Different than the first

I went golfing with the junior and senior high pastors this morning.

It was far different from my first round of the season.

I could not drive the ball off the tee today.  I still played well with my hybrids/irons once I went and found my ball, and actually putted pretty well today. 

Played the round much differently than Monday, but shot about the same score.

Now to both drive and putt well in the same round sometime.

Watching LOST?

Anybody out there reading this watch LOST?

I finally caught up with the show just before this season started and have been watching this season as it all plays out.

Just curious if any of you have been waiting for answers as well?

Must Be The Shoes

The new golf shoes must have helped.

I played much better than I thought I would today.  In fact, I hit the ball about as well as I ever have, I simply couldn't putt.

I didn't expect to be able to putt since it was the first time out this season, but I also didn't expect to hit the ball straight.  Even the driver went straight today. 

The only explanation is the shoes.

Two "G"reat G's

Tonight, we grilled for the first official time in spring.

Tomorrow is the first round of golf.

Grilling and Golf are two of my favorite "G" words and I get them both again now that the weather has returned to one of its more glorious seasons.

Clarity

Things always seem to make more sense when UK wins.

Things look clear again until at least Saturday.

Teach Me

Anybody know how to throw a frisbee straight?

I spent two rounds of frisbee golf tonight watching mine curve.  I could curve it either way depending on how I through it (and I could pick which way) but could not ever just throw it straight.

Somebody teach me the wise ways of throwing a frisbee.

Tentative Plans

Had the first request for golf made of the season today.

Have somewhat tentative, hopefully to be confirmed soon, plan to play golf soon.

The state of affairs is looking up.

Where is Faith Taking Me

Hebrews 12:2 states that Jesus is "...the author and perfecter of our faith..." a phrase I couldn't get out of my head this morning. It spawned one primary question, where is it that my faith may be headed?

If my faith is a story that Jesus is authoring, what narrative arc may it be taking? What do my past environment, my past experiences, and my current frame of understanding about faith and life say about where my faith may be headed?

This is my speculation on how Jesus may be authoring my faith...

I have been blessed beyond measure. Born into a family that because of luck, generosity, blessings, hard work, determination, and wisdom has, in my lifetime, never lived by the constraints finances. It isn't that we had all the money in the world, but me not getting what I wanted was never because we couldn't afford things. I had all the opportunity this world can offer to have a life lived in blessings. I still live amidst all of these blessings. I even understand that I am blessed so that I can be a blessing to others (God's initial call of his people given first to Abraham, but extending to each of us today).

Buy I have a sneaky suspicion, that my faith isn't being authored by Jesus to center on my blessings.

Experiences have also shown me some of my natural and supernatural gifts. A life of blessing and opportunity, combined with some areas of high function and some gifts given solely by my creator have fashioned me to often find myself in places of influence. It isn't that I find myself in places of power, but I've been able to play a role, for good and for bad, in the lives of others based on the authority they have given me to speak into their situations.

For much of my formal education, and current vocation, I spend significant amounts of time, thought, energy, and prayer hoping to make sure that I am using this part of myself wisely. I hope that in those situations, I can be a voice piece of God's Word being used by His Spirit to help others progress in their journey towards Him one step at a time.

For a long time, it was easy to think that this was the story Jesus was writing for me. That this is how he was authoring my faith. That his was how he was guiding me to interact with this world and its people.

I imagine this will always be a part of my life, maybe even the part that will have the most breadth of impact, but I've got a suspicion it isn't going to end up being the deepest part of my faith story.

I think the richest part of the faith that Jesus is writing for me will come in the struggles of life, but this may take some explaining.

Have you ever wished for seemingly negative things to happen to you? Wished you would get sick, or injured just to see who will respond, or to feel needed? Maybe I'm weird, but I used to think about these kinds of things a lot, and while my heart has changed (I care far less about feeling needed to random strangers) there is a part of me who thinks it will be the seemingly negative things where I will find out the most about my faith, and where others will hopefully see a beautifully clear picture of Jesus.

