Notes from the Narrow Road

New Sermon Series: Commencement

2010-05-16T05:59:00.002-05:00

On May 23 we will honor our graduating seniors. In preparing my message for that morning I realized I had more to say than could fit in one sermon (even one of mine!). So, starting on May 16, we will have three sermons on commencement: answering the call to be in but not of the world. I will ask three questions I think are vital for those who intend to spend any amount of time engaged with the unbelieving world, either on the college campus or in the workplace. Here are the three questions:

May 16: Do you have a story of your own?
May 23: Are you capable of living for someone other than yourself?
May 30: Are you interested in giving your life to something larger than your hopes and dreams?

The answers to these questions could determine how the unbelieving world responds to us and the person we claim to worship.

FBC Rockport in the Spring of 2010

2010-05-09T06:13:00.002-05:00

Our strategic plan called for a lot of action in 2010. While we are not meeting all the anticipated deadlines, we are at work on a number of important and exciting things. In the midst of this activity we can see the Lord producing fruit as we seek to accomplish His purpose for our church. In fact, there is so much going on that it is possible to miss the forest for the trees, so to speak. So I have put together some information here that will hopefully allow you to get an overview of all that God is doing at FBC Rockport.

Worship

· In 2010 I have preached through the book of 1Timothy, and we are winding down our series on “Family Dynamics.” After Mother’s Day I will begin a new series called “Commencement,” which will be for our graduates and for every Christian who wants to follow our Lord to be in but not of the world. This summer I will preach through the book of Romans.

· Attendance so far in 2010 peaked at 900 on Easter Sunday. We are back to a regular mid 500s in attendance since the Winter Texans have gone back north.

· There were well over 1000 who attended our Easter Cantata, which was outstanding again!

· Enrollment in our Sanctuary Choir is up to 56. They are running out of robes!

· God continues to move in our Saturday night service at Charlie’s Place.

· Eric Scott and I have begun talking and praying about the possibility of starting a Saturday night service either in our church or off-campus somewhere in our community.

· Our Spring Prayer Gathering will focus on families in our church and community.

Connect

· Our new Connect Team led us in a church-wide fellowship on Easter Sunday evening. Many people of all ages came out and had a blast.

· The next church-wide fellowship will be on July 4.

· The Sunday School Council is meeting now and one of their first tasks is to help our church address our Sunday School space issues. Our strategic plan recommended a second SS organization on Sunday morning. There has been little enthusiasm for this, but we cannot allow our space to hinder us from connecting more people to the body of Christ though our Sunday School organization, which is our primary connecting tool every week. If not a second Sunday School, what can we do right now to provide more space? Pray for them as they seek the Lord on this matter.

Grow

· Our new Grow Team is finalizing plans for an adult class to help New Believers and others who want to focus on essentials for the Christian life, and a New Member Orientation for all new church members. They will then turn their attention to designing an over-all discipleship strategy that makes sense for our church right now. Once that is done they will be able to recommend to the church any necessary schedule changes.

· Various groups have been involved with different studies:

o Different groups have done Beth Moore studies on Revelation, Esther, and Breaking Free.

o A group of people went through Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

o Our Thursday night Men’s Group continues a study Galatians by Dr. David Platt.

· AWANAs has finished another successful year.

· Vacation Bible School is only a month away!

· I have the Ministerial Staff studying some things too! We have been reading and discussing a book called Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. We want to make sure that we are leading from the heart of our relationship with Christ. Next we will read and discuss a book on worship.

· In February, our students participated in the Mpact Weekend that focused on small group discipleship. Also, in March a group of students attended the Fuge Winter Camp in Glorieta, NM.

· On Sunday nights, at Tribe, the high school students just finished a study through the book of Colossians, and they are working on going through other books of the Bible as well.

Serve

· Our new Serve Team is working on several different things:

o There will soon be a bulletin board on display that will have all of the various ministry and missions opportunities available to our members.

o They are conducting interviews with some community leaders to get a sense of the many different needs within Aransas County. We will then lay these before the Lord and see where He leads us to join Him.

· Bob and Carole Crawford will join the Texas Baptist Men on a trip to Cuba, May 15-26.

· Joyce Roach will travel to the Dominican Republic to work in an orphanage, June 26-July 3.

· Jennifer Edwards and Carole Crawford will be teaching English in China, June 27-July 21.

· A group of youth and adults will go to Connecticut the last week of July to conduct a VBS and to participate in some prayer walking.

· We will help FBC Taft (where Dale Pogue is Interim Pastor) conduct their Vacation Bible School in July.

· John Jenkins and Herman Green have begun a ministry called “In the Garden.” John is a Master Gardener and Master Composter. Herman has been an Organic Gardener for 30 years. They will, as time allows, provide a consultation ministry for anyone in the church family who needs help with their composting, flower beds, herb garden, or vegetable garden. The consultation is free.

· One of the results of our ministry at Charlie’s Place is that we are looking into beginning a Christ-based addiction recovery and support group in Rockport.

· The Deacons have almost completed a fresh draft of our various Deacon policies and procedures. There has even been talk of a possible Deacon election this summer or fall.

Reach

· We have baptized 11 people so far in 2010, five adults, two youth, and four children. There are at least 4 more scheduled for the coming weeks.

· The Reach Ministry Team is considering outreach and evangelism possibilities for our church.

Ad Hoc Committees

· The Building and Property Usage Committee has completed its task and now has a document before the church for consideration. These policies will be discussed and voted on in May.

· The Phase 2 Study Committee met for several weeks and is now pausing in their work to give the various ministry teams time to develop some plans. They hope to get some insight into the kinds of recommendations to make to the church about developing our property.

· The Constitution and Bylaws Committee has met once and has had a hard time scheduling a new meeting (due to my schedule), but we intend to meet again soon.

Standing Committees

· The Transportation Committee has certified many of our members as official drivers of our church vehicles. Have you gotten your certification yet?

· The Personnel Committee is working on an update to our Personnel Policies and Procedures.

· The Building Committee is collecting bids for various repairs to our building. The wet winter really took its toll on our facilities.

· The Grounds Committee recently finished a new driveway for the bus barn and repainted the handicap parking spaces.

Of course this does not describe the totality of what God is doing in our midst, but does provide a snapshot. Please join with me in seeking the Lord and engaging with others as we set out in faith and obedience to accomplish the mission of our church, which is to help all people to be shaped by the love of Christ.

Serving you,

Scott Jones

10 Questions to Answer Prayerfully in God's Presence

2010-01-02T07:38:00.001-06:00

As 2010 begins, many of us are prayerfully looking forward to what God will do in our lives, families, churches, and communities in the new year. I emphasized in December how important it was that we not miss God when He speaks, acts, and moves in us and around us. So here are ten questions to pray over, meditate on, and then answer in God's presence. These questions are to help us connect with God's movement in our lives in the coming year. If God leads you to some answers to your questions, and you would like for me to pray with you about these things, please let me know! Here are the questions:

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is your most important financial goal this year and what will you do to achieve it?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What is the most important need you fell burdened to meet this year?

9. Who do you most want to encourage this year?

10. What habit would you like to establish this year?

Favorite Songs on My iPod

2009-12-10T11:43:00.015-06:00

More challenging than it looks! Here is a current list of my top 25 favorite songs on my iPod. In the next post I will have the list of my REAL top 25 songs - the ones played most often. The songs here are not presented in alphabetical order. Let me know what you think and tell me the stories about your favorite songs.

"40" by U2. This song is based on Psalm 40, David's testimony of God's saving action, causing all people to sit up and take notice. May all God's people be able to sing a new song every day of what God has done for them.

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" by Louis Armstrong. I love New Orleans Jazz, and Satchmo is one of the greatest. This song reminds me of all the wonderful memories Kim and I have of our time in the Crescent City, either on vacation or on mission trips. Good memories.

"All Because of You" by Kate Hurley. This song was included as a bonus track on some random collection of Christmas music by Christian artists, and now it has become one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. Kim will sing this song this Sunday (Dec. 20) in the 8:30 service, by the way. The Christmas story is so familiar that we need to hear it again for the first time -- a passionate God becomes one of us, to live and to die for us, all because of His love.

"Cantata 140, 'Wacht auf, ruft uns die Stimme,' BWV 140: Sleepers, Wake!" by Johann Sebastian Bach. I love Bach's organ music. I love that he wrote these pieces as music for worship. I love the way the old pipe organs sound as his music bursts forth from the various registers. I love that his works are not easy to play on an organ - involving both hands and feet moving rapidly on the instrument. And I love to hear someone play it as Bach intended: to bring glory to God. Choosing a favorite piece usually depends on what mood I am in, and today I choose "Sleepers, Wake!"

"Farther Along" by Willie and Bobbie Nelson. This comes off the album of old hymns that Willie recorded with his sister, Bobbie. I love this album, along with Johnnie Cash's similar project. The songs are simple, spare, and powerful. I don't hold up Willie as any kind of a spiritual leader, but his version of this classic hymn is moving and hopeful.

"Hallelujah Chorus" from Messiah, by George Handel. I kid you not, every time I hear this I am moved to worship and end up weeping like a little girl. A moving and powerful expression of uncontained joy for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who will reign forever and ever. I like to think heaven will sound a little like this.

"Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins. This song is taken from the last project Rich worked on before his untimely death in a traffic accident. He was making an album about Jesus when he died, leaving behind a cassette tape of the songs he recorded in an old church. Rich's voice is scratchy and haunting on the recording, and the lyrics are a brutally honest prayer to Christ about how frightened we feel during those times when he seems so distant from us.

"Heading for the Light" by the Traveling Wilburys. I have been a fan of the Wilburys since high school. This is George Harrison's tribute to his spiritual journey set to a wailing sax.

"Help Me" by Johnny Cash. Yes, I like the old Johnny Cash songs just fine, but the songs he recorded in his last years are especially powerful and moving. This song, for instance, is the prayer of a man who has tried everything his way and failed. Now he is desperately crying out to God for help. This is one of the last songs John recorded in the time between his wife's death and his own. Very moving.

"I Need Thee Every Hour" by Jars of Clay. This is Jars' version of the old hymn, included on their album of similar renditions of Christian classics. Somehow they are able to take the lyrics and tune of a familiar hymn and make it sound urgent, passionate, and sincere. In my opinion, the future of modern worship should include songs like this as we reach back into our heritage and find the songs of faith that have meant so much to so many over the centuries, and then reinterpret those songs so that they become an expression of our experience in worship.

"If I Stand" by Rich Mullins, performed by Jars of Clay. This is my all-time favorite song. I first heard Rich's version in college after struggling for a few years to leave an old way of life behind and live a new life in Christ. It was also the time in which I struggled to comprehend God's call upon my life, a life which seemed to me to be wasted and profane. The lyrics assured me that there is more to reality than what I can perceive, and I must stand on God's promises alone. The version by Jars of Clay is soft, subtle, and powerfully sincere.

"In My Life" by the Beatles. This is a long-time favorite for me and Kim. I actually enjoy other versions of this song than the Beatles'. I haven 't been able to find one I like better than others, but I think my favorite version is the one David and Celeste McCraw sing from time to time. You FBC Rockport folks have probably heard it.

"It's True" by Sara Groves featuring Toby Groves. This Christmas song is about the doubt people often feel as they ponder the love of God. Could all this supernatural stuff be real? Did God really come down to us as a child? Oh yes. Sara's son Tobey reads the Christmas story from the same children's Bible our son Michael uses. Beautiful.

"I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash. The ultimate travel song sung by a man who has walked down many roads. Although this is a fun song to listen to, you can't help but notice the weariness in John's voice as he describes how he has been everywhere and seen everything. I pray that the Lord will keep me from the cynicism of weariness as the years go by.

"Linus and Lucy" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Who's Christmas wouldn't be complete without the Peanuts music? Joyful, playful, and enduring, like Snoopy himself, this song makes me think of my son playing.

"Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. As I have said before, I don't like all of Macca's solo work post-Beatles, but this one is greatness. A love song to his wife Linda, he captures that inexplicable feeling men often feel as they are falling in love.

"Piano Sonata #14 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 27/2, 'Moonlight,' - Adagio sostenuto" by Ludwig Von Beethoven. I first heard this piece when I was a teenager struggling to understand my own emotional swings. For some reason it meant a lot to me that Beethoven could feel melancholy so deeply. This music is moody and marvelous. One can almost see moonlight reflected on ripples of water.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World" by Isarael Kamakawiwo'ole. You would recognize this song if you heard it. Izzy's distinctive voice singing the lyrics to these familiar songs, accompanied only by his ukulele. Somehow the song manages to sound both melancholy and hopeful at the same time, a tension many of us have learned to live in.

"Speak, O Lord" by Keith and Kristyn Getty. The Getty's are worship leaders and modern hymn writers. They wrote this song to be sung at their church before the pastor gets up to preach. It expresses the desire of my heart as I approach the word of God.

"Symphony No. 3 in E flat, Op. 55, 'Eroica,' - 1: Allegro con brio" by Ludwig Von Beethoven. Beethoven originally wrote this piece in honor of Napoleon's armies marching across Europe. He loved the idea that democracy would replace aristocracy and the entitlement of royalty. As you can imagine, he was bitterly disappointed and disillusioned when a victorious and triumphant Napoleon then declared himself Emperor. He changed the title of this symphony and dedicated it to a no-named "Hero." How many of us have been let down by those we held in esteem? This music celebrates an ideal hero who may not exist, but should.

"Symphony No. 25 in G Minor, K. 183 (173dB) - Allegro con brio" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I discovered Mozart, like many of you, after watching Amadeus on HBO one day when I was a teenager. I was dazzled by the power, passion, and beauty of the music as well as the complicated life of Mozart himself. Up to that point I did not ever think that the great composers were actual people like you and me, at least a little! This selection from Symphony 25 is part of the music that begins the movie, and it remains my favorite of Mozart's.

"The Valley Song (Sing of Your Mercy)" by Jars of Clay. This song became a constant companion after Kim's second miscarriage, and it has remained a favorite ever since. God leads us through valleys of sorrow to rivers or joy, but you must still pass through the valley. Don't stop, my pilgrim friend, keep moving.

"Two of Us" by the Beatles. This is one of the first songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote together as boys in Liverpool, and one of the last songs the Beatles recorded before they broke apart. The song is about the sustaining power of friendship over the years. You can't help but wonder at the irony. Did John and Paul mourn the loss of their own friendship among the bitterness and animosity surrounding the breakup of the Beatles?

"Winter Snow" by Chris Tomlin and Audrey Assad. This is off the new Chris Tomlin Christmas worship album. The Almighty Creator of the Universe, the Infinite and Ultimate King of Kings could have come to us in great power and judgment, causing much fear and dismay among us. But He chose to come quietly, as a small helpless baby born almost unnoticed in the night, like a winter snow falling quietly to the ground.

"Worlds Apart" by Jars of Clay. Off of Jars' first album, this is still one of their very best. This song is sung by a person who has experienced failure at his or her own hands, and finally gives God permission to take their world apart and have His way with them. Anyone been there?

Music Revisited and Some Pictures

2009-12-08T13:25:00.009-06:00

It has been a while since I blogged period, even longer since I blogged about the music I am listening to these days. Over a year ago I gave a list of the top 25 favorite songs on my iPod and then a list of the top 25 songs I actually listened to. I have been asked to do it again and I will do so as I have time during the next week.

My approach to music is much the same as my approach to all art: it should be experienced with a critical eye. Not critical as in putting it down and finding fault, but as in closely examining something. As Christians especially it is our responsibility to consider well what we expose ourselves to. Therefore we ask questions: Why do I like this song? What does it tell me about life, people, myself, the Lord, etc? What can I learn from it? What do I think about the way it makes me feel? And so on...you get the picture.

What I will do is post a list of the top 20 or so songs on my iPod that are my favorites. Last time I did not include Christmas music or classical music, but this time I will. I will reflect on what these particular songs mean to me personally. Then I will post my real to 20 favorite song list - the list of songs played most often on my iPod. If you use iTunes then you know it counts the number of times each song is played. The two lists will probably not be the same.

I encourage you to do the same thing. What are your favorite songs and what do they mean to you? I would love to hear your stories.

In the mean time...here is what most people really want...pictures of the kids.

