General

Catch Up

It is has been a really long time since I’ve posted here on the blog. Life has a way of getting n the way of your best laid plans and that has certainly been the case for me. The Resistance got me. Let me tell you what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks.

  1. We Moved. We moved into a brand new house that was a little bit bigger than our old house and a little bit closer to the action of our daily lives. The move was a whirlwind of activity. We ended up moving our furniture in the dark because, in all the confusion of closing houses, our power was shut off. Crazy. So that was on a Tuesday.
  2. We Are Having Another Baby. And on Saturday we found out the big news. This was not the plan but we are excited and have begun the process of getting everything together for our new family member. We are anticipating another May birthday in our house.
  3. Catalyst. This past weekend I attended the Catalyst Conference with some of my youth ministry peers from here in town. We traveled by White Church Van from DFW to the ATL last Wednesday. The conference was the best yet. Andy Stanley gave an incredible lesson on Esau and set the bar for the whole week. It was incredible. On Friday, we drove the entire trip back during the night. It was a long trip but extremely fruitful. Our personal ministries will benefit from the conference and so will the joint ministry event that we participate in together. I am so excited about what lies in store for us.

There you have it 3 great things that have kept me from the blog. Be on the lookout for more regular posts beginning today.

Youth Ministry

ACU Trip

Greetings from Abilene, TX and the campus of Abilene Christian University.

I took a group of Junior and Senior teens for a college preview this weekend and we have had a blast. I have really enjoyed being with these teen as they wrestle and decide what their next steps will be. I’ve worked with these teens since they were in JR High and it has been a great honor to see them mature and grow over the last 5 school years.

Many of them are realizing what they have a passion for and they are looking for careers that will impact the community and people around them. They want to be teachers and social workers, physical therapists and ministers. They want to give of themselves and make a difference.

Love, love, love, love that!

We head home later this afternoon. Keep us in your prayers as we travel. Peace!

General

Top 20 Song (Play)list Pt 2

It is (Play)List Friday here at Kicking at the Darkness. This week, we’ll wrap up my Top 20 Songs (Play)List. Enjoy.

Magnificent / U2 (No Line On The Horizon)
One of the strongest songs off of NLOTH and one the loudest professions of faith in the U2 catalog- at least, that’s how I hear it. I turn this song into a prayer.

Favorite Line: “I was born, I was born to sing for you, I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up and sing whatever song you wanted me to, I give you back my voice, From the womb my first cry it was a joyful noise.”

All Along The Watchtower / Jimi Hendrix
Interesting fact: When this song comes on when I’m in the car, my vehicle turns into a helicopter and I fly missions into Vietnam. It’s true.

Favorite Line: “Let us stop talkin’ falsely now, the hour is getting late.”

Don’t You Forget About Me / Simple Minds
Have you seen Simple Minds in concert? I have. Did you every have Saturday School… In college? I did.

Favorite Line: “Smoke up Johnny!!!!!” (That’s from The Breakfast Club)

God Only Knows / Beach Boys (Pet Sounds)
The Beach Boys accomplish in 2:53 what it takes most bands lifetimes to achieve (Or not achieve).

Favorite Line: “God only knows what I’d be without you.”

A Day In the Life / The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Chaos and order culminates into the most definitive note in rock n’ roll history.

Favorite Line: “Looking up, I noticed I was late (huff, huff, huff).”

Last Goodbye / Jeff Buckley (Grace)
The Mighty Mississippi took Jeff Buckley way too soon but not before he left us with “Grace.” This is the best track off that album and most definitely one of my favorite songs to sing along to. I can hit those high notes like no one’s business. The key is to sing with passion- a truth Buckley lived by.

Favorite Line: “Kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation”

The Times They Are A-Changin’ / Bob Dylan (The Times They Are A-Changin’)
Was this really written in 1964? Truth is it was written yesterday and will remain prophetic even tomorrow. Did I just blow your mind?

Favorite Line: “The line it is drawn, The curse it is cast, The slow one now will later be fast, As the present now will later be past, The order is rapidly fadin’, And the first one now will later be last, For the times they are a-changin’”

Bad-40-Where The Streets Have No Name / U2 (Electrical Storm-EP)
It’s my list and if I want to list 3 songs as 1 I will do so. Taken from the Elevation Tour: Live in Boston DVD this track contains everything you need for a live U2 experience. Add to these 3 songs Bono quoting Psalm 116 from the Message and you’ve got 12 minutes of awesome, heart-and-soul rocking music. You’re welcome!

Favorite Line: “What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?”

Mighty To Save / Hillsong (Mighty to Save)
I often wonder which church songs that we sing today will my son be singing 30 years from now. I hope that he will be singing this one… loudly, passionately, and with conviction.

Favorite Line: “So take me as you find me, all my fears and failures, and fill my life again. I give my life to follow, everything I believe in, now I surrender.“

Top 5 Things

Five for Thursday

Top 5 Blog Posts I’ve Been Reading:

  1. ChurchMarketingSucks looks at the Church Banner #FAIL? Apparently, the WTF Banner is on purpose.
  2. Seth Godin tells us that Attitude Matters
  3. Pastor Steven Furtick reminds us that the Sermon Ships Every Week
  4. I’ve got the iPad but StuffChristiansLike.net challenges me to avoid coveting the Fancy Pulpit to match
  5. Michael Hyatt reviews all the latest reading devices from the Kindle to the iPad

Top 5 Albums I’m Listening To:

  1. Kingdom Come by Elevation Church
  2. Switchfoot iTunes Session-EP by Switchfoot
  3. Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons
  4. We Cry Out by Jeremy Camp
  5. Suburbs by Arcade Fire

Top 5 Books I’m Reading:

  1. Almost Christian by Kendra Creasy Dean
  2. Church Planter by Darrin Patrick
  3. Exponential by Dave & Jon Ferguson
  4. Permission to Speak Freely by Anne Jackson
  5. Lasting Impressions by Mark Waltz

Top 5 Tweets of the Week:

  1. @TimSchraeder: Thank goodness Jesus said the church would prevail… despite WTF and Koran-burning churches.
  2. @ScottMcClellan: Friends don’t let friends buy purple jeans. Unless you’re friends with Prince- he’d probably give you the go ahead.
  3. @CSLewisDaily: As long as he doesn’t convert it into action, it does not matter how much a man thinks about his repentance.
  4. @ConanOBrien: Facebook is trying to trademark the word “Face” I am going to trademark the word “aceboo” and then wait for the dollars to roll in.
  5. @StevenFurtick: I may or may not have made a Boyz II Men playlist for Furtick family supper background music tonight. I may or may not know every vocal run.
Awesomenessness, I Love My Church, Ministry

48 Pairs of Shoes

Shoes

Yesterday I delivered 48 pairs of shoes to a local elementary school for our church’s “Start on the Right Foot” program. Each year we partner with counselors in some of the schools here in town and provide new shoes to students. We collected approximately 250 pairs of shoes this year. That means that 250 students- who needed shoes to run in, play in, walk in, and learn in– will be able to start the new school year in style with some brand new kicks!

Way to go church! As an old coach once told me, “Ya done good.”

General, Music, My Life, Playlists

Friday (Play)List: Top 20 Songs Pt 1

To continue with My Life in (Play)Lists series that I started last week I am revealing to you today the list of My Top 20 Favorite Songs. Remeber that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is dating that guy that is obsessed with the song “Desperado” by the Eagles? That song would come on the radio and he would stop talking, close his eyes, and drift away completely tuning out everything but the song. Yeah, that’s what happens to me whenever these 20 songs are played. I’ll reveal 10 this Friday and 10 next Friday. Enjoy!

1) Beautiful Day / U2 (All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
Out of all the U2 songs out there, this one grabs my attention every time. I love the bass groove that opens the song. When the drums kick in at the chorus I’m gone- you’ve lost me to the music. Love this song so much! I remember listening to it a lot during the first year we were married in our little apartment off campus. The music is only enhanced message of the song’ “What you don’t have, you don’t need it now, It’s a Beautiful Day!” Maybe I can hook a speaker up to my tombstone and blast this song across the cemetery. Forget the Eternal Flame- I’ve got an Eternal Soundtrack!

Favorite Line: “You’ve been all over, And it’s been all over you, It’s a Beautiful Day!”

2) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

3) Let’s Stay Together / Al Green
I wish I was a great soul singer like the Rev. Green.

Favorite Line: “Since we’ve been together, Wooo, Loving you forever is what I NEEEEEeeeeeddd”

4) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

5) If I Can Dream / Elvis (’68 Comeback Special)
I’m a big Elvis fan and this is without a doubt the greatest Elvis song in his cannon. Since this is from the ’68 Comeback Special the energy and the passion is turned up to 11. It is so real you can almost feel the heat of the studio lights and the sweat from his brow. Elvis believes every word of this song and he makes you believe it too.

Favorite line: “While I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk, while I can dream… please let my dream… come true.”

6) Shelter From the Storm (Alt Take) / Bob Dylan (Jerry Maguire Soundtrack)
Any true Dylan fan can tell the difference between the album releases and the numerous alternative takes that have been leaked, released, and traded around for years. While I cannot give you any technical reasons this alternative take of Shelter is different the Blood on the Tracks original I can tell you that this is the superior one. This song totally envelops me whenever I listen to it.

Favorite Line: “I bargained for salvation, She gave me a lethal dose.”

7) Won’t Back Down / Johnny Cash feat. Tom Petty (American III)
We live a world that settles for mediocrity. I hate that. When things get tough or the pressure is on we wither and melt. Hearing Cash’s weather-beaten voice is a bit of motivation for this young pup to keep pushing, keeping shipping, and keep standing firm when everyone and everything else settles for less that what they deserve.

Favorite Line: “I know what’s right,I got just one life, In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around, But I’ll stand my ground, And I won’t back down.”