I understand my blessed past, my gifts given by the creator, even my current influence in many people's lives as something very unique. No one else will ever live my story. Jesus will not author their faith in the same ways as mine. While some may learn from and grow because of those parts of my story, I think the greatest depth will come in how He has been shaping me to view negative circumstances.

We share the negative circumstances. We may not all feel the blessings here, see the treasure here, be given authority here, but we will all undoubtedly deal with negative circumstances here. My guess is that I am being formed, being authored, being challenged, being changed to deal with these things as well as possible.

My hope grows each day with how I may deal with negative circumstances. I think through weird scenarios and how I would want my faith to respond. What if I lost my job? What if my gifts stop functioning? What if my brain stopped functioning, or I couldn't speak? What if (person that is closed to me) died? What if I needed to lay my life down for another? What if I never became a father? What if couldn't count on a next meal, found out I had a terminal disease, or found out you had a terminal disease?

I think through lots of these scenarios, hoping to be prepared that if any of them happen, or when some of them happen, that I will respond with faith. That I will see then, as I've seen as I look at all of my past, that God remains faithful. That while those circumstances may not be fun, that when I see how God works through them, my faith will be strengthened.

I have a hope, that someday, the deepest part of my faith will be seen in my unwavering loyalty to God. To knowing He is for me and not against me, and that circumstances don't ever adequately represent that when I let my emotions get involved. I hope that I can become the person who has joy in the midst of my sufferings and trials (James 1) because I know that they lead to better things.

I feel my faith being authored in this way. I have a very positive broad picture view of my own future sufferings. I hope to eventually live that positive view out within all of those individual sufferings as well. I hope to better control my attitude to reflect the faith that Jesus is authoring within me. The faith He authors is perfect afterall. I just hope not to get in His way.

Disclaimer: I don't believe that this means Jesus is actually authoring negative things to happen in my life, just the faith to respond to the negative things that will come because we all live in a fallen world.

Thursday is the Day

The Bible in 90 Days starts on Thursday.

Already have 7 or so people who have said they are joining me in doing it.

Looking forward to seeing what I learn when reading the Bible at this pace as opposed to slower. Taking the time to step back has always helped me as I read big chunks for Seminary, but the whole Bible in this timeframe is faster than I have ever had to do it before.

Anyone else interested?

Discipline at its Finest

I told myself I wouldn't watch much basketball at work today, I did have to finish preparing a teaching and all...so I allowed myself only the ESPN ticker from their website.

That is, until big upsets were in the making. I had to watch the last couple minutes of the Villanova game and the Vanderbilt game. I just couldn't miss all the Madness.

Tomorrow I will make up for it by vegging and watching the games all afternoon.

Such a great time of year.

Out Golfing

Got in a round of nine holes golfing today.

It was a good, relaxing time. Partially because it was Frisbee Golfing and there is less complication to that version than to actual golf. Also, because we didn't keep score.

I don't actually get to watch Kentucky's game tomorrow, but I think I'm fine with that. It should be a routine victory, and if not, I probably wouldn't have wanted to watch it.

Hope my bracket does well tomorrow. Looking forward to watching a bunch of the games on Friday.

Heavy Lifting

The T.V. Console Jenny picked out that we will actually use as a dresser is very heavy.

I went with my brother in-law to pick it up today and we made fun of the guys putting it in the truck for us. We joked how they looked to have never moved furniture before.

Then we went to get it out of the truck.

I'm not looking forward to moving it upstairs.

Trying My Darndest

I'm trying my best to encourage the warm weather to stay.

I bought golf shoes today. I had free money to use at Sports Authority during March as a promotion from when I got my snowboard, so I was happy to get free golf shoes (and a free t-shirt) out of the deal.

Hoping that the warming trend continues, despite the forecasts, and that the golf season makes it's entrance earlier than usual this year.

Exhausting and Exhilarating

Those two words describe today well.

From losing the hour of sleep, to the late night (early morning) tweaks to my sermon, to preaching that sermon twice, I was exhausted.