Micheal feeding Buddy

Kathryn at 3 months

Michael and Uncle Neal

Discerning

2009-11-17T06:06:00.002-06:00

Simon Peter writes to us in 1 Peter 5:8-9, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

As a pastor, I am sensitive to the trials and sufferings of those in our church. As of late I have been troubled by the sharp rise of hardships among our people. As a church, and in the lives of many individual members as well, we have chosen to go down a path we believe will allow us to continue to be shaped by the love of Christ and then be the servants Christ created us to be as we lead all people to be shaped by the love of Christ. There is a renewed interest in worship, engagement with the body of Christ, Bible study and discipleship, serving, missions, and evangelism. In response to all this I believe the enemy has been actively at work in the lives of many. The result has been anger, bitterness, broken relationships, discouragement, fear, and all manner of things to distract our people from the cause of Christ. I have not really noticed a grand, large scale assault of evil upon us. Instead the enemy is working in small, subtle, insidious ways to discourage, dishearten, and distract us.

Like Peter, I affirm that what many are experiencing is suffering. But his advice is sound. Don't let the enemy get the best of you...resist him. And don't believe the lie that it is only you who is suffering. Turn to your brothers and sisters in Christ in order to offer and draw strength from one another. At the same time, stand firm in the faith. God is still in control and God is not finished yet. The enemy cannot win unless you quit.

The holidays are stressful enough without the added oppression of the enemy. Please know that I love all of you and I am praying for you. Don't give out, give up, or give in. Keep walking in the darkness, but keep your eyes on the horizon to watch for the light. A new day will dawn at just the right time.

Convalescing

2009-11-08T06:13:00.002-06:00

I'm beginning to feel more like myself again after battling swine flu for two weeks. Apparently I had a nondescript infection in my intestinal tract that would have gone unnoticed had my body not been worn out by fighting the flu. I won't bore you with the details of my illness and how it progressed, but I narrowly avoided hospitalization because Kim helped me to stay hydrated. The two issues combined have really done a number on me, but I am now six days with no fever and no other serious symptoms. I am slowly getting an appetite back, but it is taking a long time to get my strength back. It has been very nice to be back around my family again instead of quarantined in the bedroom, and I will preach both services today and probably work a half day on Monday and try to slowly re-enter life without overdoing it and having a relapse.

I want to thank everyone for the phone calls, cards, emails, and prayers. My family is truly blessed to have so many people who love and care for us. I am so thankful that God protected Kim, Michael and Kathryn and none of them got sick. I am thankful for the two men who came and mowed my yard one Sunday while I was out of it. When are you guys coming back? I am thankful for the people who brought food to the house, even though I had none of it. I am thankful for the folks who watched our kids while Kim could take me to the doctor. And I am thankful for the folks at the doctor's office who put up with me even though I was not the best patient.

I am especially thankful for Gains who covered for me at the church - not only preaching but in everything else that goes with being a pastor. FBC is blessed to have Gains on staff.

Finally I want to say that Kim is my hero. She took care of me and kept herself illness-free as well as our children. She did everything she normally does around the house plus everything I do too. She was brilliant. And...she demonstrated how little she actually needs me around here. I'm beginning to think she keeps me around simply for my good looks. Regardless, she is a strong and courageous woman whom I love very much.

Micrurus tener

2009-09-28T14:43:00.002-05:00

It finally happened this weekend. I was mowing my backyard when I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I knew right away it was a snake. I have had several encounters with the MANY ribbon snakes living in my backyard. I even found the skin of one who is rather large. But this time I came face to face with my first coral snake. There was no mistaking the markings - red on yellow kill a fellow! This was no red on black venom lack or friend of Jack or however you learned it. This was a real dangerous snake.

Now I have encountered dangerous snakes in the wild before -- rattlesnakes, copperheads, even a cottonmouth or two - so I am no snake newbie. But did you know that the Texas Coral Snake has the second most deadly venom of all North American snakes, right behind a very nasty rattlesnake? It just so happened that I knew this, and that little tidbit of info flooded my mind as I watched the killer slide along the ground.

He was about a yard long, maybe less, and was particularly dangerous-looking. He had gansta tattoos that said "Pas-tuh Kill-uh" and "Judas Priest." Just kidding, it said "Stryper" (get it? Stryper? for the stripes? Oh, shut up.) After calling me mean names and spitting at me he got away right before I could deliver the death blow!

Not really. Actually I was so fascinated by him that I just watched as he slithered slowly under the fence and safely into the neighbor's backyard. So, we're on snake watch at the Jones house now. Let's all be careful out there.

Pictures!

2009-09-01T19:07:00.005-05:00

Advancing

2009-08-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

For several weeks I have been preaching on "spiritual leadership," which is a much different concept than the definitions of leadership put forth by the world. In a nutshell, here's my understanding of spiritual leadership: God is the leader, God calls His servants, servants obey the Lord. That's it. Anything you read on strategies, mission and vision statements, and creative and skilled leadership in churches is dangerous because it could distract us from the truth. God already has a plan, He has revealed that plan to us in scripture, He has promised to accomplish His plan, He has already given us everything we need, and He demands that we trust and obey. Period. There is an inherent humanism in all of our well-intentioned plans and schemes, but the focus remains on us and our good ideas instead of on the Lord and His word. Let's stop dreaming big dreams for God and envisioning a bold future for God's kingdom and allow His word to capture our imaginations and then let's stop yammering and do what scripture says.

That opinion won't sell many books on pastoral leadership. But seriously, why complicate something the Lord has been so clear about. All of this is coming from a guy who is about to stand before his church and give a report from the Strategic Planning Team which has been at work for over a year. I have hinted in past posts that I may be concerned about the upcoming reporting process because of the potential conflict involved. What I would like to do now is make some things very clear as we move into this weekend.

First, we didn't get creative and come up with any bold new plan to move us into the future. Instead, we took a lot of time to consider what scripture says about who we are as a church and what we are to be doing. We spent time seeking the Lord together. We listened, argued, and listened some more. We think we have a good understanding of what God tells churches they are to be and do, and our plan is a good step into that direction.

Second, while the plan is relatively simple it is very challenging. If God is indeed leading us in this direction, our obedience will unite us together in ways that will be very exciting. We will have to trust God completely as we embrace the challenges of the plan.

Third, the Strategic Planning Team is unified. Which is no small thing. Let's be honest...there are some personality differences and the clashes are not small and meek. And we did clash, and we did dicker about things, but we always came back to the basics of the plan and there was agreement. I saw a group of almost 20 people lay aside their pride and fears and say, "Wherever You lead, Lord, I'll go."

Personally, I believe the Lord is leading us to move in this direction. Our recommendations are scriptural, theologically sound, and birthed in prayer. They also embrace the organizational realities of FBC Rockport. I could not be more excited to present the plan. I believe God is leading us. I believe He has called me here to serve Him and His people. I believe we must trust and obey. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks as well.

Withdrawing

2009-08-20T05:53:00.003-05:00

One of the hardest things to accept about being the pastor of a church is becoming the focal point of church decisions when there are good people you love on both sides of the issues involved. Whether deserved or not, the pastor personifies the issue and becomes the recipient of hard and hurt feelings from those who disagree, and unfairly receives the credit and is lauded for "good leadership" from those who do agree. The reality is often much different than the appearance of things.

As a pastor I spend much, if not most, of my administrative time seeking "win-win" situations for everyone involved, and encouraging people to see things from a larger perspective. On those rare occassions when a "win-lose" situation does emerge, either by design or by insistance from church members, I am usually on the losing side because of the heartbreak involved in seeing hurt feelings and because of the way those feelings are expressed.

I was told long ago that I needed to develop a thicker skin if I was going to stay in the ministry for any length of time because I would receive many wounds. To this day I refuse to develop a thick skin or wear a suit of armor because that implies that people's opinions don't matter and their words do not affect me. The reality is...I love these people, what they think matters, what they say does affect me deeply. When we are wounded, we bleed. Those inflicting the wounds need to see the blood and understand the power of their words and actions - there are consequences.

In the body of Christ it is each person's responsibility to express their passions is such a way as to build up the body of Christ and not tear it down. To do otherwise is a sin. This is especially vital during those times when a win-lose situation arises. We are to rejoice with those who rejoice, we are to mourn with those who mourn, the body of Christ is to be built up, and the world is to know we are followers of Christ by our love for one another.

