Loose Ends and Other Minutiae

Randa and I enjoyed a date night last Saturday at Convergence. We attended Harp 46's Sanctuarium CD release concert. There was also some amazing art from Nancy Lynch on display as well. We got to hang out with some friends, see some cool art, and listen to great music. What an awesome night! Buy the CD here! Here's some pictures I stole from Todd's blog. The first one is Harp 46. The second one is the audience. if you look real close, you can see me on the far right side of the picture. Unfortunately, Randa sat to my left and didn't make the picture.

Josh's wife transcends cool and apparently Josh doesn't come close, unless he gets a Mac.

Why, you might ask, is there a picture of an Advent wreath with all the candles lit? Our Faith Builders children and I just concluded our Advent Study this past Wednesday night. Because of our church's Wednesday night schedule, we had to begin our study back in November and conclude it just as we, as a church, are participating in Advent on Sunday mornings. It was interesting to do it this way, but I think it may help make the Advent season more memorable and meaningful to us because of our participation in the study. You can see our focus words for the study on the board. I pray that the season of Advent is a reminder to you and me of God's wonderful heart of love towards us.

Some fall pictures. The first is from our church. The second is in our front yard. The final fall picture is the view from our back porch. Driving on Old Keene Mill Road is best done in the fall - God has an amazing paintbrush!

SNOW! The first snow of the season occurred on Wednesday, December 5. What is it about snowing on Wednesdays and Sundays? Interesting tidbit from the weatherman - it has snowed in the greater D.C. area on December 5 in four of the past six years. The first two pictures are of our church's courtyard. The final picture is a night picture (of not so great quality) of our front yard.

One detail not explained in the story in my last post was why I chose to propose on December 5. After all, it was a busy day. Looking ahead on the calendar to June 5, 1999 reveals that six months separated the day we got engaged until the day we got married. Seemed like good symmetry at the time!

There was a great post by Steve Argue a few weeks ago on the Intersect Community's AlreadyNotYet blog. It deals with life after conferences. I think it is partially the reason why I haven't blogged my thoughts/reactions to the NYWC yet - I'm still reflecting. Check it out and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Marko had a great post right after Thanksgiving that linked to an article in the New York Magazine that discussed the effect lack of sleep has on children/teens and their cognitive abilities. It's worth the read.

Chuck Norris Approved! This is just too fun!

There are other (serious) videos of Chuck Norris and Mike Huckabee that can be found on Huckabee's website.

Here's another cool video I've wanted to post, but just didn't get around to until now. Enjoy!

What's So Special About December 5th?

I haven't been able to write for awhile now. I had things I wanted to write about, but just didn't feel like I could get them down in words. I probably should have just written anyway because I do really want to write more regularly and that means I should probably write even when the words don't come so easily.

Today is December 5th, a very important day in my life. Why is it important? Let me tell you a story.

On December 5, 1998, I had a very busy day. First, Randa (who was my girlfriend at the time) and I went to a brunch hosted at the home of my pastor at Bellmead FBC. His wife was a wonderful hostess and everyone had an enjoyable time. After the brunch, we headed to the library at Baylor so I could work on a seminary project. After that it was off to the Waco Zoo for a date with Randa. The zoo is where we went as a part of our first official date. (Our first date was a blind lunch date at Applebee's in Waco with mutual friends, but it was more like an extended introduction.) We had to rush our time at the zoo because the zoo was going to be closing soon. When we got to the bench in front of the elephants we sat down. It was at that moment that I proposed to Randa. And she said 'yes'! Randa knew something was up, mainly because we rushed to get to that particular bench. Why there? Because elephants are my favorite zoo animal. I was nervous (even though we both pretty much knew we were going to be married some day) and was actually having trouble getting the ring out of my pocket. I had a zoo map in my hand and it blew out of my hand. That was the moment I needed. I retrieved the map and in the process of doing so was able to get the ring out of my pocket. When I returned to the bench I handed Randa the map and when she took it there was the ring and those immortal words, "Randa, will you marry me?" After she said yes, there was some kissing and some picture taking. When we got to my house, we called our families. Of course, nobody was home. Don't you just love having great news to share, but no one to share it with (we wanted family to know first)!?! To pass the time we watched the end of the Big 12 Championship Game in which my Texas A&M Aggies defeated #1 Kansas State for the title. Gig 'Em Aggies! We finally got in touch with family and shared our news with them and then our friends. What a great day! The rest of course is history and today I celebrate the 9th anniversary of the day I proposed to my lovely wife!

NYWC 2007 - San Diego

I'm heading to the NYWC in San Diego tomorrow!

Making Hard Decisions

I'm from Texas. I like football. That should help you understand why this article caught my eye. Unless you've experienced the religion that is Texas High School Football, you can't fully appreciate and understand how hard the decision must have been for Coach Demo Odems to forfeit two games (last Friday and this Friday) and determine the remainder of the football season for the Johnston (Austin) Rams on a week-to-week basis. But, as the article points out, the coach made the right decision. He put the safety of his players first.

How do we make hard decisions? Do we do what we know is right and best? Or, do we worry about what others might think, about upsetting tradition, or about our own selfish needs/wants/desires? Coach Odems is taking a big risk in alienating his players, parents, school officials, and the community in general by deciding not to play football. While the loss of football and all the good that goes with it is devastating, having kids get hurt for no good reason is just not acceptable. Coach Odems is teaching his players and others a valuable lesson in decision making. It is one that will not be appreciated right now by many, but as time passes will be recognized for being the correct decision.

May we be free and courageous enough to make hard, correct decisions.

Forgiveness

Yesterday was the anniversary of the schoolhouse shooting that resulted in the deaths of five Amish girls and the gunman in Nickel Mines, PA. After the incident, the Amish community offered forgiveness for the shooter and his family. USA Today's Kate Naseef talked with Steve Nolt, a co-author of the book Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, in an interview about what America could learn from the Amish. We can learn a lot.