The preaching act also happens to be exhilarating for me. UK then won their SEC title, we bought some furniture, took naps and watched a movie.

A pretty fine day.

Time to catch up on the rest tomorrow.

Weird Thursday

I wasn't the person teaching tonight at our Young Adults Service. I wasn't in charge of the leadership meeting before hand.

I didn't know what to do with myself for extended portions of the afternoon.

It was nice to have that break this week as I continue to prepare for preaching the Sunday Services this week.

"Greater Things" here we come.

(That's Sunday's message title)

Quickest Photo Shoot Ever

We had pictures for the church directory taken tonight.

The photographer new we probably wouldn't be ordering any pictures, like many families do, and would just need one taken for the directory as a couple, and one of me alone for the staff pages.

She took just those two pictures. We looked at them, approved them, and then left. No sales pitches by the other people. No choosing between lots of pictures. Two clicks and we were out.

It went just as we would have wanted it to.

That Time of Year

The conference tournaments are underway. Sunday, the March Madness field is selected, ranked and located.

It is a great time of year. Won't enjoy working on Thursday the first day of the tourney, but am highly excited to see how my bracket does, but more importantly, how the Cats do.

I'm mad for March already.

Growth Stalled

The end of the P90x program is the part designed for the most muscle growth. The benefit I most wanted from the program.

Unfortunately, my shoulder has started bothering me again. I've had to tone down the intensity and weight amounts used in many of the workouts because of this nagging issue (that I still don't know where it came from).

I have just over two weeks left in the program, one of those a "recovery week" which has no weight training. I had just gotten to the point where I could see the benefits across my chest and in my arms, but have stalled here because of this tweak.

Ah well, just over 2 weeks until I don't have to think about working out for a while.

Don't Get the Hype

Generally, when a movie comes out with a lot of hype, I figure I'm going to see it.

Regardless of timing, a movie that gets that many people that excited is usually something I feel at least some bit of interest in watching.

There may be no movie I'm less excited to see than the new "Alice in Wonderland." I don't get why people were so excited for it. I don't get why it made so much money. I doubt I'll ever see it.

Upcoming Excitement

One of my favorite times on Thursday nights is when the musical worship directors and I sit down to discuss the creative elements of future services.

Tonight, we began tackling the three weeks leading up to Easter where we will take a break from our Deuteronomy series to prepare more intentionally for that holiday.

Lots of fun ideas a brewin for those services. Will be excited to see which of those we put into practice.

Will it be sand, vinegar, both?

Sooooo Close

My goal is to get the dreaded crane yoga position the way the video requests it in the 90 days of the P90x program.

Today, I stayed in the crane for 54 seconds. 6 seconds short. I think there are 4-5 more opportunities in the program to get it to the full minute.

Fun with Boss

Today was a great meeting with my supervising boss.

He has a heart for developing those under him and showing his appreciation for them in ways that they will enjoy.

Instead of our usual meeting at a Caribou, today we met at a Barnes and Noble cafe and when the meeting was done, I heard the coolest thing.

"Okay, now it is time to have fun. I want to bless you. Go find a half dozen books or so that you want and i'm going to buy them for you."

I quickly became a kid in a candy store. 2 bookstores and 7 books later, I had a nerd smile on my face.

Best meeting ever.

Intensity Returns

Somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks ago I noticed a slight tweak in my shoulder.

As a result, certain parts of my workout had to lose their intensity as my body tried to recuperate from the strain.

In today's workout, I didn't notice the problem anymore and got to return to full intensity. My arms definitely can feel the difference and I'm looking forward to finishing the last 3 and a half weeks of the 90 day program strong.

Hide That To

Eating lunch today, Luke notified us he was done eating by piling all his remaining food together and putting the spoon on top of it so as to hide it.

All but the bread that is.

I told him i could still see the bread and that je should hide it too. I recommended his nouth as a good place to hide it and he immediately shoved an oversized bite into his mouth, which after a while he of course ate.

Sometimes getting a kid to eat more is all a matter of finding the right game. It is the hopeless days that are more frustrating.