Not all churches are able to withstand even the smallest amount of conflict, but I am convinced our church is very healthy and can weather even the strongest of storms. And there are clouds gathering on the horizon as the church moves to discern how the Lord is leading us into the future. To do nothing would be failure, but are we able to take action and remain unified at the same time?

Today I feel like withdrawing in order to pray, study, and meditate on these things. My responsibilities will not allow this, of course, but as I inwardly withdraw I am praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ and asking God to save us from the worst parts of ourselves and fill us with His presence instead.

Marveling

2009-08-16T17:22:00.003-05:00

Today I am feeling pensive yet in wonder about life, which has a definite ebb and flow. We continue to hear good news and bad news from all of our friends and loved ones. The reports of cancer, disease and death are always balanced by reports of new life, new beginnings, and grace. We have one friend who is newly engaged and planning a wedding, another who has been fired by a church and attempting to transition into new life. One family endures the heartache that comes from fundamental disagreements over homosexuality, while another friend is leaving for Israel to work with a foundation providing care and support to some of the most hated and marginalized people in the world: Palestinian homosexuals and abused Palestinian women. Wherever the darkness advances, there is the Light pushing back.

For us the news has been good lately. Kathryn just had her two month doctor's visit and they could no longer hear her heart murmur. At the same time, Kim has yet to consistently feel normal again, going on two months now. Michael had his first trip to the dentist last week and did very well with no problems. He has to go back in the near future for a teeth cleaning, which ought to be something to see. He starts attending our church's Mother's Day Out program this month, and that has been hard for Kim. On top of all this I have papers due this week for school. In all of this I continue to be thankful for my life, my family, my friends, my wonderful church, and for my salvation in Christ Jesus.

Anticipating

2009-08-13T16:01:00.002-05:00

This is going to be a busy fall in the Jones house. But we welcome the return of the NFL. How 'bout them Cowboys?!

Redirecting

2009-08-10T06:05:00.002-05:00

There is change in the wind. One of the things that non-linear mathematics and Applied Chaos Theory teach us is the design hidden in systems of living things, including our lives. At first there seems to be nothing but instability and chaos. It seems everything is about to collapse and fail. It appears there is no rhyme or reason to the things happening and that our lives, families, churches, relationships, businesses, etc. are spinning out of control. Over time, however, a pattern emerges and takes definite shape. Not all at once, but given time it will emerge. The pattern has been there all along defining the chaos and confusion, we just could not see it until enough time passed and more shaping took place. Chaos Theory calls this the "strange attractor": the pattern that was always there but could not be seen at first. Even within apparent chaos there is order and stability. We must live by faith.

I wonder, what is shaping your life? What pattern emerges as you observe the course of your personal history? Our lives, relationships, and organizations are not machines to be engineered and maintained, operating according to the physical laws of Newtonian science. Much of life is unpredictable, wild, and wonderful -- like love!

Kim continues to have good days and bad days since Kathryn's birth, and we live by faith. I confess the whole process of conception, pregnancy, birth, and post-partum realities is mysterious at best, heartbreaking for some. We have experienced shocks at every stage the past several years -- from miscarriages to emergency c-sections to depression. And yet we have also experienced the joy and blessing of new life! Mysterious. Pray for Kim as she strives and waits to feel normal again.

In order to have more time to be with Kim, care for our children, work around the house, and still pastor our church, I have had to drop one of my classes this semester. I have also considered dropping out altogether, but probably won't do that. The school has assured me that they will work with me to finish my degree, even if I have to petition to go beyond the seven year time limit.

Our church has completed a year of self-study and seeking the Lord, and now we are about to report back to the church and make several recommendations about how we believe the Lord is leading us. God does not allow us to stay where we are and go with Him at the same time. There will be change involved, which is always tricky for a church, but I believe our church is strong and faithful enough to work through the process with great faith and unity. But...there is a lot of work ahead.

I am watching and waiting for the Lord to reveal some patterns in all of this. I believe there is a "strange attractor" at work even though it cannot be seen at present. Are you walking by faith or by sight?

Excavating

2009-07-30T13:41:00.002-05:00

I have a professor who is constantly telling us at this point in our studies we should be leaving behind the fruit of things to get to the root of things. In our studies we need to get to the root. "We are all about the root, gentlemen."

So I have been attempting to get to the root of some things in my walk with the Lord. In studying 1 Samuel we see that the people asked for a king, and one of the reasons they wanted a king was to be like the other nations. Throughout the Old and New Testaments this is a constant battel within God's people -- the desire to be like the rest of the world. Scripture constantly calls us out to be holy because God is holy.

If we are truly God's people, why do we have such a hard time with this? Why this strong pull to be like the unbelieving world? Last night at Prayer Meeting we discussed many possible answers. I shared what I feared was close to the root of the issue for my life, and perhaps the lives of others.

I wonder if the issue is the absence of a pure heart. I do not long for God and for nothing else. I do not find that God satisfies me completely, so I long for and pursue fulfillment in other people and pleasures. I find myself bored, lacking joy, feeling as if something is missing. I wonder if not only am I dissatisfied with God, but also disappointed in God. Things are not how I wanted them to be or thought they would be. In fact, life is unfolding in alarmingly unsatisfying ways.

The past month I have listened to these words come out of the mouths of many, many people. Some, even many, of these folks are seeking for what is missing, and they are looking in all the wrong places. I am convinced what is missing in so many of us is finding our satisfaction and fulfillment in God. God is not all-sufficient and all glorious to us. He is not all we want and all we need.

If you find yourself secretly wanting to be like the rest of the world, I suggest you practice the spiritual discipline of fasting. As I fast I deny myself things I think I need in order to be reminded that God is all I need. The hope is to reach the place where God is all I want and I am content with God and God alone. So when I feel sorry for myself and experience the profound dissappointment I sometimes feel and begin to self-medicate with all this world has to offer, I must instead humbly turn to the Lord, deny myself, and long for God and nothing else.

Trusting...

2009-07-24T11:21:00.003-05:00

Kathryn had her one-month check-up this morning and the news was not great. The doctor detected a heart murmur. She said she sees this in about 25% of her patients, and because of Kathryn's good weight and size the murmur must be one of those that closes up on its own or is "functional," meaning she will always have it but it will be of no consequence. The doctor was not concerned, but said if it continues to show up they will send us to a cardiologist.

They also commented on how alert Kathryn is for her age, which is good until she starts driving next week. I can't help but wonder what is next. But I am convinced that God knows what He is doing.

Reassuring

2009-07-21T22:09:00.002-05:00

My son, Michael, calls me into his room tonight after he has been asleep for a while. He tells me he is scared. This is a familiar routine. We discuss what has him afraid (nothing, it turns out) and I assure him there is nothing to be afraid of. Noticing the superheroes on his pillow I say, "The Super Friends are here to watch over you." Then remembering that I am also the PASTOR I add, "And Jesus is here too."

Michael looks at me very seriously and says, "The superheroes can't come off of the pillow."

Recognizing the truth and wisdom of the three year old's logic, I ask, "Is Jesus still here?"

Michael nods and says, "Yes."

I tuck him in and he goes to sleep.

Processing...

2009-07-18T05:50:00.002-05:00

Kim has had a difficult time this week and not felt very well. So I have have taken Michael with me the past several mornings to give Kim some down time. Thursday Michael and I bought a new office chair and then he helped me put it together. Friday morning we went to the beach (our usual Friday routine) and we caught the biggest blue crab I have ever seen at Rockport Beach. He was at least four to five inches across. He was also quite crabby -- aggressively crawling out of my net, pinchers reaching for me, spitting on me, calling me foul names, and stealing my Bible -- all in front of my son! Well...he did try to pinch me and then jumped in the water and ran off. I couldn't let that stand so I chased him down and caught him again just to show my son that his father was better than some old blue crab.

Michael allowed me to take him out into the deep water, past the last sand bar where it is up to my shoulders. The waves were not rough and he was able to enjoy it. He does not trust easily, but once trust is earned he trusts completely and quickly. I'll be speaking on that Sunday morning.

