Simple Pleasures May Pass You By

As time passes, I can see exactly how fleeting it truly is. It really does seem like it was just a few weeks ago that I was taking all the Christmas lights off the house, and here we are just a few weeks away from putting them back up!

But, what really gets me is seeing my two little boys grow up before my very eyes. They are now 9 1/2 and 5 1/2 years old, and the precious moments I have with them are just slipping through my fingers with each passing day.

So, I have resolved to make each moment count - well, as much as my human, depraved, impatient self will allow.

My kids are always asking me if I can come and eat lunch with them at school. In years past, I have come on their birthday to eat with them and to bring cupcakes. But, now I have both kids at the same school - one in kindergarten, and one in fourth grade. So, it is much easier to see both at once.

Earlier this week, I walked into the lunchroom, and my 5-year old's eyes lit up. He was completely surprised, and began grinning from ear to ear and skipping his way to his seat at the table. It was priceless.

About 25 minutes later, his big brother came into the lunchroom with his class, and made eye contact with me. We smiled and waved, and I could tell he was excited.

A small, but huge investment in the lives of my kids.

I have heard co-workers tell me that when their middle school kids see them at the school, they hide, or walk right by them, pretending not to see them (and hoping no one else knows who they are). It's when I hear these stories that I remember that I am running out of time with them at this fun and innocent age.

Maybe you have an elementary child. If so, take an hour one day and surprise them at lunch. Or, read to their class, or show up with cookies or cupcakes. You'll delight the class, win huge points with your child, and create a lasting memory for yourself!

Props for My Boy

A couple weekends ago, I took Chaz for his skills test for his rec basketball league. After doing some dribbling and shooting, he joined several other kids on the court for a little pick-up game of 4-on-4.

Four of the kids playing were clearly All-Star caliber, launching 3's effortlessly, doing head fakes, and playing Duke Blue Devil-style defense. In the 15-20 minutes he played, Chaz was able to hang with them pretty well, but only managed one basket. And, I'll be darned if he didn't fall for the head fake every time!

But, even though Chaz wasn't the best shooter, ball handler, rebounder, or defender, he was clearly in another league in perhaps the most important statistical category: high-fives. Each time a teammate scored or made a nice pass to another teammate, Chaz immediately went over to that player and high-fived him. Chaz was the only one who encouraged and celebrated his teammates' performance during the scrimmage.

Are there things he needs to work on and improve upon? Sure. But, in the category of "best teammates," Chaz is way ahead of the curve. And, that stat is much more important to me as a parent, and will benefit Chaz in life far more than the number of times he takes crazy shots outside the paint.

Thoughts from Catalyst 2009

I just returned from the Catalyst leadership conference. As always, there were some terrific speakers: Tony Dungy, Rob Bell, Charles Swindoll, Matt Chandler, Francis Chan, Dave Ramsey, Andy Stanley, Josh Hamilton, Louie Giglio, and several others.

Here are some of the more memorable quotes I took away from Catalyst.09:

• God takes responsibility for the life wholly devoted to Him. - Andy Stanley, quoting his father, Charles Stanley


• The medium is the message. How we communicate (the medium) is as important, perhaps moreso, than what we communicate (the message). - Shane Hipps


• Nobody wants to be Moses. He had to wander in the desert for 40 years, leading a bunch of whiners and complainers. Church people were SO different then (spoken with much sarcasm). - Matt Chandler


• We shouldn't be inviting God to play a role in our story. Instead, we should be available to play a part in God's story. - Andy Stanley


• We need to be excited about treasure we already have. - Priscilla Shirer


• Intensity causes things to move. Nothing moves unless it is shoved. - Dave Ramsey


• I am sick of half-butt Christians. Stop slapping a fish on the back of it, and driving it poorly and irresponsibly. Do things with excellence. - Dave Ramsey


• To the person who claims he doesn't have enough time to meet along with God: Jesus' earthly ministry was 1,059 days, and the first 40 were spent alone in the wilderness with His father. - Louie Giglio

What is that supposed to mean?

We ran into some old friends earlier this week at a school thing. We caught up and exchanged pleasantries, and it was really good to see them!

As the conversation was coming to a close, my wife says, "Tell them what you're doing now at the church." Uhh....OK.