The Amish understanding of forgiveness is simple and yet complex. Simply put, to receive God's forgiveness is dependent upon extending forgiveness to others. More complex is the understanding of forgiveness being a long process - one that is difficult, painful, takes time, and can only happen through God's grace. The Amish begin with expressing their intention to forgive, with the faith that the emotional forgiveness will follow over time. Blame is out of the equation. What else can we learn? Nolt answers this question well:

Even though forgiveness is a complicated and difficult thing, if we approach it with the support of other people — the Amish do everything in community, including their grieving — and if we don't feel like we have to have all the emotions sorted out before we extend compassion, the road to forgiveness is easier. Reaching out in compassion to others in the faith that the difficult emotional work will follow, I think, is one of the things that they demonstrate.

In our world today, religion is so often used as a force for division, and here is an example of religion being used for compassion and healing.

This idea of forgiveness has been central to the Amish faith for many years. Instances of the Amish forgiving others before and after this tragedy are readily known and they will continue to forgive others who cause them harm. The real question for us is are we willing to take the necessary steps to make the road to forgiveness easier? Can we answer the question that is the title to the interview as found in the paper, "How can the Amish forgive what seems unforgivable?"

Click here for a follow-up article about how the community is doing now.

Death

There's a great post over at Lilly's Pad entitled "The Mystery of Death..." Check it out - it is a thoughtful look at a situation we've all been in or will be in as we minister to others. Lilly writes in a straight-forward manner that is simple, yet profound at the same time. I always appreciate reading her thoughts on difficult subjects.

The Teen Whisperer

I started a new book today, The Teen Whisperer: How to Break Through the Silence and Secrecy of Teenage Life, by Mike Linderman with Gary Brozek. Mike Linderman is a licensed counselor who has worked with teens for more than ten years. He's been married for twenty years and is the proud father of three healthy teens. He lives in Trout Creek, Montana. The book looks like it will be pretty good. I'm thinking this will be a good resource for youth pastors and for parents. I'll post a review when I'm finished with the book. For now, here's the publisher's description of the book:

Mike Linderman is a star in the making. He wrestles cattle at the crack of dawn, then spends his days working with the country's most troubled teens before coming home at night to three healthy teens of his own. Where so many other therapists can only offer futile advice to struggling parents, Linderman has mastered a blend of downhome honesty and military–like discipline––not to mention a layer of trust and love very rarely found in the therapist's office. Most of the teens Linderman treats are angry, abused, violent, and dangerous–they are children without hope.

Yet despite their difficult pasts, Linderman has achieved an extraordinary success rate with these teens, helping them turn their lives around and earning him the nickname "the Teen Whisperer." The son of a poor ranching family, Linderman learned at an early age the values of honesty, tough love, and hard work. Miraculously, it is those three values that have transformed the hardened clients at his school into loving, rational, productive teens.

Finally, Linderman shares these and other secrets with parents everywhere as he explains his methods for turning around America's toughest teens. Centering on the Five Primary Needs of Teens (Survival, Fun, Freedom, Power, and Belonging), his approach demonstrates the importance each of these concepts plays in teen's family life and the negative impact that occurs when a family is incapable of fulfilling these Needs. Here he provides concrete steps that parents can take to reconnect with their teens as they work together to create a stronger relationship and kids learn to:
* Trust themselves and others
* Process emotion and pain in healthy ways
* Understand and appreciate boundaries
* Gain joy and pride in real work
* Live a life of love, respect and gratitude

Interacting with teens on their terms and in their language, Linderman allows parents to see that in order to help kids you must meet them at their level and treat them as peers not subordinates. With powerful and effective words, he calls on readers to understand that our teenagers deserve our love––not our fear––and ultimately it is this unique and straightforward perspective that sets him apart. It is this methodology, grounded in honesty and integrity, that has led to his unparalleled success record with some our country's most difficult youths. This is the story of that success and how parents can use the lessons he's learned to heal the troubled hearts of their own families.

Soccer Rant

I read an article in the Sports section of The Washington Post this morning about the U.S. women's national soccer team. The article was about Coach Greg Ryan making a change of goalie on the eve of their World Cup semifinal match with Brazil. Talk about foreshadowing! I thought that making a switch wasn't a good idea as the author of the article, Steven Goff, hinted. On my way to the office, I heard the score was 2-0 Brazil. By the time I got to the office it was 3-0. And the final ended up being 4-0. Turns out changing keepers might not have been the best idea. On the way home this afternoon I heard an interview with Hope Solo, the goalie who was benched. She called out the coach for making the change!

Here's a snippet: "It was the wrong decision, and I think anybody that knows anything about the game knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. . . . You have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past." Good for her!

Now, before the comments roll in about a blog post on women's soccer, know this:

1) I consider soccer not only a sport, but a good one.

2) I have three daughters who may one day play soccer.

3) I know probably not many people are blogging about this, much less men blogging about it, and I don't care.

RANT ALERT!

It irks me when people make stupid decisions and replacing a successful goalie (whose previous three matches were shutouts) on the eve of the most important match since the 2004 Olympics qualifies in my book as stupid.

On a positive note, D.C. United won last night!

Catching Up

Today, my oldest daughter, Annie, said she didn't want to go to school. She said this as we were walking to school. We never broke stride and after hugging and kissing me at the school entrance, she went inside and walked to her classroom. Whatever made her not want to go to school must not have been too bad. When I picked her up today, she said she had a good day. When I asked her if she was glad she went to school she said yes. When I asked her why she didn't want to go this morning she said she just didn't. Isn't that the way we are sometimes with the things in our lives?

Annie is in Kindergarten. She started school on July 30 - her school is on an alternative schedule. She loves school! In fact, today was the first time she ever mentioned not wanting to go to school. Annie being in Kindergarten is a monumental life passage. I have the privilege and joy of being able to walk her to school every morning. Along the way, we talk, usually about what she might do that day or about big things coming up. We always say a prayer on our way to school. It's tough as a parent to watch your kids grow up. Moments like these are exciting and sad! The excitement comes from the possibilities of the future for Annie. The sadness comes from the realization that Annie is no longer spending her days at home learning from Mommy. Kids grow up so fast!

Randa and Annie at the special lunch we had together before Annie started school.

Annie ready to leave the house for the first day of school!

Annie sitting at her table on the first day of Kindergarten!

Random Stuff

There was an interesting article on the front page of today's Washington Post about worship and technology. Seems like people are more concerned with the method rather than the act of worship.

Yesterday's USA Today had an interesting opinion piece about God and the role of women. Reminds me why I'm not Southern Baptist anymore.

The warm weather we've been having lately reminds me of something that can only be described as coming from God - the Frosty! I enjoyed one this afternoon and it was heavenly!

Remedy is here and it is truly amazing! DCB continues to produce wonderful worship music. Read Marko's review here - his is better than anything I could do.

My sister-in-law Erin celebrated her 30th birthday today! Happy Birthday! Erin is married to a great guy named Jeremy and together they are the parents of four wonderful kids. You can check out her thoughts on motherhood here.

Fall Means Blogging!

After taking most of the summer off from blogging, I've decided to start back up on this, the first full day of fall! A lot has happened over the last several months, so I think there will be many posts forthcoming! Let's start with this past weekend.

Friday through Sunday was my fourth Summit Lake Senior High Retreat. This is the second year I have been involved in leading the retreat as the "Retreat Director." In reality, I work with a great team of fellow youth pastors from the NorthStar Church Network to help make the retreat happen. My main contribution has been to be the administrative leader. I don't mind it, but I am looking forward to having someone else either take the mantle or at least be co-director.

I felt this year's retreat was our best one yet. The speaker, Chris Folmsbee, was great and together with Harp 46 and Communidad Hispana de Columbia, made up the best worship leadership I think we've had at my four years of Summit Lake. The words honest, open, authentic, heartfelt, and genuine come to mind when describing our leadership. They pointed us to God! They challenged us! They encouraged us! Chris left immediately after our last worship celebration so that he could try to get an earlier flight back home to be with his family. That's the kind of speaker I want teaching my students. My good friend Josh and I (along with Andy and Katie) helped put together some worship stations that made the worship times even more special. Thanks Josh! You can read more about Summit Lake at Chris' blog and Josh's blog.

Josh with Chris at Summit Lake.

Me with Chris. Unfortunately for Chris, his Bears lost to my Cowboys!

The best part of the weekend for me was having my family present. This was the first youth trip that we have attended as a family. My wife is awesome! She did so much with the kids by herself because of my leadership responsibilities at the retreat. The times we were together made the weekend special for me. Being able to see Randa and the girls each day was awesome. Eating meals together, going on paddle boat rides, playing on the playground, and worshipping together was an experience that I will never forget.

Westwood Baptist at Summit Lake!

Candy Land

Being a Youth Pastor is awesome! This is what we found in our front yard this morning - anyone up for a game of Candy Land?

SPURS - 2007 NBA Champions!

Spurs Hoist Larry O'Brien Trophy



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GO SPURS GO!

The Spurs sure have created a frenzy in the sports universe during their series with the Phoenix Suns. Several things have been said about the Spurs that simply boggle the mind. First, the idea that the Spurs are "dirty" is just ludicrous. The Spurs simply play fundamental basketball - not flashy basketball (i.e. lots of offense and no defense). They play good, hard, aggressive defense. Bruce Bowen plays aggressive man defense and offensive "stars" don't like that. The idea that Bowen would deliberately knee Steve Nash in the groin out in the open outside the three-point line is just crazy. Ironically, Nash got hurt because he was playing aggressive defense at the time. Robert Horry's foul at the end of game four was a hard foul, but he clearly was not trying to hurt Nash. If he had been, Nash wouldn't be playing in this series any longer. Nash (and Raja Bell for that matter) is as good a "flopper" as people claim Manu Ginobili is. The idea that Horry, a "scrub", went after Nash to try to provoke the Suns' stars into getting suspended is also crazy. Last I checked, Horry had six championship rings and Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Boris Diaw had zero between the three of them. Horry is the Spurs' most important bench player after Ginobili, much like Diaw is after Leandro Barbosa. The Spurs missed Horry in game five and will miss him in game six - make no mistake about that. All the literal blood drawn in this series has been drawn by the Suns - Nash's head-butting of Tony Parker and Shawn Marion raking Ginobili's eye. Yes, the Spurs are dirty!

Second, the idea that the NBA is trying to rig things in favor of the Spurs is just plain stupid. The Spurs are a great basketball team and organization, but they are boring for television. They don't draw ratings. If the NBA wanted one of these teams to advance to the finals, it would be Phoenix. The Suns just aren't ready yet. They may have better athletes, but the Spurs have the better team. It's a shame that the respect for each other these teams started the series with has disappeared. The fault there lies with Stoudemire opening his mouth and calling the Spurs dirty and then the media for jumping on that band wagon. If Stoudemire had kept his mouth shut, who knows how the rest of the series would have played out.

Finally, in the midst of all the controversy, the one thing Spurs fans and Suns fans could agree on was that the Dallas Mavericks just aren't ready to win a championship. In fact, they have a new logo that illustrates their strength as a basketball team:

Ordination Service

My Ordination Service was last Sunday. It was a nice service with a reception that followed. A fair number of people came out to the service, including some of the youth. And many others who couldn't come made sure I knew they were thinking of me. It was nice to have my parents and Randa's parents in town for the service and for Ainsley's dedication (in the morning worship service). My parents read scripture and prayed for me during the Laying on of Hands. In fact, my dad was the first to pray during that time. In addition to that, the most emotional time was when Randa's parents came through and prayed for me and for Randa. It was nice to have church staff members involved in the service, as well as ministry colleagues and friends. The support and love that Westwood and the community of faith in this area has shown us has been amazing. The service was very meaningful, affirming, and encouraging! Thanks to all who made the service so special!

