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?