So, I explained that my new role is Married Couples Pastor, and that the former Couples Pastor is now serving as the Spiritual Growth Pastor. He'll be developing small group curriculum, devotionals for quiet time and reflection during the week, and creating some seminar series, such as Old and New Testament classes to help people develop a deeper understanding of scripture.

Our friend responds by saying, "You know what...that's why we left the church. There wasn't anything for mature Christians."

The program was beginning, and the conversation ended abruptly, and I was left stunned. My friend's comments echoed in my mind..."There wasn't anything for mature Christians."

What does that even mean? You want to know what I think it means for most people? It means they believe that spiritual maturity is sitting and listening and learning. Gaining knowledge.

But, is knowledge maturity? Hardly.

Ed Young, Jr. is Founding Pastor at Fellowship Church in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. He made the comment one time that it's actually the self-proclaimed "mature" Christians who are the real "babies" when it comes to spiritual growth. In Young's words, they sit at the table and cry and whine and scream, "Feed me! Feed me!" He demonstrated this in a sermon by sitting in an adult-sized high-chair wearing a baby bib. Pretty good stuff.

Ed Young says that a lot of Christians mistakenly think they are ready to wade in the deep end of the pool, but really need to continue to hang out in the shallow end. Young added, "When I can master loving God with all my heart, and loving my neighbor as myself, maybe I'll go a little bit deeper."

With so many ways to serve others - both at church and in the community - how can someone ever say, "There isn't anything for mature Christians?"

You know what? You can easily identify the truly mature believers. They're the ones on the front lines, serving and loving others. They are the ones who never complain, and who understand that Jesus' message isn't just for them. They aren't consumers. They're inverstors. They're not takers, they're givers. They aren't listeners, they're doers.

How do you define spiritual maturity? By knowledge, or by showing God's love to those desperate to find the true meaning of life?

Shift Out of Neutral

Have you ever accidentally knocked your transmission into neutral? The light turns green, you hit the gas, and you’re met with a roar from the engine. Then a louder roar. You realize you aren’t going anywhere, and you have 15 cars behind you honking and hands waving out windows flashing you the one-fingered peace sign.

Believe it or not, many of us live our lives in neutral – but usually it’s by design, not by accident. And, all the while, we are holding things up – not only for ourselves, but for countless others who are ready to keep on moving.

You can normally identify the “neutral” crowd pretty easily. They may be disguised, but sooner or later, some pretty telling signs make their way to the surface. See if any of these sound familiar:

• Too much sleep – People who are spinning their wheels but getting nowhere often do nothing but sleep. They sleep until late morning or early afternoon, and are lazy (I’m not talking about people who work the night shift). Further, it’s a sign of depression and low self-esteem.
• Procrastination – A clear sign of running in place is putting things off until later (with no intention of ever doing anything). When you repeatedly hear someone say, “I’ve just been too busy, I need to wait until things settle down,” or, “I’ve been meaning to do that, I just haven’t gotten around to it,” you can bet that someone’s burning fuel while idling.
• Non-Committal – People just don’t commit to things anymore. I’ll admit – I have a ton of flaws, but when I make a commitment, I am in. I am reliable and dependable, and I take great pride in that. I am the exception nowadays, not the rule. Committed, dependable people are valuable beyond measure in today’s culture. Many people give a half-hearted effort or level of commitment to many things, fooling themselves into believing that they are over-achievers. In reality, they are spread too thin and end up hurting themselves and others by not fully devoting themselves to someone or something.
• Few (if any) friends – People in neutral may have a lot of acquaintances, but few (or zero) true meaningful relationships. Because they either don’t believe they have anything to offer anyone, or because they are oblivious to the needs of others, they rob themselves of the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of other people. See numbers 1, 2, and 3 above as to why this might be the case.
• Are consumers, not investors – Let’s face it, people want what they want. They want nicer things, newer things, expensive things. Temporary things, not eternal things. You can determine the things that matter most to people by looking at their calendar (or PDA) and their bank account. The time and money we spend speaks volumes about our character and our priorities. Does any of your time and money go to serve others or to provide for others in need? Or are you only padding your wallet, or buying things that will wind up in next year’s yard sale?

If you find yourself marked by any of these characteristics, it’s time for a change. Grab the stick shift and move it into first gear (not overdrive). Get involved, get to know people, and invest in things that will last beyond yourself. Automobiles aren’t built to sit in neutral. They’re designed to get people from Point A to Point B – and to their ultimate destination. Get out of neutral, and discover the road you were meant to travel all along!