Friday afternoon I mowed our yard because I was already dirty from the beach. Not wise. The heat was brutal. I learned that we have all the descendants of the ancient Sleestak living in our yard. With so many lizards you would think we wouldn't have any insects around. But I think the lizards are eating each other instead of the bugs.

With caring for family this week I have fallen woefully behind in my schoolwork. I have two weeks to get everything completed before the fall term begins in August. I am taking a seminar entitled Jesus and Leadership, which requires us to read 8 books, write a 30 page research paper, and design a syllabus for a bachelor's or master's level course on pastoral leadership. All due by Thanksgiving! Hooray! I am also beginning theological German this fall. I hope to have my German completed by next summer so I can begin taking theological French. Ugh.

As our church nears the end of our time of self-study and planning, and as we begin to formulate specific steps to take into the future in obedience to God's leadership, my biggest concern is that we will chose to respond with pride (I don't want to do that! We've never done it that way! I want what I want!) and fear (That will never work! What if people drop out!? What if people stop tithing?! What if people start going to another church?!). I am praying that God will speak so that we know it, and that He will produce humility and confidence instead of pride and fear as we follow in obedience.

Ok, so I signed up for Facebook

2009-07-12T16:52:00.002-05:00

There are many reasons, primarily related to church members and the outrageous amount of communication people do online. Communication that, I have humbly observed, is incredibly personal and alarmingly impresonal at the same time. Perhaps some of the appeal of maintaining a Facebook or MySpace account is getting jazzed by writing all about yourself, your family, your interests, your opinions and posting your photos (said the man who has been doing these things on his own blog for some time now -- oh shut up). But, you know and see only what I want you to know and see about me! So we can interact online all day long and have a great time in a very measured, controlled, and strangely, selfishly impersonal manner.

Anyhoo...it is funny how you sign up for something like that and find all your friends and family who have been there for some time. You kind of feel like the new kid in school. So, I need all of you to become my Facebook friends so it will look like I am popular and cool. But, please, if you do not have a Facebook account then don't get one just for me! All my church members better become my friend or I will stop praying for you.

I will post most of my family photos on Facebook because of the control I have over who sees them. But I will post things here in the way of pictures from time to time.

Michael the Photographer

2009-06-24T08:57:00.009-05:00

Kim got Michael a digital camera when Kathryn was born. Here are samples of his art...

I took this picture to show him how the camera worked.

Mommy and Sissy

Grammy with weird sticky thing on her face.

Tennyson the cat

Popa saying "cheese"

Self portrait of the artist and the video camera

The First Bath

Daddy in the Hall

Spiritual Leadership in the Home

2009-06-22T07:02:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday at FBC Rockport we continued our sermon series on images of spiritual leadership from 1 Samuel. For two weeks now we have looked at what spiritual leadership in the home might look like. We have some good images from Elkanah and Hannah, the parents of Samuel. We have some poor images from Eli, the priest at the Tabernacle who raised Samuel. Yahweh’s accusation against Eli was that he honored his two sons more than he honored God. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were terrible priests because they did not do what God wanted, they did as they wanted. Their poor public behavior was actually hindering the worship life of Israel and keeping people away from God. God held Eli responsible, at least in part, for their sin, and promised dire consequences for Eli’s entire family. At the same time, Yahweh promised to raise up for Himself a faithful priest who would do what was in God’s heart and mind.

I am telling our people that this is the essence of spiritual leadership: God is the leader, God chooses His servants, and servants obey and follow God. This theme will surface again and again as we study 1 Samuel, and can be found throughout scripture. If parents want to be spiritual leaders in their homes then they must follow God’s leadership and no one else’s, including their own!

I used an example Sunday that stirred up some people. I pointed out how it is common for families to struggle with allowing their children to miss church activities on a consistent basis in order to participate in other things: little league, school sports and activities, band, dance, a job, etc. I am often asked what I think about this. The truth is, I think there are occasions when it is right and good for our kids to miss church activities for other important things, but I think those occasions are rare. Two things come into play here that parents have to take into consideration before they make a decision like this. First, who tells parents they can keep their kids out of church? On whose authority are they making that decision? Their kids’ authority? Their own authority? The authority of the coach, league, teacher, or boss? There are many voices in our culture that will tell us what to do with our children, how to do it and when to do it. As Christians, we need not be servants of those voices. We are to be servants of Christ. Your child’s boss schedules your child to work every Sunday. The little league schedules games on Wednesday nights. Band camp falls during Youth Camp. What do you decide to do? Parents need to be sure to seek the Lord’s mind and heart on these matters and follow no one else’s leadership, including their own or their child’s. This is what got Eli and his sons in trouble.

The second thing that comes into play when making a decision like this is the very public nature of our faith in Christ. Jesus expects us to make decisions to follow him even if those decisions incur public rebuke, persecution or other consequences. These kinds of decisions to honor and follow Christ publically at great cost draw attention to Christ, showing that he is more desirable than anything in this world. Whether parents want to admit this or not, consistent, public decisions to keep kids out of church in order to participate in other activities influence other people – both believers and unbelievers. By being casual about our commitment to participate in the Body of Christ, we may actually be leading others away from Christ instead of to Christ. Eli and his sons were doing this, and their public sin drew very public consequences and disaster that made examples of this family for all of Israel.

There are consequences for us and our kids when we decide to keep them out of certain activities in order to be involved in church activities. There are also consequences when we keep them out of church in order to be involved in other things. These are difficult decisions and should never be made lightly or hastily. If parents are to be spiritual leaders, they must seek the mind and heart of God on these matters until He leads them in the way they are to go. Parents must also take into consideration what God has already said in His word about following, obeying, and honoring Christ in public. Our decisions matter because they influence people. Who is leading your family?

More pictures...

2009-06-18T07:15:00.005-05:00

Here's more...

2009-06-16T11:22:00.004-05:00

Both mother and daughter are doing well. Kathryn is eating well now and has aced all her diaper exams! Kim has been up and moving around for over 24 hours now. They tell us they should be discharged on Wednesday afternoon.

Those were the only new pictures I had on my cell phone. I'll try to post some better ones later.

Her Own Woman

2009-06-15T06:05:00.009-05:00

Kathryn is here now. She was born Sunday night, 5:57 p.m., and weighed 7 pounds, 10 oz., and measured 20.25 inches long. Kim was in labor since about 9:00 a.m. Saturday. After hours of waiting and miles of walking around that hospital, Kim never progressed beyond 6 cm. Every time we came close to making a decision about what to do next, it seems Kathryn would change the game on us and we would have to wait for another couple of hours to see what would happen next. We almost went to the OR at least twice before we finally did because Kathry would do this or that. She was letting us know she was in charge. After whe was born I stood with her in the nursery while they cleaned her up and checked her out. She cried for a while and then got real calm and collected. I watched her as she sized me up with her eyes, took a good look around the room, and then looked at me and kind of smirked knowingly. I got the distinct impression that she was very much amused by everything that had gone on the past couple of days. I laughed out loud and I know everyone thought I was crazy. But Kathryn just held my hand and smirked at me while I laughed. After this I took some pictures of her and got to email one to my church so they could see her during the Sunday night worship service. Isn't technology something?

Kim was so brave and beautiful thoughout the whole process. God was wise to allow women the responsibility of birth. Kim is so strong and courageous. Her biggest complaint was that she had not eaten since noon on Saturday and she was starving. After the surgery she was sick to her stomach in a big way. I want everyone to know that my wife is my hero. Michael, Kathryn and I are so blessed.

I will take Micheal down to see her this morning. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and love for my family. I'll have more information later. I know what you really want are pictures so here they are.

Here's a picture of Michael when he was born...

Now here's a picture of Kathryn. Are they related?

Still no news..

2009-06-11T11:47:00.002-05:00

Kim's doctor told her that she has had no change in two weeks. Kim has another doctor's appointment next Thursday, a week from today. If she has not progressed by then they will likely schedule a c-section. If she has progressed by then, it is likely they will induce labor.

It is also possible she is going into labor at this moment. So there won't be any new news for another week unless the baby comes before then.

By the way, 231 children heard the gospel presentation during our VBS the other night! Please be in prayer for these little ones and for our adults who are working with them.

No News is Good News

2009-06-09T15:21:00.004-05:00

We are still awaiting for Kathryn to indicate that she is ready to emerge. Kim has the nursery ready, Michael has helped her finish all the thank you notes, and so we wait. Some men from our church came and helped my father put together a swingset/slide/fort for Michael while I was away at school last week. He has been too busy playing to be impatient for his little sister to show.

And it is just as well. Our Vacation Bible School is this week. On our second night, a Monday, we had 218 children, another 15-20 in the nursery, plus about 110 or so adult and youth workers. All I can say is that I am glad I am not in charge. I am so thankful for Gayle and for her love of Jesus, our children, and for all our workers. She has done an amazing job. So have all the adults and students who have put this thing together. It is a wonderful thing to behold.

Technically I have finished my first term for school, but I still have four books to read and write critical reviews on before I am done for the summer. It will likely take me all summer to get these books read, so essentially I do not have a summer break. But no worries. I gave myself a treat this morning and went fishing for a few hours out in the bay. I caught a 21 inch trout. Here are the pictures to prove it:

The Latest Baby News

2009-05-21T06:45:00.002-05:00

Kim now starts her weekly visits to the doctor. As of yesterday both Kim and Kathryn are doing well. The doctor determined that Kathryn has not dropped any, nor does Kim exhibit any of the signs of going into labor any time soon. That was good news to Kim because she has convinced herself she still has too much to do to have a baby right now.

The doctor also determined that Kathryn weighs a little over six pounds right now. Michael was just under seven pounds when he was born. The doctor estimated that Kathryn would be over eight pounds by her due date. I have several thoughts about this. First, apparently we are going to learn just how big and uncomfortable Kim can get. I feel so bad for her because she is now becoming miserable. Second, this changes the dynamics of our desire to NOT have another c-section. The doctor said we have about an 85% chance of a successful delivery without a c-section, maybe a little less. We are now trying to decide what to do. Third, don't mess with Kathryn...apparently she is going to be stout.

Another thing that was both weird and wonderful happened during the sonogram. The technician pointed to the screen and said, "She has a lot of hair." My first thought was, "Like Chewbacca?" But apparently they are able to see her hair, and Kathryn has a lot right now. I confess that I would not have known I was looking at hair, but I'll take their word for it. I got to see my daughter's hair. How cool is that?

This and that...

2009-05-19T06:43:00.002-05:00

Here are some random quick thoughts and updates...

Kim continues to do well. We have another sonogram this week and then she begins the weekly doctor visits until Kathryn is born. Although we are a month away from the due date, I am convinced she could come at any moment. Every time Kim moans I start boiling hot water and collect clean towels (although I do not know what to do with them). We have been so blessed with baby stuff! Kim has almost got things squared away, which has been no small task.

Michael is doing well. He has developed a passion for Veggie Tales and praise music, and he continues to enjoy all sports. Plus, he enjoys fixing things and helping out with chores. How long will that last? He has an active imagination and is just plain silly at times. He gets that from Kim, who is terminally silly, and not from me, as I am consistently sober-minded. Oh shut up.

Our church just called a new Minister to Youth, Jordan Mims, who will begin next month. Jordan and Hollie will be a great addition to our church as we continue to give our attention to what God is doing among the students of Aransas County. The needs are overwhelming, but God is greater.

I can't say enough how much I love and appreciate Ray Presley and his family for the love and service they offered to our youth ministry during the interim period. Ray is an example of Christian leadership because of his selfless service, which reminds me of Jesus. I hope those of you who know Ray will go out of your way to bless him and pray for him.

I am just about finished with my first semester of seminars, and I am exhausted. I have no idea how it has gone, but I mind fight out more when I attend the wrap-ups the first week of June. Maybe they will kick me out of the program and I'll be finished!

I'll try to post more later.

Michael's 3rd Birthday

2009-04-06T06:16:00.007-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures from Michael's birthday party. It was a small, understated affair with some of his friends from church. Thanks to Laura Groseclose for the pictures.

Kathryn Jones Update

2009-04-01T14:37:00.003-05:00

So, Michael was right. This is not an April's Fools joke. We are having a girl, and there is no doubt. I say that because the doctor showed me several graphic Four Demensional sonogram pictures of our baby's you know what, and I supose it was that fourth demension that left no doubt. So we are so excited to be planning Kathryn's arrival in June. The doctor said she and Kim and doing very well.

We got several pictures from the sonogram. There are several where she is laughing and smiling, but it is hard to tell. Here is one the most clear pictures we have. Kathryn spent most of the sonogram smashing her face against Kim's belly, which was not attractive. I kept expecting her to stick her tongue out. Still, I think she's beautiful.

Resurfacing

2009-03-30T19:22:00.002-05:00

After almost two months away, I have chosen to resurface. I have been swamped with school work, but hopefully I am to a point where I can breathe again.

Since I last posted many things have happened. We named our baby girl, who is due to make an appearance on June 15. Her name is Kathryn Michelle Jones. In a couple of days Kathryn is having her first photoshoot, via 4-D ultrasound technology (just what is that fourth dimension, anyway?). I'm certain that her close-ups will reveal what I have known all along, that she is indeed a boy. Don't buy pink just yet. I say this not because I want a boy instead of a girl, which is NOT true. I say it because Michael was sooooo sure we were having a girl that...well, I can't stand for him to be right and me wrong. It is the principle of the thing, you see.

Speaking of Michael, he turned three this month and it seems that we celebrated his birthday for weeks. His party with his friends was very fun, and he has seen friends and family in Sherman, Cleburne, Fort Worth, Austin, and Kerrville, receiving presents and cake everywhere he went.

We have been in north Texas the past two and a half weeks so I could study at the libraries here. I have two major papers due in the next month. We return to Rockport tomorrow. The highlight of my visit up here has been visiting with friends I rarely get to see, such as our dear friends in Sherman who held a get together after church on a Sunday so we could visit with everyone. We love and miss everyone up there! I realized how much of a privilege it was to be a part of your lives.

Now I am looking forward to going back home to Rockport and getting back into the swing of things. I have missed being with our church family there, and can't wait to see everybody.

I'll post some pictures in the next few days.

Bigfoot Update!

2009-02-02T12:59:00.004-06:00

We have breaking Bigfoot news, and this one hits a little too close to home! Someone posted this information and picture on a local fishing website: Big foot sighting near Rockport. Saturday evening ducking hunting.... This monster walks out I got a quick picture before it notice us and ran back into the marsh. The low tides may have brought him/her out of the marsh.

Here's the picture:

I know what you are thinking, "That could be anything!" You are right of course, which is why I am not worried. To date, the "official" Bigfoot Research Society does not recognize any sasquatch sightings in Aransas County. So we may all sleep soundly tonight.

Thanks to Bobby Albin for info! I'll keep everyone posted on further developments.

Baby Jones Update: Gender Determined

2009-01-27T12:05:00.002-06:00

So we went to the doctor this morning and sat through a 20 minute, extremely thorough sonogram. They measured every part of the baby and took all the necessary pictures for the doctor to examine. Right away the child spread its legs to give us a shot of the goods. The nurse told us the gender and then qualified it by saying that she was one of the most accurate technicians around. While she would be not be 100% sure, she was pretty reliable. Kim went into a story of how she heard that determinations could be wrong about 50% of the time, and how she has known several people who were told one thing and it turned out be something else entirely. I think this rattled the nurse who then back-tracked and refused to make a determination, after she had announced here initial findings. She didn't want to throw off her batting average, apparently.

The doctor looked everything over and said that both Kim and the baby are doing extremely well, and everythink looks good, is in the right place, and so on. So we give thanks for what God has done for us and we appreciate all your prayers. Keep praying!

Oh, and it appears for now that we are having a girl! Aaaaaahhhhh!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-01T16:48:00.009-06:00

So the day began with Michael coming out and finding all the gifts under the tree. We was, surprisingly, very restrained. We even had time to eat breakfast before we opened presents. Just a guess, but I don't think we will be able to do that next year.

Michael opened his stocking first. My mother puts things in all our stockings.

Here's one of my favorite picture. Michael insisted that my father read his new Bible story book to him right on the spot. Everything shut down until they were finished.

