So, Yeah, a Few Things Have Happened...

I haven't blogged in a few weeks, and quite a bit has happened. We finally finished the childbirth classes we were taking, had a baby shower (with several family members staying a day or so and then going) and I decided to paint my back deck.

The baby shower filled the crib with numerous gifts, all of which we are very thankful to have, though we do have some things still to get (car seat, chest, CAR!, etc.).

I painted my back deck and it went pretty well while I had my neighbor helping me, but when I got to the actual deck part (he had helped with all the railings and detail parts) and the steps, time constraints and the fact that had been weather and sun-beaten so bad made the end result, well, "spotty" to say the least (I may take some pictures to show my great "artwork.").

The cool thing is that a buddy of mine that lives near the Beach has a job interview here tomorrow and we'll be going to lunch. Should be fun.

(Oh and I can't forget the AMAZING dinner I had Sunday night with some friends we know from church--I ate a LOT of crab legs! I'm sure they were probably getting concerned I might turn into a crab! ha!)

Caedmon's Concert--Afterthoughts

The concert was an amazing event, but beside the songs, the great presentation about the Dalit people and Compassion International, one statement really stood out to me the whole night. With the election this year and all that entails, Derek Webb said this (I'm paraphrasing):

"Getting to know the 6 to 8 people that are your neighbors and knowing what their needs are and how you can meet them will have longer lasting effects than what you will ever do in that voting booth."

Whoa. I mean, WHOA! That was convicting for me--how well do I know my neighbors? Do I choose who I want to know? Of course I do! I have chosen to know the neighbors on either side of me because they were nice and solid, Christian people. I haven't tried to get to know the unchurched younger man across the street who lives by himself or the new family across the street because THEY AREN'T LIKE ME. Driving to court today, I really felt sick knowing that I have not been living the Gospel like I should and I repent of that today.

While living at the Beach, I did this kind of selective getting-to-know my neighbors. At the townhouse, there was a Jamaican-American family on one side and a Puerto Rican-American family on the other side, and in living there two years I got to know their names and maybe where they worked. TWO YEARS!

I don't know what I am going to do to rectify the situation but I do have some ideas that I will be praying about that will help in living out the Gospel as I know that I am called to do.

Can you imagine what this country would be like if everyone got to know their neighbors? What a concept. Now have the life-source of that idea be the Gospel, and man, the Holy Spirit will work.

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As promised, I'll give a short comment on what happened after the concert that night at a certain fast-food restaurant in downtown Hickory when I wanted to order four milkshakes for my friend and his wife and my wife and me (this is a replay of what happened--you have to remember, this is 10:30 PM and we're all tired after a long drive/concert):

Me: "I'd like two small chocolate milkshakes, two small vanilla milkshakes and a burger."

Girl on the intercom: "What kind of small milkshake do you want? Do you want the regular small or the 12 oz. small?"

(After a few moments of staring at the menu quite confused and in disbelief at the question asked, having seen only Small, Medium and Large as options on the milkshake menu)

Me: "I want the smallest small that you have!"

Upon reflection in a more lucid moment later that night, maybe there was some "kid" small size that was not on the menu but for someone like me who was tired, it was too much to try to think at that point. I was only concerned of having enough thought of how to drive to get home.

What Do You Treasure? (Part Two)

And now for the second part of the diagnostic questions (the first post with the first three questions can be found here):

4. What do you talk about? How often does the name “Jesus” come up in your conversation as a relationship to the word “money”? How would your spouse answer that question about you?

The more days that pass and the more I interact with people, the more I realize that one thing stays the same: we are a people of stories. It doesn't matter how much technology that has arrived or come out, we are storytellers. I get home from work and I talk to my wife about my day, and I frame it in a story. When you're with good friends, you start off, "Remember when you..." followed by laughter or some other reaction. For my part, to reiterate a response earlier, money comes up when a bill has to be paid or some future expense is discussed--now as far as how many times Jesus is connected with that conversation, I must confess not often.

But this is only because in analyzing this as I write, I realize that for some reason when discussing money (or often the lack thereof), I often speak of God providing. It is strange, but now that I think about it, I often speak of God as always being faithful in providing everything we need (physically) while I speak of Jesus as to spiritual needs. They are three-in-one, the Trinity, but it is interesting to think that I have compartmentalized in this way.

(as for what my wife would say, I'm not sure! :) )

5. What do you worry about? Are you more worried about the global state of the economy or the global state of Christianity?

As a matter of degree, I suppose that I worry more about the global state of Christianity rather than the global economy, but this is likely more of function in how I let the news affect me (if I read it much at all). Before I came to Reformed theology and really grasped the doctrine of election, things often paralyzed me because of the immense pressure that I had TOTAL control (though this was incorrect) over an outcome. Realizing the immensity and/or consequence of what the election doctrine holds was my "Martin Luther" moment (if you recall his Romans 1:16 realization). It opened up to me how God was really sovereign over everything and how I was NOT God and He very much was.

All that to say: I don't pray enough about the global state of Christianity as I ought, because I, like many Christians in the West, walk through life oblivious to the suffering and martyrs in the world. Even worse, I am oblivious to the suffering that goes on around me and if I'm worried about one thing, it's that I'll get to heaven and I will have to face the missed opportunities that I did not take advantage of to share the Gospel (not that my not doing these things thwarts the will of God in ANY way, but it goes back to the parable of the talents and sharing the grace that I have been given).

On some level, I probably worry about others' approval, if I had to choose something, but as to the second part of the question, as I have indicated, I don't "worry" about the global state of Christianity as I should, but in the ultimate, I know that God has us in His loving hands.

6. What would it take for you to live an “excellent” life? What resource would, if given to you right now, provide the fuel for you to live an outstanding life?

I don't know how to answer this question, because at this particular moment I feel pretty blessed. I have the Word as a great resource, though I don't use and study it as often as I should. No more money or better status would make my life more excellent, though traveling a little less might be better! God has taught me over the past 10 years the value of being content.

Looks Like I Picked the Wrong Week....

Ever have one of those weeks where it all seems to happen at once? I had two Christmas gifts for my wife get messed up in some way and that was frustrating, and yesterday I was in court until 12:45 (the docket started at 10:00AM) because I had to wait for an interpreter to show up who spoke Farsi. That's right, Farsi. It's apparently a Persian language of some sort.


And now for something completely different (and for all of you who have ever had one of those weeks), here's a great clip from one of my favorite comedies, Airplane: