‘T’was the night before Christmas… and all through our house

Coughing and wheezing could be heard all about

A sniffle and moan, with a good nose-blow

And an occasional wondering about Christmas snow

These are the sounds and thoughts this season

But nothing could keep us from rememb’ring the reason

That all these things are yearly remembered

In the late winter weeks of our month of December

He came down into our regular & ordinary

To give us hope far beyond what any

Had wished for, hoped or dreamed

Our God became flesh, the Word was conceived

Now all who will trust Him, all who believe

Can live the full-life – that was meant to be

And thanks to the love that is beyond you and me

We have life with our King for eternity

So remember today as your cookies you savor

The birth of the King – a baby – Our Savior

I pray that you’d know how wide and how deep

How long and how high his love will still reach

For you and me was born this day

A savior, messiah, the answer, The Way

Trust Him and Love Him – Beginning and End

This Baby – Emmanuel – our God-With-Us Friend

JESUS

Do you understand the drive of needing to solve something? No matter how "meaningless" the end result may appear to be — if there is something in my life that does not work and there is no apparent reason for same… I MUST fix it… or I can not rest.

This happened to me tonight. Jen went to print something from her computer over our network (WHICH, is an AWESOME new thing that I recently discovered we could do.) … and… it didn’t work! I thought it was a simple printer error… then found ALL sorts of problems that did not seem to make any sense. BUT, the challenge had begun, and I had to finish.

So, it’s 2:12am… and, here I am… blogging… my victory blog. Just wanted to say that I DID IT!!!!!!!! The printer is now recognized all throughout the network, and Jen can print anything her heart desires 🙂

Since I am here, I would like to report on tonight.

I have a bad attitude recently. God has blessed us with many chances to uplift people through music this month (as usual) and several times this month (due to illness and other factors) I have really not felt like following through on them. For one reason or another (usually many, actually) I find myself trying to find reason to NOT go to these gigs. From the fact that we won’t get paid (or if so, not much more than the cost of getting there) to the hastle of getting a baby-sitter, to the fact that at many of these smaller gigs, there is not much more than a dozen people there through the evening, to the overwhelming feeling of how much OTHER stuff I should be doing… too many responsibilities… (see below).

So, I have had some good time with God on a couple occasions this month where I have had to go do gigs alone. I was sick, and for all the reasons above and more, not really a willing servant. BUT, Holy Spirit reminded me that He was really the one who booked the gig, and He will follow through on my following through… and do his thing there. Even if I don’t get to see it. (That’s the hard part…)

Well, here’s what I got to see tonight, after again resolving to follow through on what God has put before me…

As I was setting up tonight (BEFORE I even sang a note… but, interestingly enough, while our CD was playing over the sound system in this place…) a man approached me and asked how much the CDs were. After a very brief discussion, he decided to buy a CD! I was quite amazed. (I had not planned on selling anything this evening…)

Shortly before I was about to begin… my friend Jim Drew and his clan arrived! That was awesome enough… but then Jim got up and played a whole set with me!!! Ha! We never get to do that, so that was tons of fun! And tonight was perfect for that, because I was doing all Christmas stuff, so he knew the tunes. Very cool. For me, and I think for Jim too.

The people working there (and the owner) all seemed to be totally enjoying the music – dancing and singing along… that was fun. One of them even came up on stage and sang a song with me when my voice was really giving out! That was cool!

And, I met Lee, a guy who plays there regularly, and just got to chat with him for a bit at the end.

Oh yeah, and we made $22 in tips. Not bad when I was planning on receiving no cash at all.

So… not sure what all of that means in the big Kingdom picture… but for me, it was a matter of submission and trust. And, a cool reminder that God can use even a sick, tired and much-less-than willing body to touch people’s hearts.

Saw him do that tonight. Looking forward to the next one.

Lucky me! I only have 16 hours till the next time!!! 🙂

Night! 🙂

We just got home from about 130 miles of road that was mostly completely covered with inches of snow. Long ride. Long weekend. But great.

Strangest part was, on one little stretch of road, we had to navigate some pretty steep hills and it was sorta a “back-roads” kinda thing… shortly after we got on this road, as we were making our ascent… we were slowed to almost a crawl by a snow plow. No way around, so we just hung back and followed. And not too long after that, I wasn’t really upset anymore… and I wondered…

Do angels drive snow plows?

Hey… don’t know what happened… I just don’t have as much to say recently… or perhaps don’t take the time to say it?

Well, wanted to correct that a bit tonight. We got to present our collection of God’s truth on the foundational relationship He gave us. We call it One Man, One Woman (OMOW). We are even writing a book about it.

It’s just truth. Truth from our Creator about the best way we work. The way we were designed to be. But so different from the way the world works.

God’s love is based on unconditional commitment. Many of our relationships are not. Marriages break up because there is not full commitment. Dating does not even allow for commitment. There is always a way out.

But God wants so much more for us. To know that you will be loved no matter how lousy you are on this day or that – to know that you are completely accepted no matter how you may mess up… that is the freedom that come in a full commitment relationship like God’s One Man One Woman marriage relationship.

