A lot of us avoid the Messies. The Messies are those people. You know, the ones whose lives are so...
...well, so messed up!
Take the guy who stopped in to my office recently. He has messed everything up. Let me tell you, his mess is a doozy! He's so messed up that he wants to change!
He has found out that it will be impossible to clean up his mess by himself. Now, that's a problem! Who would ever want to help him?
Mmmmmm, how about a Small Group? A group filled with other Messies? Yeah, they will know what to do! They are all getting "cleaner" -- helping each other with one mess at a time.
I'm sure glad they all took Step Two: Grow Together Relationally!
p.s. Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday, Beth and Becki,
Happy birthday to you!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Who do you love?
Yesterday, I talked about how easy it is to lose our way, even when what we're looking for is really.close.by. Now, I admit that I'm a male. You female readers know that we guys have a genetic disorder called "never-ask-for-directions-find-your-own-way." That's why God created something called a GPS (or, at least, surely inspired the creator). It's so we men can have someone tell us the direction we should go without us having to ask for it. (Wives have done that for centuries, but we won't talk about that.)
Anyway, in our church, we developed a down-to-earth, three-stop process. We encourage people to take step one. Then two. Then...well, you get it!
Step one is Love Jesus Passionately. I often give men a hard time for loving, say, football passionately. Or it could be NASCAR. Or monster trucks or ice hockey. Guys go to games and make fools of themselves, but come to church and sit stoically. "I'm not expressive," they say with a voice hoarse from last night's big contest.
Expression during worship is just one of the ways we need to love Jesus passionately. And the truth is, I have a lot of room for growth on this one. Take the following musings...
Is it my passionate love for Jesus that causes me to freak out that something isn't "just right" on my car before I leave on a trip? I don't mean something like a speck of dust on the dashboard. But certainly not anything mechanically dangerous, either.
Or, take this one. Why is it that I freak out when the internet goes down for a few hours. I mean, I feel so disconnected from my cyberworld! But I can disconnect from Jesus for days and barely notice it.
That's when, "Who do you love?" shows up to haunt me.
So. Who do YOU love?
Anyway, in our church, we developed a down-to-earth, three-stop process. We encourage people to take step one. Then two. Then...well, you get it!
Step one is Love Jesus Passionately. I often give men a hard time for loving, say, football passionately. Or it could be NASCAR. Or monster trucks or ice hockey. Guys go to games and make fools of themselves, but come to church and sit stoically. "I'm not expressive," they say with a voice hoarse from last night's big contest.
Expression during worship is just one of the ways we need to love Jesus passionately. And the truth is, I have a lot of room for growth on this one. Take the following musings...
Is it my passionate love for Jesus that causes me to freak out that something isn't "just right" on my car before I leave on a trip? I don't mean something like a speck of dust on the dashboard. But certainly not anything mechanically dangerous, either.
Or, take this one. Why is it that I freak out when the internet goes down for a few hours. I mean, I feel so disconnected from my cyberworld! But I can disconnect from Jesus for days and barely notice it.
That's when, "Who do you love?" shows up to haunt me.
So. Who do YOU love?
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Turn Left, Then Turn Right, Then...
A few years ago, Cathy and I decided to sign up for a fitness class at the local community college. Arizona Western College is about a half mile from our house and we discovered we could sign up for the class, then get to use their fitness center for the semester. We audited the class -- it was fitness we were after -- and the cost was much less than a commercial health club.
We noted when registration was open and drove over to the campus to sign up. We had our identification and residency information ready as we hopped out of our car. Then we walked toward the administration buildings.
Problem. We couldn't tell from the signs which building to enter. It seemed like we walked around to two or three different buildings or entrances before we finally figured out where we were supposed to be.
Once signed up, we were directed to the business office to pay for the classes. Again, we had to search to finally arrive at the right place.
I should say here that neither Cathy nor I are blind. At least one of us (ahem) has a pretty good sense of which direction is North. And we both know how to read maps. After finding our way that first time, we had a pretty good idea of what was where.
On the other hand, had we been less motivated, we might have just got back in the car and drove home.
Once you have been to a place, you can pretty well figure out how to get back. (Unless, I discovered, it's in Boston -- but that's a whole 'nuther story.)
We had to face a question in our church a couple of years back. What if we looked as challenging to new attenders as AWC was to Cathy and me? Not that our campus is that big or confusing. But we frequently have attenders who are trying to figure out what their next spiritual steps are. What if they attend Stone Ridge and leave as directionless as they arrive?
Those questions drove us to simplify what we do to three, easy-to-remember steps. Love. Grow. Serve.
I'll tell you more tomorrow.
We noted when registration was open and drove over to the campus to sign up. We had our identification and residency information ready as we hopped out of our car. Then we walked toward the administration buildings.
Problem. We couldn't tell from the signs which building to enter. It seemed like we walked around to two or three different buildings or entrances before we finally figured out where we were supposed to be.
Once signed up, we were directed to the business office to pay for the classes. Again, we had to search to finally arrive at the right place.
I should say here that neither Cathy nor I are blind. At least one of us (ahem) has a pretty good sense of which direction is North. And we both know how to read maps. After finding our way that first time, we had a pretty good idea of what was where.
On the other hand, had we been less motivated, we might have just got back in the car and drove home.
Once you have been to a place, you can pretty well figure out how to get back. (Unless, I discovered, it's in Boston -- but that's a whole 'nuther story.)
We had to face a question in our church a couple of years back. What if we looked as challenging to new attenders as AWC was to Cathy and me? Not that our campus is that big or confusing. But we frequently have attenders who are trying to figure out what their next spiritual steps are. What if they attend Stone Ridge and leave as directionless as they arrive?
Those questions drove us to simplify what we do to three, easy-to-remember steps. Love. Grow. Serve.
I'll tell you more tomorrow.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Say That Again?!
Our long-time friend Melinda recently wrote on Facebook about a sign she saw: "Emergency Piano Sale!" She then questioned the difference between an "Emergency Piano" and a regular piano. Did it have red and blue lights that strobed round and round? Did it have a siren? Can you play faster on it than a regular one? At least that's some of the stuff Melinda was questioning.
Well, I saw a Sears ad yesterday. It said, "plus free oil changes for one year by mail when you buy 4 Michelin tires." Hmmmm.
I think I'll ask our friend Laurie, the mail carrier, if her work is messier than it used to be.
I just wonder how close I have to pull up to the mail box to keep it from spilling any.
Well, I saw a Sears ad yesterday. It said, "plus free oil changes for one year by mail when you buy 4 Michelin tires." Hmmmm.
I think I'll ask our friend Laurie, the mail carrier, if her work is messier than it used to be.
I just wonder how close I have to pull up to the mail box to keep it from spilling any.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Cathy Got Clothed!
Yesterday, you heard how I got belted on the night of our 37th Wedding Anniversary. Today (the rest of the story), you'll discover how Cathy got clothed. (Author's note: the word "clothed" in American English is normally pronounced with a long "o" -- as such, the past or perfect tense of the the word "clothe." That, my dear reader, is not my usage today. Instead, I am using it as the past tense of "cloth" -- rhyming with "moth." My readers with extremely advanced studies in linguistics, namely my daughter Becki and my British friend Rachel Cotterill, will hopefully treat me kindly on this. If you can't treat me kindly, girls, please observe the sage wisdom of Cathy's mom, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." :o) )
We walked up to the checkout stand at Kohls, Cathy taking sideways glances at me and my eleven belts for purchase. "It's a bit embarrassing," she whispered.
We were third in line at the only register with a cashier (August 25th, with normal highs well above 100 degrees, isn't so much a "fast day" for local businesses.) When the the line moved up, Cathy noticed the matching table cloths being purchased by the lady in front of us. "They match our kitchen colors perfectly," she said."
"Do you want one?" I generously replied, holding the eleven belts in my hands.
"I don't know. Nah, we just use place mats anyway."
