Tyson's blog

Tiger Woods or....

2011-09-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

After standing on the sidelines for hours talking to parents, I have begun to wonder if parents are so driven for their children to succeed that we are missing the mark on the things that really matter.

So in an parental version of would you rather, I pose the question. Would you rather have your child grow up being incredibly competent in some skill either athletic or academic, earning fame and riches but perhaps lacking in the character department? Or would you rather have your child grow into a fine, faithful, steady parent and spouse but be unremarkable athletically, academically and financially? I think the answer is fairly obvious, and so did one of the dads I asked at the soccer practice. He said, "Oh for sure! Parents would choose to have their kids be Tiger Woods."

Stepped on the scale and weighed... 7

2011-05-01T20:43:00.000-04:00

The first time I bought a scale for myself was interesting. I spent most of my life trying to gain weight. All through college I weighed within 5 lbs of 185 lbs. I worked out fairly regularly; I ate like crazy and would say things like, I just can’t seem to gain any weight. And people over 30 would look at me and smile that oh so knowing smile. They would just say things, like oh that is nice. I used to be that way. And then when I was around 30 years old, I figured I should buy a scale. I assumed I was maybe only 5 lbs heavier than that 185, but to my surprise when I looked down at the scale, I was over 210 lbs. And do you know what my first thought was?

Maybe something is wrong with this scale.

And so I asked my wife to test it, and she told me that it was accurate. I didn’t like that at all. And it left me with only a few options. I could assume the scale was broken and my wife was crazy. I could decide that I liked being heavier and just accept that this was going to be the trend of my life. Or I could start thinking differently about my health. I could pay a but more attention to my diet and change my workout strategy away from bench pressing to something that makes more sense for someone in their 30’s.

So why do I tell you this? Because today I took our churches' weight. The question I asked did not say everything about our church's health, but it was a data point. I wrestled with whether or not to even ask the question, but in the end, I did it. I asked the congregation how many of them (sitting in the room) became believers in Jesus as adults as a direct result of the ministry of Grace Bible Church or someone who has been a member of the church. And when we stepped on the scale? The answer was 7... 7. 260 people in the room and we had 7. Now to be fair, those 7 people are precious treasures of God, and I do not want to minimize their faith journeys, but 7 seems like kind of a low number. After church, I did have a couple come up to tell me the number was actually 10 because 3 of our regulars who have become believers in the last year were not in attendance this morning. So even if our number is 10 or 11, the question I had for our church and invite you to ask of yours is this, "Are we truly committed to the Great Commission, or to we take it as merely a slight suggestion?" Are we attending lame social clubs with some singing, or are we part of a church with a mission?

This just about ripped my heart out

2011-02-09T12:09:00.001-05:00

Perhaps you heard the story of the pregnant woman who died in an automobile accident, but her baby survived. According to the story the baby was born one hour after her mother died, and the family, friends and doctors were holding out hope that the baby would be healthy. Heartbreakingly, it appears the baby has now also passed away. The father posted this blog entry in response. It is one of the most powerful and moving things I have read.

In the black

2010-12-14T11:22:00.000-05:00

USA today had an article on how Protestant churches have taken a real hit in giving due to the recession. http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-12-14-1Achurchbucks14_ST_N.htm

I read this article this morning.

Well, Grace is in the black, and the designated funds are where they ought to be. I just thought you should know this, but please know, this isn't bragging. I have had nothing to do with it. Being in the black is due to some wise planning by Brian, Chuck and others who worked hard to make the budget make sense this year. And of course, all good things are ultimately due to the kindness, faithfulness and grace of God. All we have is His. He has been faithful to this church even though we never deserved it. He has been merciful, kind and gracious beyond measure.

Ok, maybe it is bragging. God is great! He loves this church and these people. He has called us to reach this city and the towns around Ann Arbor. Is there a higher and better calling than that? Plus, I love the people I work with. I am sure, eventually, we will all get on each other's nerves just like any family, but I regularly thank God for the people of character and wisdom He has put in place at Grace that I get to be part of.