Here's Michael and Daddy putting the finishing touches on his new work bench. The Blevins family in Sherman once got Michael a set of tools and a hard hat. Since then he has been quite a worker. He is more handy than Daddy at this point. Bring us your work, but he isn't cheap.

Here's Michael and my mother decorating Christmas cookies. I want include pictures of them being devoured. Some things are better left to the imagination.

Here's Michael attacking my brother. They both survived, but won't talk about what happened. Post traumatic stress, and all that.

A New Year

2009-01-01T15:56:00.002-06:00

In Psalm 139, David elaborates on the humbling reality of how well God knows us. Consider these verses from the psalm...

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

It occurs to me that because God knows us so well, as we begin this new year we should humbly seek Him the way David did and ask Him to lead us into His perfect will. Rather than make your typical New Year's Resolutions, why not ask God what He has in mind for you. Here are some questions to ask yourself in the presence of the Lord. Keep track of what the Lord tells you, and pray along these lines throughout the year.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What’s the single most important thing you cold do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is your most important financial goal this year and what will you do to achieve it?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What is the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?

9. Who do you most want to encourage this year?

10. What habit would you like to establish this year?

Christmas Blessings

2008-12-25T15:39:00.002-06:00

I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas. The Jones family has. Michael actually slept late today and then went on 6 hours of sensory overload. He is sleeping now, taking a much needed nap. We had a wonderful lunch, with a lot of the food given to us by church members. We have more sweets than we know what to do with! Kim, Michael and I were blessed to have for lunch not only my parents and brother, but also Vic and Marsha Rhoades, who won't get to see family until next week, and also Charlie Williams, who took a break from fishing to spend Christmas with us. We had a good time together.

Kim got another round of test results from her doctor and everything is going very well, and the baby is healthy and strong so far. We are truly blessed. Thank you for all your prayers.

Last weekend our Music and Drama Ministries put on "Once Upon a Holy Night," our Christmas program for this year. We had over 1,000 people come and see it over two days. Praise the Lord!

Last night at our Christmas Eve Service, we estimate there must have been 500 in attendance, and it was standing room only. I thought the service was wonderful, and I hope you did too.

This Sunday our church will vote on whether or not to adopt the proposed budget for 2009. It totals over $930,000, which represents a significant increase over the '08 budget. There is concern about the economic climate in Aransas County and whether or not we should adopt this budget. Several months ago I warned the church that the preparation for the '09 budget was the front line of the battle of faith in our church. That hasn't changed. I encourage all of you to be present and vote how you believe the Lord is leading you. I know this, our God wants to show Himself to be great, mighty, generous and all-sufficient for our church. Let's give Him the opportunity to do that by generously and faithfully supporting the '09 budget in whatever final form it takes.

I am thankful for the way God is at work in my life, my family and my church. Kim, Michael and I have been so blessed by the love and generosity of our church members this Christmas. I am praying for all our family and friends today that you all will be aware of God's grace and love in your lives today. Merry Christmas!

Our Youth in the News

2008-12-17T10:04:00.004-06:00

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9534631&nav=Bsmj

The above is a link to the story page about the RFHS Cheerleaders earning a trip to the Capital One Bowl in Florida. I am so proud of our young women. If you click on the video links you will get to watch the video report that aired on tv. Several of our youth are featured in the clip, but a huge shout-out goes to "Sarahcuda" Smith for not only knowing who was playing in the Capital One Bowl, but for getting props on the air for killing a buffalo. How many of us can say that?

Santaphobia

2008-12-15T17:46:00.004-06:00

My favorite Christmas trend this year is Santaphobia. Do a search on the Internet for "scared of Santa," which is a new book of pictures of children who were, well...scared of Santa. There is a website with over 200 pictures of various children being terrorized by Santa Claus, all for the enjoyment of their parents who caught the moment on film. You can even upload one of your own pictures for all to enjoy. Here's one of my favorites...

Tell me about your santaphobia. I'll understand. Yes, I am a recovered santaphobic. I'll try to get my hands on some pictures of my own frightening encounters with "Father Christmas." But now the big guy doesn't bother me, so there is hope for all the children out there. But my fears kept me from making personal visits to Santa, and I told my parents I would write letters instead.

By the way, santaphobia is not an inherited trait, as this year's picture of Michael proves.

School

2008-12-01T07:38:00.002-06:00

This week I am in Arlington, TX to attend a conference on "Culture or CROSS-Culture" and to attend my final orientation meetings before I register for school. The conference is hosted by my school, B. H. Carroll Theological Institute (BHCTI), and we will have our meetings at FBC Arlington. BHCTI is a newer institution you may not have heard much about yet. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to check out their website at www.bhcti.org.

There were a lot of reasons why I chose to pursue my doctorate at Carroll Institute, foremost among them the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But they are an innovative and non-traditional school which, I believe, is forging new ground in theological education which will allow many ministers and laypeople around the world to have access to quality education and training in ways unavailable to them before. For instance, my PhD program allows me to remain in full-time ministry in Rockport and further my education at the same time, without having to be in residence on some campus. And yes, it is a real PhD! The format is new and exciting, and is being scrutinized by many across the world.

My studies begin in January. I will "go to school" in three ways. First, I will have a supervisor/mentor who will guide me through my education from start to finish. He will assign me a personalized reading program and guide me in the preparation for the dissertation process. Second, I will take my seminars online, interacting with the professors and the other students via the Internet every week. Third, I will have to be in Arlington twice a year to conclude the online seminars and to attend conferences like the one I am attending this week. These conferences will usually be the first week in June and the week immediately following Thanksgiving. There may be other times when I will have to actually be somewhere, but not that often. For instance, this spring one of my seminars is only offered at Oxford University in England. A donor to the school has made it possible for us to go and study there for two weeks, both at Oxford and while traveling in England and Scotland. All I have to bring is spending money.

My field of study is in pastoral leadership. My desire is to be as equipped as I possibly can be to fulfill the duties of my calling as pastor of FBC Rockport. Secondly, I hope to be available in some way to help train and encourage other pastors and their churches.

Some in our church have expressed the desire to help fund the cost of my education, and for that I am sincerely thankful. Right now I can say that the costs will be $3000 a year, not including my books. As always, that is open to change at any time.

I know the Lord has brought me to this place, and I am excited about the opportunity before me, but I have been out of school a long time and I am nervous about starting up again. A few weeks ago I was studying in the library at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth and I looked around and noticed I was the only one there using pen and paper! Yikes! Thank you in advance for all your prayers and support as I begin this new chapter in my life.

Another Jones Update

2008-11-25T14:12:00.004-06:00

So we finally got to see the new parasite, I mean baby. The doctor said both mother and child are doing well. They drained Kim of most of her bodily fluids to run all kinds of tests, so obviously we will know more when those results come back. We go back for more specialized testing (due to Kim's age) on the first Friday in December, so we will know even more then.

For now everything seems to be on target. The sonogram know-it-all computer said the baby was 11 weeks and 2 days old. That is exactly what Kim said it should be. Exactly. When we had our first sonogram for the pregnancy we lost earlier this year, the sonogram showed the child was smaller than it should have been, and that was the first indicator that something was wrong. Not so this time. All is well. The baby had a good, strong heartbeat and we got to see it move around a lot.

Michael went with us and put on quite a show at the doctor's office. They even gave him his own sonogram picture that he carried around with him all morning. People have been asking him if he is going to have a brother or a sister and he consistently says that the baby is a girl. Or squirrel, sometimes it is hard to tell. I think he's wrong. You look at that picture again and tell me that doesn't look like a boy! He's the spitting image of his father.

Thanks again for all of your prayers, love and support!

A Sinner in the Christian Community... Shocking!

2008-11-20T06:21:00.002-06:00

In case you haven't heard, the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Singer Ray Boltz is gay. He has been wildly successful in Christian circles since the late 1980s, writing such beloved songs as, "Thank You," "Watch the Lamb," and "I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb." If you did a search for Ray Boltz on your computer you will see that the Christian blogosphere is all atwitter with the news.

Apparently Ray has struggled with this all his life. In 2004 he came out to his family and separated from his wife. They formalized their divorce in 2008 and he has chosen to live an openly gay lifestyle. He has now begun preforming in churches that minister to the gay community across North America. He will be performing in one such church in Houston this November.