About that time, we noticed the Spanish interaction between cashier and the lady in front of us (remember, we are on the border with Mexico). There seemed to be a question about one of the table cloths. Finally, the cashier looked at us, the customers with the belts, and asked (in English), "Can you tell from the label if this is the rectangle or the oval?"
The print on that tag would qualify for the electron microscope in science lab. We both squinted through our bifocals long enough to get headaches and, with the interaction of the friendly cashier, figured that this was an oval-shaped table cloth. Obviously, it wasn't what the customer wanted and, after another brief exchange in Spanish, the cashier placed it to the side along with other items to be returned to shelves.
You should also know that other customers were lining up behind us at this point and, whether or not they appreciated the long query over the table cloth shape, two different young men kept glancing at the strange old guy with the armload of belts. Cathy, ever helpful (and fully embarrassed by me) said, "It's a great sale -- 90% off!" I saw these guys each sort of glance back toward the men's department, then resolve to keep their places in the growing line.
When it was finally our turn with the cashier, I saw Cathy look again at the oval-shaped table cloth (perfect size for our table). "Do you want it?" I asked again.
"Well, I just don't know (I thank God for a frugal wife.), how much was it again?" At this point a little drool was forming at the corner of her mouth (Ouch! She just hit me!). The cashier quickly scanned it -- it was over 50% off.
"Go ahead, take it!" I encouraged.
"You can always return it!" helped the cashier. As she began to ring up the belts, the table cloth, and the "$10 off" coupon, she tried ever so hard to talk us into saving even more by applying for a credit card. We didn't, but Cathy did surrender her email address for a discount...
...and we walked out the door to the parking lot laughing like children!
We walked up to the checkout stand at Kohls, Cathy taking sideways glances at me and my eleven belts for purchase. "It's a bit embarrassing," she whispered.
We were third in line at the only register with a cashier (August 25th, with normal highs well above 100 degrees, isn't so much a "fast day" for local businesses.) When the the line moved up, Cathy noticed the matching table cloths being purchased by the lady in front of us. "They match our kitchen colors perfectly," she said."
"Do you want one?" I generously replied, holding the eleven belts in my hands.
"I don't know. Nah, we just use place mats anyway."
About that time, we noticed the Spanish interaction between cashier and the lady in front of us (remember, we are on the border with Mexico). There seemed to be a question about one of the table cloths. Finally, the cashier looked at us, the customers with the belts, and asked (in English), "Can you tell from the label if this is the rectangle or the oval?"
The print on that tag would qualify for the electron microscope in science lab. We both squinted through our bifocals long enough to get headaches and, with the interaction of the friendly cashier, figured that this was an oval-shaped table cloth. Obviously, it wasn't what the customer wanted and, after another brief exchange in Spanish, the cashier placed it to the side along with other items to be returned to shelves.
You should also know that other customers were lining up behind us at this point and, whether or not they appreciated the long query over the table cloth shape, two different young men kept glancing at the strange old guy with the armload of belts. Cathy, ever helpful (and fully embarrassed by me) said, "It's a great sale -- 90% off!" I saw these guys each sort of glance back toward the men's department, then resolve to keep their places in the growing line.
When it was finally our turn with the cashier, I saw Cathy look again at the oval-shaped table cloth (perfect size for our table). "Do you want it?" I asked again.
"Well, I just don't know (I thank God for a frugal wife.), how much was it again?" At this point a little drool was forming at the corner of her mouth (Ouch! She just hit me!). The cashier quickly scanned it -- it was over 50% off.
"Go ahead, take it!" I encouraged.
"You can always return it!" helped the cashier. As she began to ring up the belts, the table cloth, and the "$10 off" coupon, she tried ever so hard to talk us into saving even more by applying for a credit card. We didn't, but Cathy did surrender her email address for a discount...
...and we walked out the door to the parking lot laughing like children!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I got belted!
Thank you to all who took time to congratulate Cathy and me on our 37th Wedding Anniversary yesterday! Here's today's story, which actually took place on our way home from dinner last night.