The Team, The Team, The Team

2010-12-08T13:25:00.001-05:00

I listened to Bo Schembechler's speech about the team again today. There is just something about it that resonates. Everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves, and his pep-talk captured that. We have just finished our "Spectator Sport" series where basically for 2 months we have been saying... the team, the team, the team. I sure hope we get this concept as a church family.

This last week was one where we looked at Colossians 4 and noticed how Paul said, "Even when you aren't with the other players, you should always be looking to win." I have to remember that being part of this team means always... ALWAYS... looking to draw people around me to Christ. That is the win. This week I have watchfully pray, speak with words seasoned with grace and walk with wisdom toward the people around me.

Talking about money is dangerous

2010-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I spoke on one of my favorite subjects... money. I love discussing money because people can't ignore it. It is everywhere in the Bible, and no one can read those passages in the Bible and think, "Well, that has nothing to do with me". We are all challenged by what the New Testament says about money... even those of us teaching on the subject.

I was certainly challenged again this week. It is so easy to forget to be tenacious givers.

About 7 years ago, I spoke about giving at a church where I was a guest speaker. It was a message given shortly after New Year's Day, and I told them that my New Year's resolution was to "never miss an opportunity to give". To that end, I told the congregation that I wanted to be serious about giving from that point forward. Thus, I declared that I was going to try to raise my giving by at least 1% every year. Plus, I would respond to support missions trips etc. I am not saying any of this now, nor did I say it then to brag. It was a challenge to the people and a challenge for me to step up my game.

And without getting specific, God blessed me with opportunities to give and grow in that process throughout that year. It was an amazing thing to witness the generosity and kindness of God that I could never repay. But, the truth is, I have not had that same resolution every year since then. Sure, I have grown some in my giving, but not like I would have hoped.

As I was forced to ponder all of this through my study, I was challenged again. Have I been letting opportunities to give (plant seeds) slip? Have I moved away from the continual realization that all that I have is God's? Am I thanking God profusely for that which He has entrusted to me? With New Years coming up, can I kick it up another notch?

Friends and fishing

2010-10-26T07:51:00.000-04:00

This Sunday was brilliant. As we began the long trek home late in the afternoon, I was exhausted but also feeling the weight of Christ's joy. What a day it was. During service, the ladies certainly sang beautifully, and our new band additions have been great; also, the new furniture was nice to see, but this Sunday was significant for more reasons than that.

2 things happened Sunday after service that really set the day off in a beautiful way.

#1. My family and I were invited to a Grace member's house after the service. When we arrived, we were welcomed with open arms, great food and a true sense of hospitality. Not only was the host family wonderful, but we were given the opportunity to meet many people from Grace with whom we had not yet talked. The weather held out; our kids cried minimally, and we departed in the late afternoon. Charity and I were both were saying the same thing as we drove away, "These people are great. What a blessing it is to be part of this family." What a joy it is to serve with all of you.

#2 The other thing that happened Sunday was that I was informed that one of the people who has been attending Grace in recent weeks accepted Christ as his savior. It was something for which a number of us had been praying. And it just about brings tears of joy to my eyes, to think that GBC in a small way has been part of this man's faith journey. I could not have been happier than to hear of our new brother's decision. Can you think of anything better to be part of as church family... but that the grace of Christ covered and won another precious soul? This is kingdom work, and I pray that week after week, we begin hearing of more people who are responding to the call of God in this way.

My encouragement to you is this... while the work can be difficult at times, the greatest sense of satisfaction and joy are reserved for those who have tirelessly prayed and worked to bring about God's purposes for His glory. Those that share their home and share their faith show Christ's love in a tangible way. We each have the opportunity to be part of God's process in changing people's eternity. Remember... followers fish. That is what we do.

What keeps us from landing?

2010-10-11T09:07:00.000-04:00

We have kicked off our "Spectator Sport?" series at GBC, and we are going to spend time looking at how to be a church family or team rather than simply a spectator. Immediately following the sermon, I was struck with the fact that there are many reasons why people may have difficulty joining the team.

1. It is a losing team... there always seem to be money issues; no one new is joining; few adult baptisms are taking place; the people seem bored.

