMS has sent us some pics of the shoe drop from november in south africa. these kids have shoes on their feet because of the sacrifice you have made...

THANK YOU... students from the REALM, harvester christian and 2 rivers. your generation MUST continue to become more increasingly aware of the social global issues that are a reality around the world.

i am proud of you.

there has been a lot of talk over the past several years pertaining the negative image of the church in the larger scope of culture. i have been part of the that conversation and have added very vocally it... and to an extent rightfully so, there have been many things that the "church" has failed at over the years that has led to the tainted picture that the culture sees when they look at the church.

but, here is where i am at currently in the conversation...

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

the "church" is the people... if there is an image problem with the church, the ones, you and me who represent the church, ultimately representing jesus, need to understand the implications on our lives and what and who we represent.

the church is the sum of the i's - the community - no pressure... it comes back to me and you.

the NEW conversation needs to bring people to the place where they are part if the solution. this is what it means to be the gospel... to represent jesus in life and in the culture at large. this is when the the "church" begins to create and cultivate the culture instead of the culture shifting the christian and hence the church.

DO SOMETHING...
that is what mavericks do...

F

alright... i am back from the LONG vacation with some family in denver, co. it is ALWAYS a blessing for michele and i to be with family... it is a treat!

but we are back now and ready to roll...

F