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Newsweek

Haven’t read it yet, but it looks very interesting.

In Search of Spirituality

coffee study

This is what I like to hear: coffee is good for you

Blogger for Word

I really like the new Blogger for Word plug in. This way I can work on posts even when I'm not connected by saving them to a folder and then bam upload them straight from Word. Cool.

Farwells

Tonite we had a farwell get together for some really good friends that are moving.  Nate and Annie will surely be missed, but I know that God’s gonna be good to them.  We love you two!!

Surprise me God: week 1

Surprise me God: week 1

The first week of praying "Surprise me God" was ok. I have to admit, I didn't pray it everyday. However, I did find that just by having it in my mind, I found myself to be more "awake." Kind of like I was keeping an eye out for the surprise. Even though I didn't notice anything really, I think that just being more aware is a good thing. I'm gonna try to be more intentional this week; maybe I'll put it on a 3x5 card or something to remind me throughout the day.

Oh and I found the official site: http://surprisemegod.com/

Surprise Me


Rachel bought a book called Surprise Me. Its based on this guys experiment of praying "Surprise Me, God" everyday for 30 days. He invites the reader to do the same and see what happens. It seems really cool. So we're gonna do it. I'm going to blog my experiences once for every week of the "experiment".

Rachel started reading it first. As she finished the intro, God showed her in a very funny cool way that He is real. We were sitting on the beach reading, and she dropped her bookmark and it got washed away. She was sad because it was new and it was a cool bookmark. As she finished the first chapter, she got up and felt God say, "Well, why don't you go look for it?" So she starts walking down the beach and far down, low and behold! There is the tiny little bookmark in the sand!!

So here we go, "Surprise me God!"

In a recent report by the Barna Group, it is stated that "in spite of the fact that most Americans consider themselves to be Christian, very few adults base their moral decisions on the Bible, and surprisingly few believe that absolute moral truth exists." The report also comes to the conclusion that "only 5% of adults have a biblical worldview."

Basically, the point that Barna is trying to make is that churches and church leaders are not doing a very good job at teaching the core Biblical principles that shape a persons worldview. Basically, many Christians don't think very Christian.

I would have to agree with this conclusion. Many Christians today seem to lack a solid Biblical worldview. It often ends up being a bad mix of misinterpreted Scripture and what is best for me. As Richard Foster says, "superficiality is the curse of our age." And I fear that it is because of our superficiality that such statistics are true.

I like Derek Webb's recent CD "I See Things Upside Down". In it, He sings of how God's ways are quite different than what we tend to think they are. Perhaps one of the problems today is an unwillingness to fully surrender our prideful hold on the "right way." Often, when one decides to become a Christian, they simply make small adjustments to their current worldview. However, the problem with this is that the modern mindset is so far from Biblical that simply making small adjustments to it won't do. We need to learn to "see things upside down. "


Progress & learning God's time

I had a good discussion with my Pastor the other day. We were discussing the possibilities of my future in full-time vocational ministry. What made it even more interesting, and obviously God-ordained, is the fact that just the day before I was questioning what was to come. I had temporarily lost sight of the path that God has placed me on. However, with the help of my wonderful wife, I was able to refresh my vision and was able to proclaim that I am right where God wants me at this time. And here the very next day, the pastor comes in and we talk. God is so faithful to me. There is peace that comes with knowing He is guiding me.

I am still somewhat anxious about the future, but not in a faithless way, just excited. But, even more so, I'm encouraged to do all I can for God right now.

Isaiah 41:13

For I am the LORD, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.