2. The team has bad chemistry... there doesn't seem to be cohesion on the team... too much fighting.

3. People can't understand the coach or the plays... no one knows what they are trying to accomplish.

4. Don't think the team is important... attitude that says, "its just about God and me- not other Christians."

5. There are other teams vying for someone's time... simply too busy for this team.

While I know that no church is perfect, it certainly seems to matter to Christ. So, it matters to me. Even if I am busy, frustrated by certain people, confused sometimes, I want to love what Christ loves, and that is the church.

All the other things I wanted to say

2010-10-04T07:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of talking about forgiveness. And essentially, from Matthew 18 we saw that forgiveness is primarily about remembering rather than simply forgiving. Remembering Christ's work on our behalf is the key. It was certainly a challenge to preach with the elementary kids in the room, but it was great to see their faces. Well, as I looked at this subject, the whole concept of forgiveness grew and grew to the point that I had to delete probably 5 pages of stuff from the sermon. There were definitely many other things that I wanted to say but didn't have the time. Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill in Seattle in a recent sermon had these 10 things to say about what forgiveness is not. If you are confused by simply seeing these as a list, check out the fuller explanation on blog.marshillchurch.org

1. Forgiveness is not approving or diminishing sin.

2. Forgiveness is not enabling sin.

3. Forgiveness is not denying a wrongdoing.

4. Forgiveness is not waiting for an apology.

5. Forgiveness is not forgetting... Looks like he stole one from me ;)

6. Forgiveness is not ceasing to feel the pain.

7. Forgiveness is not a onetime event.

8. Forgiveness is not neglecting justice.

9. Forgiveness is not trusting.

10. Forgiveness is not reconciliation.

How to fight...

2010-09-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

Righting a wrong means handling a wrong rightly... Matthew 18:15-20

The best way to fight is to...

1. Encourage regularly.

2. Go to them directly.

3. Have a private conversation.

4. Have a small conference.

5. Involve the church authorities if necessary.

"Thank You"

2010-09-21T08:16:00.000-04:00

There is power in a "thank you". Every parent knows this, and that is why we are constantly prodding our children... "now, what do you say?" So, I spent a couple minutes this last week telling Jesus "thank you" in a Psalm. It was just a simple paragraph, but it was profoundly meaningful to just sit and think on the goodness of Jesus.

Jesus, you are more constant than the ground at my feet, your promises surer than the sunrise. When the sphere spins and my world collapses, your shoulders show no bend. Before any after’s, you knew, Lord, you knew every twist, turn and churn of people’s hearts including this fickle heart of mine. And yet, with your little finger, you can set it aright. And that you would reach to touch me with your grace-filled and gentle healing is too much for me to grasp. To say "I need you" seems too simple, and a mere "thank you" seems too thin, but I know nowhere else to start. I need you Jesus. Thank you Jesus.

Thoughts on a dog's death

2010-05-17T14:47:00.000-04:00

I pray that this isn't the most profound thing that I ever write, but it certainly was a day filled with profound emotion and processing for our family.

Through an xray this morning, we found out that our pet dog, Caspian had extensive cancer throughout his body. It had spread from hip to lungs and was starting to have a significant impact on his movement, breathing and eating; as soon as I saw the vet's face and the xray, I knew the decision was pretty much made for us. Euthanizing our dog was the only humane (interesting word eh?) option.

In a way I was relieved that the diagnosis was so clear. Charity and I would not have to ponder, question and argue about what to do next. We would simply have to deal with what needed to be done. And so, I took the dog home, sadly shook my head "no" to my wife and picked up my nearest son, hugging him tightly for some reason. Charity and I tried to communicate in short sentence bursts and head nods quietly starting the grief process and trying not to let on too much to the two boys that were home. We desperately wanted to wait until Caleb was home from school, so we could all talk and process together as a family.

After Caleb arrived home, we told the kids, and the crying began. While I took comfort in the fact that the proper decision was being made and good lessons were being learned, watching the tears stream down my kids' faces just about ruined me. I knew they were hurting (I was too) but I really wanted them to learn a couple things through this whole experience. I had a number of "dad thoughts" that I hoped they were able to catch and hear.

#1 The afterlife is just as real (if not more so) than this one.