Here's some pictures from the service:

Tragedy at Virginia Tech

There are no better words to express about what happened at Virginia Tech than these seen all over the Facebook world: Today, we are all Hokies. As people from all over the country and the world share in the grief of this tragedy, may we always be quick to turn toward God. As Lilly Lewin said so well on her April 17 blog post, "we need you to help us understand things that cannot be understood." Amen.

Ordination

Well, it's official: my ordination is set for Sunday, April 22, at 3 PM. My ordination council was this afternoon and those gathered voted to recommend me to the church for ordination. The council was very affirming - just another reason why I appreciate Westwood. My parents and Randa's parents will be coming into town to celebrate this part of my spiritual journey. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and to celebrating this moment with the church, with family, and with friends.

Lenten Promise Update #6 - Maundy Thursday

I am happy to report that I have been able to keep my Lenten promise of not eating fast food during Lent. It has been strange not stepping inside a McDonald's or Wendy's since Ash Wednesday. I wonder if the manager at my favorite McDonald's has noticed my absence. If so, the next time I am there will give me a great opportunity to share my experiences with others. I have grown spiritually as a result of this experience. I feel like I have slowed down and tried consciously to take in the meaning of Lent. Holy Week has been a great finish to this expereince for me. From Palm Sunday to today, Good Friday, I have felt more aware of the journey Christ took to the cross those many years ago.

Last night, our church had our Maundy Thursday service. It was a beautiful service in the respect that it provided a great opportunity for reflection on Christ and his sacrifice and sufferings. The service was full of scripture, hymns, reflection times, and beautiful imagery and symbolism. We ended the service by taking communion in the light of a single candle representing Christ. After taking the bread and dipping it in the cup and eating it, we took a candle and lit it from the single candle, thus transforming the dark room into one full of light, just as Christ is the Light of the world. After singing a final hymn, we departed in silence. It was a moving and powerful experience.

As we look toward Resurrection Sunday with anticipation, I am always moved by how feeble it is to try to explain and express our understanding of the love of God found in Christ. Mere words are too inadequate to be able to express what we feel. But I am compelled to express my thanks and though I cannot find the words, God hears them anyway.

Lenten Promise Update #5

My Lenten study with the children ended last night as we do not have Church Family Night during Holy Week. We will be making a trip to ECHO on the Wednesday after Easter to present the donations we have collected during Lent as the service project part of our study, but the teaching/reflection station time ended last night. We discussed Jesus' last supper with his disciples. The focus word was 'remember'. We tried to focus on remembering Jesus' sacrifice and specifically the last week of his journey. I think the children have enjoyed this time together (even though they long for recreation time!) and have benefited from doing things that we normally don't do in our program. We have really stretched ourselves in doing this focused study on Lent, especially through the creative activities that have been involved in the learning process. I was hesitant at first about whether this would work, but I have come to realize that children will amaze you if you give them the chance to try different things! I feel blessed to have been able to share this Lenten experience with the children of our church. On a personal note, I have continued to keep my Lenten promise of not eating fast food and I believe I have grown spiritually during this process. (I'm still working on the shrinking physically part!) I look forward to this year's Holy Week with an anticipation I have not had before - an anticipation of remembrance that will be deeper because of the Lenten study and my experiences with the children. Here's a picture of the painting we used last night to help us remember:

Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper (1495-1498)

March Madness Mourning

Well, the dream is over! Texas A&M's basketball season is finished as the Aggies lose in the Sweet Sixteen by 1 point to Memphis. In not taking care of the fundamentals (missing a lay-up and giving up 4 offensive rebounds in the last minute), the Aggies find their season coming to a premature end. But it has been a great basketball year for a "football school." Hopefully this is a harbinger of where the basketball program is headed!

I will now turn to rooting for the remaining underdogs of March! Go UNLV, Butler, and Memphis (since no one gives them any respect, I'll call them an underdog)!

Lenten Promise Update #4

I am still on track with keeping my Lenten promise. The children, however, have had some problems. But this is a great learning time for them and for me. We use the times when we share about our promises to encourage one another. It also is a good time to remember God's forgiveness and our ability to start over. It is refreshing to hear children talk about breaking their promises, but then trying again. Openness and honesty is so refreshing! As is the lack of being judgmental! I had what I will refer to as my 'Josh moment' last night. After discussing their promises and how they were doing at keeping them, we moved on to our discussion about prayer. But, one child stopped me and asked how I was doing with my Lenten promise. It was nice to feel like a part of their lives during this journey! I was happy to share what was going on with me! We had a good discussion about prayer, especially about prayer not just involving talking, but also requiring listening. We focused on the discipline of silence. We did an exercise where we focused our bodies and minds on achieving silence. After the exercise, we spent the remaining time at the reflection stations in silence, listening for God's voice speaking to us. It was very interesting and very hard! Silence is a spiritual discipline I want to and need to spend more time exploring.

Reminder Prayer
When I pray I speak to God,
When I listen God speaks to me.
I am now in God’s presence.
God is very near to me.
From The Lion Book of Children’s Prayers, Lion Publishing.

Lenten Promise Update #3

Yesterday marked another week of successfully keeping my Lenten promise. I am finding that my big challenge now is not in being tempted by fast food. It is being hungry all the time. My poor diet kept me full with the terrible combination of high calories and fat. Now, I struggle with feeling hungry all the time. As a result, I have tweaked my response of focusing on Christ's sacrifice when I feel like having fast food to include focusing when I am feeling hungry and unsatisfied with my meals. What better way to fight hunger than to meditate on Jesus. I have newfound appreciation for Jesus' fasting in the wilderness. I also have more of an awareness about how hard it is to focus on sacrifice during Lent. This is definitely proving to be an experience I will cherish and grow from.