Let me tell you about belts. They used to make real, honest-to-goodness, long-lasting leather belts. Like the one still wearable that hangs in my closet -- I bought it during the summer before we got married! Every time I consider throwing it away, I realize that it's in pretty good shape and I hang on to it. I wear it several times a year.
Then, there are the belts you buy today. They are beautiful, They are leather. They retail at major department stores for about 25 bucks. And they usually last me something like four months! I'm not THAT hard on belts. They just fall apart! The leather separates. Sometimes I think it's really cardboard will a shiny plastic coating. This is all no exaggeration. YOU know!
So, when I bought another one at at Kohls almost a year ago AND it's still in pretty good shape, I started watching their ads for my next purchase. Well, Cathy asked me the other day if I needed anything from there. She had a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $20 or more. "YES!" I replied. "I need a belt."
When we stopped there yesterday evening, I was glad to walk with Cathy to the men's belt racks and see a sign for 20% off. Coupon in hand, I double checked the size I was wearing (the belt I bought there last year) and starting looking through one rack while Cathy looked at another. Finally seizing upon just the one I wanted, I was ready to leave.
"Do you need any more?" Cathy inquired.
The sale wasn't that good and we had only one coupon. I turned to where she was looking and right next to us was a final markdown rack including a whole bunch of belts, about half of them my size. All name brands and reasonably good quality, the price was (ta-DA!) 90% off!
We kept finding more, double-checking what we already had and finally bought ten of them -- for the price of one. (Oh, I also bought the original one -- it's what I came for.)
I think I'll mark my calendar. You see, I think that 37 years from now I just might still be wearing that belt I bought in the Summer of '72.
I will want to see if any of those 11 make it that long!
Let me tell you about belts. They used to make real, honest-to-goodness, long-lasting leather belts. Like the one still wearable that hangs in my closet -- I bought it during the summer before we got married! Every time I consider throwing it away, I realize that it's in pretty good shape and I hang on to it. I wear it several times a year.
Then, there are the belts you buy today. They are beautiful, They are leather. They retail at major department stores for about 25 bucks. And they usually last me something like four months! I'm not THAT hard on belts. They just fall apart! The leather separates. Sometimes I think it's really cardboard will a shiny plastic coating. This is all no exaggeration. YOU know!
So, when I bought another one at at Kohls almost a year ago AND it's still in pretty good shape, I started watching their ads for my next purchase. Well, Cathy asked me the other day if I needed anything from there. She had a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $20 or more. "YES!" I replied. "I need a belt."
When we stopped there yesterday evening, I was glad to walk with Cathy to the men's belt racks and see a sign for 20% off. Coupon in hand, I double checked the size I was wearing (the belt I bought there last year) and starting looking through one rack while Cathy looked at another. Finally seizing upon just the one I wanted, I was ready to leave.
"Do you need any more?" Cathy inquired.
The sale wasn't that good and we had only one coupon. I turned to where she was looking and right next to us was a final markdown rack including a whole bunch of belts, about half of them my size. All name brands and reasonably good quality, the price was (ta-DA!) 90% off!
We kept finding more, double-checking what we already had and finally bought ten of them -- for the price of one. (Oh, I also bought the original one -- it's what I came for.)
I think I'll mark my calendar. You see, I think that 37 years from now I just might still be wearing that belt I bought in the Summer of '72.
I will want to see if any of those 11 make it that long!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Who's That?
Who's that cute little blonde girl walking across the campus with an armload of books? She looks like a serious student -- far too serious for a goofball like me!
Maybe that's why I was afraid to ask her out. Until a friend told me she might -- she juST MIGHT -- say yes!
I asked.
She affirmed.
We went.
Whirlwind-like!
Until...
"I DO!"
37 years ago today.
Happy Anniversary, Love of my life!!!
Maybe that's why I was afraid to ask her out. Until a friend told me she might -- she juST MIGHT -- say yes!
I asked.
She affirmed.
We went.
Whirlwind-like!
Until...
"I DO!"
37 years ago today.
Happy Anniversary, Love of my life!!!
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