He says wives, submit to your husbands as you would to Jesus and husbands, love your wives as Jesus loves the church: (And God shows His love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us —Rom 5.8) In a real commitment relationship there is no concern for self – there is 100% concern for the other person – which means you are receiving 100% attention. Works nicely that way.

Life would be so much better if we could really do it the way God says to do it. But that is often too hard. Really. It goes against our culture, against our friends, perhaps even our families… perhaps even our own desires or thinking. But, God is the Designer of this life… and we ought to trust Him.

That’s what I want to do. No matter how wacky. I want to trust Him. I think that is where my life is going to be the most exciting. The most full. The most real. Just, the best.

So, whether it’s in relationships, or money, or my job, or where God wants us to be serving Him — or whatever. I want to do it how God would have me do it. God, please give me the courage to follow through on that desire. To stand apart in this world for you — just by doing what you say… following your lead.

I love snow. Really. Have you ever been outside late at night when the moon is out, and it’s snowing? There is such a cool calm that you can’t describe unless you’ve seen it. The snow is lightly, quietly, persistently coming down… and it’s just quiet. I think that’s the cool part. Rain is pretty cool too… relaxing. But snow is just amazingly quiet.

The amazing part probably comes from the lack of quiet in our lives most other times. Especially during this month of the year. Do you know how many times we’ve heard that in the various messages we hear in the services we have attended? Busy, busy, busy. Life is too busy! SLOW DOWN.

Well, we oughta. Seriously. And, next time you wake up in the middle of the night… take a peek outside. If it’s snowing, open the door and take it in for a couple moments. As long as you can stand the cold…

Soak up the incredible silence of snow.

It’s the end of another hectic day… and I am still working. Right now I am installing a new hard drive in our computer. 120GB. That’s big. I used to have 2. That’s small. 🙂 Anyway… I was just thinking… it’s time to BLOG.

Nothing in particular to say. In fact, it seems eerily quiet. (You try and spell "eerily"!) For all I convince myself that I have to do… it sure seems like I could just not do it right now. 🙂 How about that? I might just turn in early tonight!

Nah….

🙂

But, seriously folks… why is it that we consider everything so important that we have to do it now? At least, it’s that way for me. And perhaps I go too far as to think that people who don’t do as much as me are just sorta lazy…. I really don’t mean that to be mean. I mean, (just wanted to say it one more time…) it seems like a lot of people say they wish they could do this, or, someday they’ll do that… and mostly, they don’t do it just cause they don’t want to spend the energy to get it done.

I admit my CLEAR blindspot here. God gave me some kinda drive … I don’t really wish it on anybody. Don’t get me wrong… it’s handy for getting stuff done – and done well. But, it also means I feel the weight of TONS of stuff I could be or should be doing.

Those are weird words… those “ould” words. Could be is dwelling on the unachieved, should is laden with guilt, and would is perhaps the most hopeful of the bunch – though there is a tinge of doubt bound up in it.

I am not certain what all I am writing here… mostly just a nice stream of conciousness. Just needed to write. I did have a thought earlier I wanted to share with you… but alas, it was merely a fleeting thought… perhaps tomorrow.

For now, my hard drive needs me.

Do be sure and check out the nice Christmas decorations up at the basic website:

http://www.basicmm.com

On this, the eve of my 29th birthday… I have a couple observations from the recent past:

(1) Empty Greatness

We were driving from southern West Virginia to Buffalo, NY area on Thanksgiving Day, and as you might imagine, not much of anything was open… everyone was at a home eating turkey! Well, we came over a hill and I noticed a lot full of cars, and I said to myself (Jen was sleeping…), "Now there’s a happenin’ place!" I quickly realized that it was actually an auto dealer. 🙂 But it was a pretty cool picture of what goes on at some churches… on the outside, it might appear as though things are rockin’… but on the inside — just emptiness. Appearances can be deceiving.

(2) The Heart Of God

Today I drove 30 miles in a blizzard to do a concert for 10-15 people in a bookstore. Not always the thing you want to be doing on an already busy day… BUT, there was one lady there who seemed genuinely touched by the music (and, mostly, I was just doing Christmas carols!) She came over and asked me if I could do a song from our CDs… and I agreed. After the song, she was visibly touched and she said, "That’s the heart of God. You know? That’s the heart of God." And I said, "Yeah, I know" Almost passing it off. But something about that moment struck me, and reminded me.

Everything that I do in this music ministry we call ours is from him. Anything of consequence is from God. People hear and see and know the heart of God through what we do, and it’s not my fault! I didn’t play or sing it particualrly well… I just wanted to get out of there… but I forgot that God called us to this, and HE does way more than I could EVER do through our music.

How strange. How wonderful. How could I be so flippant with such an opportunity, a gift, from God?

It is the heart of God – for me, and for all who will hear – through the strings of a guitar and the strings of flesh in my throat. What a strange ride we’re on – but I was reminded today of how amazing it is. Hope I don’t quickly forget.