#2 Animals are fundamentally different than humans

#3 It is normal to hurt over loss

#4 When you hurt, it is best to be surrounded by your family

#5 God knows what He is doing

Those were the things I hope they caught or heard. The following are some of the things they said. Their thoughts bubbling to the surface. I worked hard to remember their words.

(Observing Charity cry) "Why are you crying mommy?" Nolan

(When he first heard, he immediately started crying and said) "I don't want Caspian to go to heaven" Nolan

(After Caleb asked what they were going to do with the dead body, and Charity said the vet would take care of it) "Well that won't be as much fun... he won't be running around and stuff" Caleb

(After talking around the table, we took some pictures with the dog. As we took pictures with Cas...) "But it is just so hard to smile", Caleb

(As the boys sat on my lap before we took the dog in) "This is the saddest day of my life" Caleb

(In response) This is the second saddest of my life. Yesterday was sadder because I played with more girls than boys" Nolan.

(Still on my lap) "Whenever we talk about it, I just cry" Caleb

(In response) "Oy yoi yoi, that kid" Nolan

(When I came home from the vet) "Is Cas in heaven now? Playing with Cleo?" Nolan

(After bedtime prayers) "Is Cas still going to be gone tomorrow" Caleb

So thats it... a rough day but a beautiful one.

Chew on this

2010-04-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

Grace is one of those things most of us view as something we need only when we are first saved. It is the big gift we get once. But, I love this......

"Saints use way more grace than sinners do" Dallas Willard.

"That is because saints use grace like rocket fuel" John Ortberg.

Your passions

2010-03-22T09:43:00.000-04:00

Reading Dan Baughman's re-tweet (follow him if you don't) sparked some thoughts.

Here is the original: "If ur passions r more provoked today by this health care plan than they were yesterday by ur neighbors going 2 hell: wonder why?" Dr. Moore.

Others

If your passions are more provoked by March Madness...

If your passions are more provoked by your finances...

If your passions are more provoked by wrongs done to you...

If your passions are more provoked by your hobby...

Why is it so easy to lose passion concerning the lost?

Everything he says seems brilliant... the accent doesn't hurt

2010-03-03T09:59:00.000-05:00

A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is.... A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. ~C.S. Lewis

A Christmas present from Mrs. Yarina

2009-12-19T08:21:00.001-05:00

I was sent the following email about a couple of our students, and it reminded me just how much I love working with young people. This email was an early present, and Mrs. Yarina was fine with me sharing this.

Hi Brent & Ty,

Tuesday afternoon, I got to observe 2 of our students from the Stand in an amazing, unexpected way.

Tuesday was John's Christmas program at Jardon Vocational School. Jardon is a school for special ed students ages 18 -26. Students range from mildly impaired like John to wheelchair users who use grunts and groans or assistive technology to speak as well as cognitively impaired (mentally retarded). John was in the choir. The program was something our Kids Kingdom would have performed easily. The focus was on the various December holidays: Christmas, Kwanza, a Muslim holiday that celebrates Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Isaac and Hanukah. John had a small speaking part about what Christmas means to Christians.

We've known about this program for 2 months as we've helped John practice his lines. Unknown to us, John invited Brad McCarthy and Michael Solt from HPBC and the Stand. I didn't know they were there until after the program when John walked them over to me. These guys are probably in the middle of their final exams this week or could have spent their time doing much more entertaining things. Yet, they took time out to support John and other students that John has brought to the Crash or Stand. Society has put those young disabled adults on the edge to borrow a term from last Sunday's message.

As we were walking out, Brad and Michael ran into Hannah, Gail, and Tony, all young adults that John has brought to either the Stand or Crash. Brad and Michael stopped and talked with each one of them encouraging them to come to the Stand this coming Sunday. Brad and Michael could have just brushed them off in a hurry to leave a place where they were clearly out of their element, BUT they didn't.

It turned out that I had parked next to Brad and Michael so we walked to our cars together. I shared with the guys that Jardon always reminds me that John could be a lot worse off physically and cognitively and that as his muscle disease progresses, we will be dealing with issues like they saw with the more severely impaired students. I told both the boys how much I appreciated their ministry to John by coming to the program as well as their continued watchful care for him at church and on outings. Brad said: Mrs. Yarina, "we've got John covered. We all watch out for him". I know they do.

In case you never noticed, John usually sits between the 2 guys during worship. As the service progresses, John leans to the left as his muscles are weaker on that side. Usually he ends up touching or leaning against the person on his left. I have never noticed either young man to scoot away when John is touching them.

Those two guys gave me a wonderful Christmas gift: watching them minister to young adults with disabilites who live on the edge.

Barb Yarina

Matt Chandler

2009-12-16T15:32:00.000-05:00

Matt Chandler's pathology report is not good, and my heart is torn for his family. The surgery only mostly removed the tumor, and what was removed was found to be malignant.

I encourage you to pray for him, his family and the Village church as they go through this trial. I loved his tweet from yesterday prior to his getting the pathology report.

Path report is 2ndary at best...good report doesn't mean much, bad report doesn't mean anything...my days r numbered and nt by ths report.

Santa

2009-12-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

I dislike Santa for many reasons. The following are just a few issues I have.

#1. He consistently gives the rich kids more than the poor.

#2. His love/gift giving is so conditional.

#3. He shows no care for Rudolph until he realizes he can use him.

#4. Forced elf labor anyone?

I am sure Mrs. Claus is lovely; she will certainly have her crown in heaven for dealing with that heel.

Elizabeth Elliot strikes again

2009-12-09T13:46:00.000-05:00

The following legend (not a Biblical story) is from Elizabeth Elliot's gatewaytojoy.org website in a section of "missionary musings".

Jesus was walking one day with His disciples and asked each one to pick up a stone to carry for Him. They all picked up a stone. Peter, rather a small one; John, a bigger one. Jesus led them to the top of a mountain and then He commanded the stones to be made bread. The disciples were by this time hungry, and so they were given permission to eat the bread in their hands. Of course, Peter didn’t have very much. John shared with him some of the bread that had been made from the stone he had carried.

On another occasion, the same Jesus took the same disciples for a walk and again asked them to pick up a stone to carry for Him. This time you can imagine that Peter picked up a bigger stone. But Jesus did not take them this time to the top of the mountain. He took them to the river. As they stood on the bank looking with questions in their minds to Him, He said, "Throw the stones into the river," which they did at once in obedience to His command. Then they looked at Him, expectantly waiting for the miracle that would happen this time.

Nothing happened. They waited. They watched. Nothing happened. Jesus, with great compassion, looked on these disciples whom He loved and He said, "For whom did you carry the stone?"

For whom do you carry the stone today? For yourself? For success? For notoriety? For the accomplishment of some great dream that you have held always in your heart? Or is it for Jesus?

Submission and stuff

2009-10-27T15:09:00.000-04:00

Submission is a spiritual discipline as much as prayer, meditation and scripture study, but it seems to work in the opposite direction of the other disciplines. As I mature in my faith, I feel that there is a natural progression toward more prayer, more study, more meditation etc............ but less and less submission. As my maturity increases, my maturity decreases.

The problem is that everything in my life is moving in the direction of more independence, more freedom and fewer bosses. I am a husband and father who works as a leader in a local church and lives in the USA. I am less and less in a place where I regularly must submit. More often than not, I am the decision maker not the follower. And that can be a problem.

This past weekend was a reminder, to me, of the need for submission in the church body. Our church was voting on an issue. The end result was that 1/3 of the people did not back the proposed leaders' initiative and were unwilling to submit to the presented direction of the church even when they were asked to do so directly by the senior pastor. This reaction/vote of 36% of the people frustrated me to no end. How could they not get in line with what the leadership was asking? It wasn't a moral issue at stake or a question of doctrine. How could they not... submit?

As I pondered this, I was struck by a poignant contradiction in my own soul. The very thing, I was internally demanding of others is so often absent in my own life. In this case, I wanted submission from everyone to the leadership because the leadership AGREED with ME. But what happens when I don't agree with the leadership? How submissive am I? How many times have I complained about the leadership or wished I had a vote? How many times have I lamented that I should be the one making all the decisions (yikes)? When don't I submit? Answer: when the leaders don't agree with me. And that is the problem. We as a people, I, chief among sinners, don't understand submission. We are a nation of independents founded on rebellion living in a culture of self.