Eight) All These Things I’ve Done / The Killers (Hot Fuss)
Invisible Children used this track for a simple yet powerful video highlighting teens leading the charge and sounding the cry for children in Uganda who were being abducted and forced to serve in illegal armies. I don’t know if it is because of the video or because of the song but I get completely lost inside this song and I still get goosebumps every time I listen. Great song.

Favorite Line: “If you can’t hold on, Hold on.”

9) Fix You / Coldplay (X&Y)
A modern day hymn complete with organ, longing, promises, and reverence. Is there anything about this song that isn’t absolutely perfect.

Favorite Line: “Tears stream down your face, when you lose something you cannot replace.”

10) How He Loves / John Mark McMillian (The Medicine)
Another song that gives me goosebumps. It is worship in the raw and John Mark McMillian dedicates every word to Almighty God. A simple song with simple lyrics suddenly becomes complex and earth-shattering when the implications of these lyrics sink in. Our great and mighty God loves us enough to send his Son to earth to die in our place and offer us real and eternal life. Oh How He Loves!

Favorite Line: “I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about… How He Loves Us!”

My Life

Wild Wednesday

Well, we sold our house and put a contract on another. We have to get everything done, signed, and moved by September 22. Shouldn’t be a problem because it’s only…. SEPTEMBER 1st!?!?!?! WHAT!?!?

Crazy I know! We have had a great 4-5 years in our current home but it is time to move on. After having a baby, we’ve needed a little more elbow room. The house was on the market for the entire summer. The week school started back we were showing it almost everyday and someone decided to make it their home.

We have been extremely blessed in this house. Last night during our High School Bible Study- while I didn’t get weepy- a flood of great memories washed over me. The teens were crammed on the couch while Sandy and I were on the floor and I was eternally thankful for the decisions, relationships, and commitments made and strengthened in this current house.

I am excited about moving and starting new memories in a brand new house. Please be praying for a smooth and easy transition. It is an exciting time for our little family. Movin’ on up!

Life, Music, Playlists

Top 20

Music plays such a big role in my life. Recently I was in Barnes and Noble and I saw a book entitled “Music Listography: Your Life in (Play)Lists.” This book/journal is designed for you to list everything you love about music. Some the lists include “90’s Music,” “Favorite Shows You’ve Seen Live,” and “Musicians You’d Bring Back From the Dead.” When I flipped through the book I knew I just had to have this book and fill it with everything I love about music.

The first two lists in the book call for you to list your Top 20 favorites. Here is my offerings:

Your Top Twenty Favorite Bands– (In no particular order)

U2
Counting Crows
The Police
The Beatles
Coldplay
Dave Matthews Band
Matisyahu
Hillsong United
Ray Lamotagne
David Crowder Band
Bob Dylan
Pearl Jam
Elvis
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Jars of Clay
Muse
Weezer
The Killers
Jack Johnson

Top Twenty Albums You’d Bring If You Were Leaving Planet Earth In a Spaceship (Again, no particular order)

The Joshua Tree (U2)
Achtung Baby (U2)
Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
August and Everything After (Counting Crows)
What’s Goin’ On (Marvin Gaye)
Recovering the Satellites (Counting Crows)
Live at Stubb’s (Matisyahu)
Live at Luther (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds)
X&Y (Coldplay)
Jesus Freak (DC Talk)
Continuum (John Mayer)
In Between Dreams (Jack Johnson)
Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (Sarah McLaughlin)
Illuminate (David Crowder Band)
IV (Led Zeppelin)
Rearview Mirror (Pearl Jam) – I know it’s a Greatest Hits collection. Who cares?
Jars of Clay (Jars of Clay)
Nirvana: Unplugged (Nirvana)
O (Damien Rice)
With Hearts As One (Hillsong United)

How about you? What are your Top 20 Bands/Albums?

General

Too Easily Pleased

Challenging thought of the day from C.S. Lewis:

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

What are you too easily please by? What lesser thing do you choose over and above the infinite joy offered to you through Jesus Christ?

Father, help us to settle for nothing less than you.

Books, Discipleship

Who Do You Say I AM?

Last week I finished reading a new biography on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great Lutheran minister who stood toe to toe with the Nazis during World War II. He was eventually arrested by the SS and executed for opposing Hitler and standing for Jesus Christ. Take a second and read the words of the Nazi “doctor” who presided over Bonhoeffer’s execution. Dr. Fisher-Hullstrung wrote,

“Through the half-open door in one room of the huts I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved by the way this loveable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer. At the place of execution, he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed. In almost 50 years that I have worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man who could answer the question “Who is God?” Bonhoeffer knew who God was and that belief directed his every step, his entire life.

I don’t believe that you and I or our children will ever have to face the Nazi gallows but everyday we are confronted with forces that, at best, trick us into apathy toward God and at worst, seek to separate and destroy our relationship with him.

The only way to confront these forces is to run directly into the arms of our big God who has a big love for us. This God sent his son so that we may have life and have it to the full. When we believe the truth about God we cannot help but follow His call.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxes

The Goal Is Soul