This one is for you fellow "church leaders" out there…

Imagine a church that really behaved as a complete body. Where every member (and I don’t mean the ones who went forward and said some silly phrase of initiation… I mean the people who are part of the church on a regular basis) was an active and participating member of the body. Not only in carrying out the decisions of the head (which we often mistakenly think is the governing board of elders or the senior pastor – but in reality is Jesus himself (Col 1:18) but in actually helping to hear direction from the Head and lead in that direction.

Imagine a group of believers doing life together (aka, a church) who are in constant contact with the Vine… and know what He is thinking… and hear from Him regularly. Imagine if everyone had an opportunity to share with each other what they were hearing from the Vine and that the Vine himself would feed the same direction He wants for that body to all of its members… and they listened and obeyed.

Imagine a church that is not focused on the pastor, the programming, the building, the budget, the music, or anything else condemned to this life only — but instead was focused on loving each other and the people God places in their path as they live each moment with eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of the faith.

Imagine a church that is not an organization run by meetings and rules and policies and people to present and uphold a certain image in all of the public meetings, but instead a large group of life-changed individuals listening together to their Life-Changer and being highly regarded (Acts 5:13) in their community for their love and enjoying the favor of all the people. (Acts 2:47)

The church is a living, breathing organism. It is in fact the Body of Christ. (many scripture references here… check Colossians as above, and then most of the rest of the New Testament) It is the God-arranged collection of individuals who love Him in a geographical area. But we have, in our consumer-oriented culture, made it into more of an organization that presents a certain product that we try to tailor to people’s interests so as to get more people to come try it out… with the noble purpose of getting them to know Jesus – but our method is most definitely akin to that of a large corporation marketing a product that we think people should have. We even have our CEOs (senior pastors) and the board of directors (elders, or whatever else we might call them) and middle management (pastoral and other staff). The church most often gets direction from the head through the leadership of these people. There is not usually an individual connection with the Vine… it is more like a bug hanging on to the leaf that is plugged in to the vine. We feed off of their connection to the vine. And we end up sucking them dry sometimes.

I led a marketing campaign once. It was quite extensive. We spent $15,000. We did get a bunch of people to come out and be part of our grand opening. We even got some people into the Kingdom for the first time, I think. Lots of good came from that. But what else could we have done with that $15,000? How many hungry or hurting people could we have helped with that money? But, you say, isn’t eternal salvation more important than a meal, or a home or a car… those are all temporary. But perhaps we could have done both with that money through helping with their immediate needs? Did God need us to advertise on the radio for those people to find their way into the Kingdom? Wouldn’t God have met them in some other way?

We could get into endless circles of arguments here about how and where and when God works. That is not the point. The positive of that experience is that many people were drawn to Jesus through that organization and the large sums of money we spent on marketing. But the negatives are that they were also drawn to allegience to an organization not just allegience to Jesus. And that money could have been spent in so many other ways.

Imagine a church that lived life together, meeting each others needs, listening individually for the voice of God and sharing that collectively until all had heard (or not heard) from God and then moving as a body in a certain direction to accomplish the will of God. Imagine a community impacted by God’s plan for them rather than one that was carefully thought out and that follows the pattern of other successful churches. Imagine a church that was so plugged in to the Vine that they couldn’t help but hear from God for everyday life and even long-term direction (though I don’t think God has a 3-5 yr plan or a 5-10 year plan or a 30 yr plan that he reveals to us… give us THIS DAY our DAILY bread…)

Wow.

I can only imagine.

Do you know how many people told us their strategies for resisting sales pitches this past week? They heard we were going to take advantage of this offer to come and hear a sales pitch and then stay at the resort for free for 5 days and 4 nights. Everyone had an opinion and they all involved gritting your teeth and resisting with all your might!

What if it was a good offer? What if it was worth taking?

Turns out it was a pretty decent offer. But you know what? We had the most awesome sales guy ever! He was very clear and thorough… and totally not pushy. When our two hours were over, he just said thanks and that was it. Didn’t even ask if we wanted to buy. Didn’t even offer us a chance to! I guess he figured we didn’t want to. 🙂

That was so funny. We were ready to endure… and he didn’t ever even once pressure us! Crazy. So, we’re thinking of doing it. 🙂

Just kidding. We can’t. Wish we could. Sounds like a good investment. But, we don’t have anything to invest at the moment. 🙂

So, thanks Glade Springs for the free 3 days without kids in a fun far away place. We’ll take it!

Well, here we are, all alone. No kids. No kidding. 🙂 It’s all at once marvelous and mysterious. 🙂 We aren’t quite sure what to do with ourselves. And it’s so quiet. 🙂

I don’t really have anything more to say, just thought I’d mention how strange it is to not have Ian and Alex here. I miss them. Got to talk briefly on the phone. That was nice.

We won’t see them till Thursday. That’s so crazy. I do miss them. But I think I will enjoy this quiet just a little longer….