Last night in Faith Builders we focused on forgiveness. Forgiveness is so powerful, yet we treat it so flippantly. This becomes more apparent when you are with children. They really do have a way of grasping these deep concepts in simple ways. After discussing forgiveness for awhile, the children overwhelmingly came to the conclusion that forgiveness is not only powerful, but it is powerful because of the way we experience it. They described how they felt when they forgave others and more so, how they felt when they had received forgiveness. That feeling was one of peace - a peace that only can be explained as coming from God. Forgiveness is powerful because it turns things upside down. Punishment turns to freedom, the messiness of sin to a clean slate. Only forgiveness (through God's sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us - talk about turning things upside down!) bridges that separation from God that sin creates.

We used two prayer exercises to help us with understanding forgiveness. The first was The Prayer of Saint Francis. We meditated on the prayer to discover and experience God's peace. The second was an imaginative prayer exercise. We imagined being on a walk to meet Jesus. Along the way, we are reminded of what we have done wrong and our need for forgiveness. When we finally are face to face with Jesus we pour out our wrongs to him and ask for forgiveness. Jesus forgives us with loving words and then reaches out for us and pick us up and gives us a big, soft hug. Can you imagine a better picture of forgiveness!?!

The Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
-Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

March Madness Is Here!

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is finally here!

Here's my final four picks: Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, and Texas A&M. The Aggies win it all and avenge an early season defeat to UCLA for the title!

Before you call me a shameless homer, this is the first time I have ever picked my team to win it all! (Of course, this is the first time I ever realistically could!) Several basketball experts have picked A&M as a dark horse team to win or picked them outright to win. A&M plays great defense, shoots well from the field, free-throw line, and three-point line, and has the best point guard in the nation. They have good, if not great, post play and they have a good coach. They also have tournament experience. All that should add up to a good showing!

A couple of picks for my friends: Michigan State goes down to Marquette in the first round. North Carolina goes down to Texas in the Sweet Sixteen.

Would the tournament be better with these teams: Drexel, Syracuse, Appalachian State, Akron, Missouri State, Marist, Hofstra, and Air Force instead of these teams: Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Stanford, Arkansas, Villanova, Duke, and Georgia Tech? I think so, but we'll never know because the Selection Committee loves to put middle-of-the-pack teams from big conferences in over good teams from lesser conferences. I like Duke, but they are not that good of a team this year. I'd much rather see Drexel get a shot than a middling ACC team that probably wouldn't be in the tournament if their coach wasn't named Mike Krzyzewski (the only plus is that it drives Maryland fans crazy that Duke gets in with an 8-8 conference record and opening round loss in the conference tournament this year, but Maryland didn't last year with an 8-8 conference record and an opening round win in the conference tournament) . Bottom line: I say give deserving teams more chances.

How to fix this mess: First, look at who teams play and where they play. Second, add three more at-large berths and have four play-in games between the bottom eight at-large teams. Third, all conference champions (automatic berths) get seeded instead of fearing having to play in a play-in game. Don't make a team that earned it's way into the tournament by winning a championship play another game to get into the field of 64.


My pick as this year's Champions! Gig 'Em Aggies!

Lenten Promise Update #2

Another week of Lent has passed since Ash Wednesday and I am still keeping my promise to not eat "fast food." Keeping this promise has been interesting lately. My daughter Annie celebrated her 5th birthday at the end of February and my parents were in town for a week to celebrate. Normally we would have gone out to eat at Wendy's or McDonald's for the kids. But this time we celebrated and ate at nicer restaurants. The keeping of the promise has been beneficial in the way it has affected my relationships with my family members. Randa and the girls are proud of what I am doing and have been very supportive. Randa even notes that she is eating less "fast food" because she thinks of me and my promise when she thinks about eating at McDonald's, etc. It has been an interesting time so far. I feel good - almost at peace as I progress with every new day.

I love it when Wednesday nights come and I get to hear how the church children are doing at keeping their promises. Those times together are encouraging. It is especially nice to see the innocence in the eyes of the 1st graders. And we have had great discussions about God and forgiveness. Last night our small group (due to the weather) focused on the story of Jesus going into the wilderness to fast and pray and how he was tempted by the devil during that time. We had a great discussion about temptation and we learned how to deal with it from Jesus' example. So far on Wednesdays, we have learned about making and keeping promises, baptism, and temptation. It has been a special Lenten season thus far.

Lenten Promise Update

I have been able to keep my promise of not eating fast food during Lent. One thing I have noticed during this experience is that this promise limits the number of places at which you can eat quickly and/or inexpensively. But the time waiting, either at a sit-down restaurant or while preparing a meal, gives me opportunity to focus on Christ. This has been a rewarding experience, notably because I am sharing this experience of keeping a Lenten promise with the Faith Builders children at our church.

I Wish I Were A Birder

Here's a couple of pics in homage to my friend Josh, the self-proclaimed "dork birder." I couldn't find any birds, but I found this lovely nest.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. I will be leading our Children's Program on Wednesday nights during Lent. Tonight we will be discussing the Lenten season. In addition to learning about Ash Wednesday and participating in our church's service tonight, we, the leaders and children, will make a Lenten promise to do something loving, or to give up something we really like, in order to help us remember Jesus. I am going to give up eating fast food for Lent. During those times when I hunger for a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit from McDonald's or a Cheesburger from Wendy's, I am going to focus on Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us. I am hoping that through this experience I will not only eat better and lose weight, but I might be drawn closer to the Lord. I'll keep posting about my Lenten promise as the season progresses.

Here's a picture of me with my beard. I decided to grow a beard this winter just to see how it would look. I kind of like it - I just wish there were fewer gray hairs! Below is a picture of the motivation behind my Lenten promise. That scale says 248! That would be a great weight if I was playing fullback for the Cowboys, but it's not so great for a 37-year-old Youth Pastor. I hope to use this Lenten season to kick start a new focus on healthier eating and exercise, as well as a renewed spiritual growth focus. My goal is to grow spiritually as I shrink physically!

The Democratic Resolution Opposing a Troop Increase in Iraq

The Democratic resolution expressing disapproval of President Bush's troop increase in Iraq that the House will debate this week:

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that —
(1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and
(2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq.
Source: The Associated Press

The problem with this resolution (other than it not having any teeth because it is non-binding) is that, once again, no alternate solution is advanced. It's one thing to criticize President Bush's decisions, but in not offering a viable alternative to his plan, all the Democratic Resolution is doing is piling on. And we all just love to be piled on, don't we?

Dixie Chicks Redeemed?

In the Tuesday edition of the USA Today Opinion Page, the editorial board shared a brief blurb about the Dixie Chicks winning five Grammy awards. Here's the quote that stood out to me:

"Whether the music industry professionals who awarded the Grammys were making a statement beyond artistic merit is hard to ascertain. What is clear, however, is how the trajectory of the Chicks' comeback mirrors the rise in anti-war sentiment. That sentiment has gone mainstream and is reflected even in once unquestioningly pro-war country music."

Did the Dixie Chicks win because their music was the best? I'm afraid not, and that is a shame for all parties concerned.

Super Bowl Ads

Our world has become too politically correct. Masterfoods USA has to pull what was one of the funniest Super Bowl advertisements because some gay organizations found it offensive. As a lover of Snickers bars, what I found most offensive was that the second mechanic felt it was okay to eat the candy. My wife can't even get away with that one. Don't eat my Snickers!

Other ads from the Super Bowl have come under attack as well, including the Nationwide ad featuring Kevin Federline. The National Restaurant Association criticized it for a "demeaning" portrayal of restaurant workers. Give me a break! USA Today featured an article that addressed the subject of interest groups complaining about ads. The last three paragraphs are telling:

Yet, when marketers back down, it creates a "very dangerous" environment for the ad industry, says Drew Neisser, CEO of the Renegade Marketing Group.

"The recent withdrawals will embolden every interest group to push their agenda and complain about any ad that doesn't jibe with their mission," he says.

"To create ads that offend no one is a fruitless endeavor," Neisser says. "To cut through, there must be an element of surprise … that someone, somewhere, might not like."

Spiritual Beltway?

I read an article in the Washington Post recently about McLean Bible Church, but the article was really more about the new growth strategy of megachurches - satellite sites. These churches use the strategy of opening multiple locations under the same name and considering themselves one church. Gone are the days of planting new churches that are independent entities, creative and unique in their approach to ministry in a specific community. There are advantages to this new strategy, chief among them being the ability to provide better and more affordable programs than a struggling small new church plant. But here's the quote from a pastor that embraces this strategy that got me thinking differently: "It's kind of like going to Starbucks. You know the product you're going to get." Skeptics and critics wonder if this new trend is more about bolstering egos than spreading the message. That, I feel, is a valid concern. My first reaction upon reading the article was, Are we really more concerned with creating a "brand" than we are about being the presence of Christ in a local community? And, is there such a thing as a church being too big? These questions have been around for awhile, but the need to address them is only going to get more urgent as more and more megachurches adopt this strategy of opening satellite sites, and in our case here in the DC area, spiritual beltways.

Valentine's Day

I've been away for awhile working on my youth group's blog and group page and calendar (isn't technology great). For my first post back I would like to declare my undying love for my wife Randa. We have been married for a little over 7 1/2 years. We have three children. And we are tired! We don't look as young as we used to, as thin as we used to, or as energetic as we used to, but we still love each other! And I would dare to say that we love each other more now than we used to. Our relationship isn't perfect, but who's is? We keep trying and that's what I like about us. We declared our commitment for each other years ago and that commitment is what keeps us going through the great times, the terrible times, and all the times in between. So here's to my wife -- the love of my life now and always! Happy Valentine's Day Randa! I LOVE YOU!

Catching Up

Well, I was just over at my friend Josh's blog and I realized that I haven't posted in quite a while. So here's a quick update on a variety of things:

FIRST:
Here's my FINAL RANKINGS after the College Bowl season. (It would sure be nice if they'd just 'man up' and go to a playoff and settle things on the field like every other sport does! But that's a whole separate post for another time.)
1. FLORIDA
2. Boise State They won all the games they played and would have played more if allowed, so they get the #2 spot.
3. Ohio State Dotting the "i" before the game was their highlight of the night.
4. LSU
5. USC
6. Louisville
7. Wisconsin Maybe they were the best Big 10 team?
8. West Virginia
9. Auburn
10. Rutgers

SECOND:
A&M follows up pivotal victory over t.u. with a terrible showing in the Holiday Bowl.

The Cowboys limp to a 9-7 regular season finish and then give the playoff game away to Seattle.

Maybe 2007 will be better? There's always hope! And the 5-11 Redskins!

THIRD:
My two Fantasy Football teams were disappointing in the playoffs. I finished the regular season as the number 1 seed, with the best record, and the most points in both leagues. I finished third in the league I won last year and fourth (this hurts the most) in the youth group league. At least I'm still undefeated when facing my pastor!

FOURTH:
Enjoyed a great family Christmas vacation back in Texas. Travel with three kids is so awesome! It's always great to see family and friends, but it is nice to be back to a normal schedule and to be able to sleep in my own bed!

FINALLY:
Church work is so nice. Those of you who work in the church can use your imagination here!

Final Top Ten Update

Final Top Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Florida
3. Michigan
4. LSU
5. Louisville
6. Wisconsin
7. Oklahoma
8. Southern Cal
9. Boise State
10. Wake Forest

Week 12 Results
Dallas 21
Indianapolis 14

Week 13 Results
Texas A&M 12
t.u. 7

Dallas 38
Tampa Bay 10

Week 14 Results
Dallas 23
NY Giants 20

Records
Georgetown 5-5
Texas A&M 9-3
Dallas 8-4

Top Ten Update (Week 11)

I missed a few weeks due to the birth of Ainsley, so I'll just jump right back in.