Submission is not going along with leadership when they agree with me.

Submission is not being coerced to go along with leadership when they don't agree with me, but complaining to my wife and anyone else who will listen about it.

Submission is being a leader and still being last. Submission is a posture of the soul. Submission is a discipline, one that I pray increases in my life as I age.

Thomas a'Kempis roulette

2009-10-26T09:30:00.000-04:00

Cracking the book to page 92 of my edition of the Imitation of Christ, this is what assaulted me this morning.

"Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of heaven, but He has few bearers of His Cross. Many desire His consolation, but few desire His tribulation. He finds many comrades in eating and drinking, but He finds few who will be with Him in His abstinence and fasting. All men would joy with Christ, but few will suffer anything for Christ. Many follow Him to the breaking of the His bread, for their bodily refreshment, but few will follow Him to drink of the chalice of His passion."

I daily wrestle with my heart for Christ. Does He alone satisfy? Or do I merely enjoy the blessings of being around other believers, and do I simply desire to appease my guilt through my ritual. Is my fascination ultimately with Christ or myself?

A typical car ride when you have 3 sons

2009-10-26T09:28:00.000-04:00

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...7...3...8...9...10 Hey Griffin did you hear me count my burps? I did ten of them" Nolan

The "beautiful" side of Hell?

2009-10-07T11:20:00.000-04:00

"Hell is God's great compliment to the reality of human freedom and the dignity of human personality." G.K. Chesterton

Lost and Found

2009-10-06T13:08:00.001-04:00

Do these stats surprise you? I know- I know- the church is supposed to be in full fledge decline and the next generation is sprinting headlong into destruction... or maybe not. These stats are from Ed Stetzer's book Lost and Found.

(those who somewhat or strongly agree)

God, a higher or supreme being, actually exists.

20-29: 81%
30+: 73%

There exists only one God, the God described in the Bible.

20-29: 57%
30+: 48%

Jesus died and came back to life.

20-29: 66%
30+: 54%

I do not think my lifestyle would be accepted at most Christian churches.

20-29: 39%
30+: 30%

I consider myself to be spiritual because I am interested in knowing more about God, or a higher supreme being.

20-29: 73%
30+: 62%

When a person dies, his or her spirit continues to exist in an afterlife.

20-29: 82%
30+: 69%

There exists a place of reward in the afterlife, sometimes called heaven.

20-29: 77%
30+: 58%

There exists a place of punishment in the afterlife, sometimes called hell.

20-29: 60%
30+: 44%

If someone wanted to tell me what she or he believed about Christianity, I would be willing to listen.

20-29: 89%
30+: 75%

I would be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked me to.

20-29: 61%
30+: 42%

If a church presented truth to me in an understandable way that relates to my life now, I would attend.

20-29: 63%
30+: 47%

If people at church cared about me as a person, I would be more likely to attend.

20-29: 58%
30+: 38%

I would be willing to join a small group of people to learn more about the Bible and Jesus.

20-29: 46%
30+: 27%

Theological training

2009-09-28T20:54:00.001-04:00

Sunday morning cuddling on the couch with Caleb, we had this brilliant conversation. We were watching a cooking show on TV when someone cooked something that looked like fish to Caleb. That was the thing that prompted this exchange.

Caleb: I wish my my Oscar grew really big and strong. I really wanted him to.

Me: but he didn't huh?

Caleb: No the Cichlid ate him; the Oscar's big and strong now, though, stronger than the Cichlid... even stronger than me.

Me: Because he is in Heaven?

Caleb: Yeah

Me: Well, what about the Cichlid? Is he is heaven? Was he a good fish?

Caleb: Only animals that believe in Jesus go to heaven.

You have to love when your five year old corrects your obvious error in doctrine.

Why I don't own an iPhone

2009-09-10T09:54:00.000-04:00

Recently an article in Relevant Magazine captured my attention. I think the primary reason this article enthralled me so, was that it gave me ammo to battle some of my boys... read here adult male friends- not my children. For whatever reason, we fight constantly, and every time a trump card like this appears, I must slam it on the table.

The article was titled "Just a Phone?", and was about the author's internal struggle over whether to buy the iPhone. Here is why the author of the article is wary of the iPhone with my comments in parentheses.

1. He can't afford it (I could technically afford an iPhone, but it is expensive. I have been accused of being cheap, but the reality is I don't mind splurging on a present or something. I just vehemently dislike adding any monthly committed payments to my budget; that is a commitment I don't need.)

2. The attraction to the iPhone seems to suggest that one's primary problem is a lack of information and entertainment. The problems of the world are peace, economic justice ecological health, political honesty, family and community stability. (sin)

3. We purchase for fairly high prices the lie that we are happier and more time available when the background costs are often the earth and our sanity. (Um... not feeling the whole earth thing, but I am down with more sanity. I have a stinking blackberry and it buzzes continually never allowing me three coherent thoughts. I don't need more info or entertainment. I could use much maturity, discipline, compassion and Godliness however, and I don't think the iPhone has those apps yet)

4. Does owning another toy make me any more likely to give? (no)

Truth is, the iPhone is super cool. I often look on other's phones with desire. I love toys and the iPhone is the ultimate toy right now, but I want to refuse to give in to an attraction which will ultimately cost me more money, drain more time away from my family and feed a lie.

Boom Simplified

What is hope?

2009-08-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

I have been confronted again with my thin understanding of hope. So often we use the word hope when we are merely saying wish. "I hope it doesn't rain. I hope she likes me. I hope everything turns out ok." All those phrases are mere well wishes- not hope. I couldn't define hope better than Reuben Alves who said, "Hope is hearing the music of the future; faith is to dance to it."

Other's thoughts

2009-08-16T08:22:00.000-04:00

I love Frederich Beuchner’s words regarding anger.

“Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back -- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."

Things that make me wince

2009-08-08T22:57:00.000-04:00

Walking toward Comerica Park with my children and father-in-law, we witnessed a not uncommon sight. Two cops had a pan handler against their car and were giving the "handler" a verbal lashing as they checked his pockets. The tone and the words exchanged were not pleasant but not vulgar either. I tried to engage both of my sons in conversation quickly as I shielded them from the scene that was no more than 5 feet from us as we passed. Neither boy reacted and frankly the scene quickly slipped my mind. After we entered the park, climbed up to the nose-bleeds and watched an inning or so, I noticed that Caleb seemed melancholy. I couldn't get him to talk about what he was feeling, but he climbed up in my lap. 20 minutes, a carousel ride and some foam paws later, Caleb's normal spunk returned. Driving home in the car, he piped up. "Daddy, do you know why I was sad in the game? It is because I don't want to go to jail like that man we saw as we were walking".

I tried to explain that good men who make good choices need not fear jail or the police. I am not sure what he understood of what I said, but within seconds, Caleb responded by saying he would like to be a police officer, and Nolan said "me too".

It is always interesting watching little boys trying to process man size information.

Song of Solomon

2009-08-07T08:07:00.000-04:00

Here is my thought of the day... imagine for a second, a Christian band writing songs that were sexually explicit- on the scale of say ... Song of Solomon. Even if those songs were written for the band member's wives, I don't see any way that the Christian community wouldn't be outraged. The objections that the songs discuss private matters would probably be the loudest. And yet I can't help but think, couldn't the same objections be leveled against Song of Solomon? So, what is the lesson in all of this?

thinking... thinking...

Got it. Obviously we should reject Song of Solomon from the canon.

new old thoughts

2009-08-06T10:13:00.001-04:00

Mysterium Tremendum... a term with which everyone should be acquainted. Check it.

New office

2009-08-06T10:10:00.000-04:00

I am getting settled into the new office although it is a little unsettling to not have the constant stream of visitors in and out of my office. Plus I can't crank music over here. I have been moved to the "big boy" hall, but I still don't feel quite grown up. I am not sure when that is going to happen. Old? Yes, I feel old often, but not "grown up". Maybe I need to be crankier.

2009-07-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

Who is crazier?

This is the question raised by Mitch Albom in his recent column about Michael Jackson. Was Michael Jackson crazier for all of his reconstructions/ accusations etc., or are we for pretending he was some kind of "king"? I agree with Mitch. Why must death make us gloss over the realities of a person's life?