Top Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Rutgers
4. Florida
5. Southern Cal
6. Arkansas
7. Wake Forest
8. Wisconsin
9. Notre Dame
10. Boise State

Week 9 Results
Georgetown 22
Leander 29

Texas A&M 31
Baylor 21

Dallas 35
Carolina 14

Week 10 Results
Georgetown 24
RR Stony Point 16

Texas A&M 16
Oklahoma 17

Dallas 19
Washington 22

Week 11 Results
Georgetown 24
RR McNeil 21

Texas A&M 27
Nebraska 28

Dallas 27
Arizona 10

Records
Georgetown 5-5
Texas A&M 8-3
Dallas 5-4

Baby Gray Is Finally Here!

Ainsley Arden Gray arrived on Thursday, November 2, 2006, at 4:19 PM. She was 8 pounds, 10 ounces, and 20 inches in length at birth. She was born in Falls Church, Virginia.

Top Ten Update (Week 8)

Top Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. West Virginia
4. Southern Cal
5. Rutgers
6. Louisville
7. Tennessee
8. Cal
9. Auburn
10. Boise State

Week 8 Results
Georgetown 19
Round Rock 41

Texas A&M 34
Oklahoma State 33

Dallas 22
New York Giants 36

Records
Georgetown 3-4
Texas A&M 7-1
Dallas 3-3

Top Ten Update (Week 7)

Top Ten
1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Southern Cal
4. West Virginia
5. Louisville
6. Rutgers
7. Tennessee
8. California
9. Auburn
10. Boise State

Week 7 Results
Georgetown 20
Round Rock Westwood 36

Texas A&M 25
Missouri 19

Dallas 34
Houston 6

Records
Georgetown 3-3
Texas A&M 6-1
Dallas 3-2

Top Ten Update (Week 6)

Top Ten
1. Florida
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan
4. Southern Cal
5. West Virginia
6. Louisville
7. Missouri
8. Rutgers
9. Boise State
10. Tennessee

Week 6 Results
Georgetown 30
Pflugerville 26

Texas A&M 21
Kansas 18

Dallas 24
Philadelphia 38

Records
Georgetown 3-2
Texas A&M 5-1
Dallas 2-2

Apathy

NYWC Austin is winding down. It's Sunday morning and we're being challenged by a representative of the IJM to confront the stark reality of slavery in our world. Why is there slavery in our world? Because of our apathy. How sad and shameful that slave owners can laugh because, as we are told, we do not cry! But there is hope. God has a plan to rescue those who need justice and he wants to do it through his church. Will we--God's people, his church--step up?

NYWC-Austin!

I leave for Austin tomorrow to attend Youth Specialties' National Youth Workers Convention. I am so excited to have this time of refreshment and nourishment. Plus, I get to go back to God's country - TEXAS! I also look forward to seeing my friends and maybe even my parents - who knows? It should be a great few days away from the office!

Top Ten (Week 5) Update

Top Ten
1. Auburn
2. Ohio State
3. Southern Cal
4. Florida
5. Michigan
6. West Virginia
7. Louisville
8. Georgia
9. Missouri
10. Rutgers

Week 5 Results
Georgetown 12
Cedar Park 21

Texas A&M 27
Texas Tech 31

Dallas 45
Tennessee 14

Records
Georgetown 2-2
Texas A&M 4-1
Dallas 2-1

A Christian View of War

I read this great article in USA TODAY last week entitled "A Christian view of war." It is a part of a religion series that the paper runs every Monday. I think the subtitle by the author, Oliver "Buzz" Thomas, says it all: What would Jesus do in Iraq? He'd offer compassion, he'd feed the hungry, he'd even pray for the enemies. What he'd really do is give American Christians--Republicans and Democrats alike--something to think about. Are we as Christians ready to get serious about following the teachings of Jesus?

Top Ten (Week 4) and Update

My Top Ten
1. Auburn
2. Southern Cal
3. Ohio State
4. Florida
5. Michigan
6. West Virginia
7. Louisville
8. Iowa
9. Georgia
10. Virginia Tech

Week 4 Results
Texas A&M 45
Louisiana Tech 14

Records
Georgetown 2-1
Texas A&M 4-0
Dallas 1-1

My Top Ten (Week 3) and Update

My Top Ten
1. Auburn Best team in best conference.
2. Southern Cal Impressive win over Huskers.
3. Ohio State Can they survive until Michigan?
4. Florida Dashes Vols dreams again.
5. West Virginia On track for showdown with Louisville.
6. Michigan Crushes Irish on the road.
7. Louisville How much deeper is their bench?
8. Georgia Tough conference to be in.
9. Iowa Finally defeats in-state rival.
10. Virginia Tech Best team in weak ACC.

Week 3 Results
Georgetown 34
Belton 0

Texas A&M 28
Army 24

Dallas 27
Washington 10

Records
Georgetown 2-1
Texas A&M 3-0
Dallas 1-1

My Top Ten (Week 2)

My Top Ten College Football Teams
1. Notre Dame Tough schedule continues with Michigan.
2. Ohio State Convincing win on road against Texas.
3. Auburn LSU comes to town and they'll put up a fight.
4. Southern Cal Nebraska tests the Trojans this week.
5. Florida Big game with Tennessee looms on the horizon.
6. LSU Can they hold Auburn to just a field goal?
7. West Virginia Will Maryland put up a challenge?
8. Tennessee Looking ahead to Florida in near-loss to Air Force?
9. Florida State Noles in for a fight against Clemson.
10. Oklahoma Win on road vs. Oregon makes OU a title contender.

Football Teams Update

Here are the results for my teams so far:

Week 1
Georgetown 27
Alamo Heights 19

Texas A&M 35
The Citadel 3

Week 2
Georgetown 9
SA Reagan 13

Texas A&M 51
Louisiana-Lafayette 7

Dallas 17
Jacksonville 24

Records
Georgetown 1-1
Texas A&M 2-0
Dallas 0-1

My Top Ten College Football Poll

There are several polls that rank college football teams in the pre-season. Invariably they generate lots of discussion and controversy. Now that the first week of games is in the books here is my Top Ten Poll. My poll considers the following factors heavily: level of competition and where the game takes place. Performance on the field is the key here. Early in the season this will be a very fluid poll.

My Top Ten:

1. Tennessee

2. Florida State

3. Notre Dame

4. Auburn

5. Southern Cal

6. Florida

7. West Virginia

8. Texas

9. Ohio State

10. LSU

Tennessee gets the nod for the top spot because they easily defeated many people's dark horse national title contender Cal. In the process they put behind all the frustrations from last year. The pressure on Tennessee going into this game cannot be taken too lightly. Florida State narrowly misses out on the top spot after going to Miami and defeating the Hurricanes. It was a game dominated by the defenses and lacked aesthetic value. Nevertheless, Florida State positions themselves as early ACC and national title favorites. In the third spot is Notre Dame, a team also under the immense pressure of high (unrealistic?) expectations. All they did was go into a hostile environment, at night, on national television, against a good foe with perhaps the best WR in the country in Calvin Johnson, and WIN. The offense didn't look great, but the defense answered some questions. Now, can they survive a visit from Penn State? In fourth is Auburn. The Tigers overcome their recent history of slow starts (three opening games losses in last four years) to defeat Washington State. WSU is not a great team, but it's not a Division I-AA team either. And Auburn plays in the best conference in the country, the SEC. Southern Cal is next at number five. After losing lots of firepower from last year, all they did is hit the road and whip Arkansas again. The margin wasn't as great as last year, but the cupboard at USC is definitely not bare. In the sixth spot is Florida. Florida handled Southern Miss at home with the ol' ball coach, Steve Spurrier, in attendance. Southern Miss may not be as dangerous as in past years, but they are a formidable foe for a season opener. West Virginia comes in next at number seven. They defeated rival Marshall. In case you doubt the bitterness of the rivalry, there were four personal fouls called in the opening minutes of the game. West Virginia is another pick to go undefeated and contend for the national title. The loss of RB Michael Bush at Louisville for the rest of the year makes their run to the championship game a little easier. So does the increase in stature of the Big East (Rutgers and Pitt). WVU is loaded on offense and last year's bowl game victory over Georgia was probably the best game outside of the USC-Texas championship game. Speaking of Texas, they come in at number eight. Texas defeated North Texas easily. Of course, some big school Texas high school teams could probably beat North Texas. UNT's secondary made Texas QB Colt McCoy and WR Limas Sweed look like All-Americans. The real test comes next week as Ohio State comes to visit Austin. And that leads us to Ohio State at number nine. They defeated Northern Illinois, but in the process made RB Garrett Wolfe look like an All-American (285 total yards). Can they return the favor and knock off the Horns on their home field? We'll see. Thanks to the AP leapfrogging Texas over Notre Dame in their poll, this is now a #1 vs. #2 game (USA Today Coaches Poll already had OSU #1 and Texas #2). This game also has the intrigue of player suspensions. One team's national title dreams die Saturday night. Rounding out my poll at number ten is LSU. LSU was the feel good story of last year after surviving the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and posting a great record and bowl victory. It looks like they have another good team this year. Of course, they need to work on the defense some after allowing Louisiana-Lafayette to put points on the board (3) for the first time since 1924.

See you next week!

NYWC 2006 Is Coming!

Football Is Coming!

Football season is almost upon us! Pro training camps are opening up all across the country and excitement is in the air! Radio commentators are breaking down the pro divisions and the college conferences to see who is going to reign supreme this year. And, if you are from Texas, high school football is gearing up. You have 2-a-days, scrimmages, and in just a few short weeks, Week 0 arrives and the season begins! Everyone starts at 0-0 and believes that this is the year! Can you beat that kind of hope and optimism!?!

One of the things I miss most about Texas is high school football. Friday nights during the Fall become the central focal point of towns and communities all across the state. You have the football players, the band, the cheerleaders, the drill/dance team, and the parents/friends/community members all converging together to root for the home team. From the smallest six-man communities to the largest 5A schools in the DFW and Houston areas, football is something that brings the community together!

Football's approach always reminds me of the new beginnings that Fall brings. We often think of Fall as when the leaves fall off the trees and nature prepares for Winter, and Spring as the time of new birth and new beginnings. But Fall, signaled by the start of football practice, ushers in the new school year. And what could be a better time for a new beginning!?! As the summer winds down to it's last few weeks, I look forward to the excitement of a new beginning that the Fall always brings!

So to all my football teams I say GO! FIGHT! WIN!

GO (Georgetown High School) Eagles!
GO (Texas A&M) Aggies!
GO (Dallas) Cowboys!

BIG NEWS!

Randa is pregnant and is expecting our third daughter in late October! God continues to bless our family! Somehow, I will have to learn how to live with four females!

Back Again!

I'm finally back! It has been months since I've written anything, but lots has happened since my trip to Mississippi in February. Summer is here and for people like me (youth pastors) that means short term mission trips. Many groups are heading down to the gulf coast to participate in Katrina recovery projects. It is amazing that it has been almost a year since Katrina and yet it seems that only a small dent has been put into all the recovery work that needs to happen. I'm still speechless over all the devastation, but encouraged by the spirit of people--people hurting from Katrina and people helping to put things right.

As for me this summer, our group participated in Impact Virginia! Impact is a youth missions opportunity that allows students and adults to participate in the rehabilitation of homes. We participated in the Spotsylvania area. Like past years, this was a great experience for our group. Lives were touched and God's power and presence were felt. Read what the local newspaper had to say about Impact.