Now, let me give you complete disclosure: I have never liked Ray Boltz's music. I know, I'm sorry. Back "in the day" there weren't many choices so we all listened to and enjoyed Ray's music. A lot. Then too much. Then you couldn't escape it. Everywhere you went someone would sing "Thank You." Every Easter, to this day, you cannot celebrate the resurrection of the Lord without hearing "Watch the Lamb." These are good songs, but they are tired and overused, in my opinion. Let's get some new songs. So, if Ray's coming out results in the infrequent use of his songs in church, then I like that - not because he is gay, but because I don't like his music.

But Ray's coming out does damage the Christian community, and for that I am grieving. I grieve for Ray himself, who has struggled for years, battling severe depression and experiencing separation from God. He believes he will experience a new peace from his decision to live an openly gay lifestyle and to fellowship with those Christians who encourage him to live an openly gay lifestyle. I think he is wrong, and that the Spirit will never give him peace, nor will he find all he is searching for by living in this way - his depression will return as will his loneliness. I grieve because Ray is a Christian brother who is hurting so deeply and is now among a people who are encouraging him to doubt all that God's word says. Who knows where this road will take him?

I grieve for the Christian community because so many folks will be confused and not know how to feel about Ray coming out. Some will be disillusioned and hurt, some will turn away from the Lord believing that Ray is hypocrite and his ministry has been a lie, others will cast stones at Ray and judge him severely, turning their back on him. I grieve for a Christian community that has yet to find a way to love and minister to those who struggle with homosexuality, resulting in these people venturing down a path that takes them further away from the Truth. I grieve because I know there are many out there like Ray, who simply have not come out yet, and they too are struggling, wondering if anybody in the Church would love them if they knew the truth about them. So the masquerade continues, and the Church is OK with that.

There is much talk about hating the sin and loving the sinner, and of course that is the truth. But what does that look like in this case? I pray that the Lord will show us so that He can use us to bring healing and wholeness into the lives of those who have been raped, ravaged and compromised by sin in its various forms. For that it includes all of us.

Jones Update

2008-11-18T06:42:00.004-06:00

Many of you already know that Kim is pregnant again. Right now she is at about 10 weeks. We will go to the doctor for the first time on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, so we will know how things are going then. So far so good. Except, of course, for the reality that Kim is pregnant. By that I mean the normal hormonal changes that occur in the first trimester. Kim is having a hard time now, but even with that we think the news is good. When she was pregnant with Michael she experienced wild emotional swings and often had terrible depression, but no morning sickness except for some dizziness. After the first trimester that all went away. When she was pregnant earlier this year with the baby we lost to miscarriage, Kim didn't have any symptoms or side effects. Now she is sick all the time, either tired or on the verge of throwing up, but no mood swings. So we hope that is a good sign that this pregnancy is really taking hold.

We wanted to say to all our friends and family, especially our church family, how much we appreciate all the love and prayers you have given this year. It has meant so much to us, and we hope it will continue. Issues of life, death, conception and birth continue to be mysteries to us, but we live our lives in faith in the God who loves us and is good beyond measure, and we join hands with our friends and family as we walk together down the straight and narrow road. Thank you for journeying with us.

Here is a picture of Michael in his Halloween costume. He was a fireman, obviously.

Here's a picture of Michael with a football cake he and Kim made together.

Conventions and other things...

2008-11-13T06:17:00.002-06:00

Kim, Michael and I got back into town yesterday afternoon. We traveled to north Texas for the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. We stayed at my parent's place in Cleburne so they could have some grandson time while Kim and I attended the convention. Well, we almost made it to my parent's house before Kim realized that we had packed all of Michael's stuff, but had forgotten our own clothes. We had the t-shirts and shorts we were wearing and the t-shirts and shorts we brought to wear home. So...I opted to not go and buy new clothes for two days just to go to the convention. Kim rested, Michael played with my parents, and I studied for two days. Oh well.

I hope you all remembered to give thanks for our veterans on Veteran's Day. Jesus told us, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Veterans do this for us every day, and we should be thankful for their great love for all of us. They had their families sacrifice so much. It is right and good for us to pause, remember, and give thanks. Have you hugged a veteran lately?

Poverty

2008-11-07T06:32:00.003-06:00

The median household income for Rockport is $38,582. However, 20% of the households in Rockport, 1,726 homes to be exact, have income at or below $15,000 a year. It is estimated that that in five years that number will drop to 1,629 and represent 18% of the households in Rockport. Not a large drop. We all complain now and again about how expensive it is to live in Rockport. My question is, how do these people do it on $15,000 or less a year? The state-wide average for Texas is 14% of the households at or below $15,000 a year.

What do you think of that?

Election Day

2008-11-04T05:56:00.002-06:00

Here at last! Kim and I voted early, and I am glad for that. If you have not voted yet, I strongly encourage you to go out today and brave the lines (I hope there are lines) and cast your vote. Your vote is important because you are important - you are a precious child of God and your voice, your thoughts, your opinions, your vote matters. In the church I try to remember that numbers are important in as much as they represent people, and people are always important. Your vote is important also because I have friends and relatives who have sacrificed so much in the service of this country to protect and preserve your right to vote, and to establish governments in this world that embrace the importance of each person by giving them the right to vote. You may be tempted to believe that voting doesn't change anything. Well, it might change you. Give it a try.

While I have been dismayed by the course the national campaigns have run this election cycle, and find myself wondering what the masses of Americans are thinking, I do not share some people's panic over the possible results of the national elections. All of my life Democrats and Republicans have proclaimed that the end of the world was nigh, and untold suffering would come if we did not vote a certain candidate into office. I have worked hard to see past the passion and the hype to stay in touch with God's patient presence among us.

God does not change. His character does not change. God's truth does not change. God's ways do not change. God's purposes do not change. God's Son does not change. I can stand steadfast on these truths proclaimed in God's unchanging word.

God has infinite power which is governed by His infinite wisdom. His boundless wisdom and endless power are united to make our God utterly worthy of our fullest trust.

So trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding...and go vote.

Tick or Treat

2008-10-30T19:31:00.002-05:00

Here's a treat for those of you who feel life is like Trick-or-Treating with Charlie Brown.

It may feel like rocks now, but Turkey Day is coming. Hang on.

End Times?

2008-10-25T06:36:00.003-05:00

A persistent question that people ask me is, "Do you think we are living in the end times?" To which I say, yes. I believe the end times began when Christ ascended into heaven. Many of the New Testament writers felt they were living in the end times. Paul certainly thought Christ would return at any moment. In every age Christians have believed that the return of Christ would be in their lifetimes. Yet the Lord tarries.

The follow-up question is usually, "But...with everything going on in the world right now, all of the signs of the fulfillment of prophecy, don't you think Jesus will come soon?" And my answer is, no, or at least, I don't know. I long for the coming of Jesus and hope for it each day. But scripture tells us we cannot know the time of Christ's return. It will, in fact, come on us unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. We are told to long for it, and watch for it. I do those things everyday.

You are, of course, free to disagree with me, but I believe this conversation usually fails to capture the heart of God on this matter. So I respectfully remind all of us of 2 Peter 3:9,
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

This seems to capture what Jesus himself emphasized in Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

My understanding is that we have yet to reach all the nations with the gospel. Our task is unfinished. And so the Lord continues to be patient. Let us all refocus on our unfinished task rather than being distracted by signs and wonders. Whether current events are signs of the Lord's return or not I don't know, nor do I think it matters. We still have an unfinished task. Let's go to work.

Here We Go Again...

2008-10-21T13:16:00.004-05:00

While Bigfoot searchers were disappointed by the gorilla suit fiasco this past summer and are hiding somewhere licking their wounds, it seems our Japanese friends have made progress in proving the existence of Bigfoot's Asian cousin, the Yeti.

Here's the link to the story.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27294539/?GT1=43001

Stay tuned America.

The news is good, pt. 2

2008-10-21T06:08:00.002-05:00

By saying that if I know God, then all the news is good does not deny the existence of my pain, suffering, loneliness, fears, and so forth. I am not viewing the world and my experiences through the lenses of foolish rose-colored glasses that deny the reality of pain and suffering in the world. Nor am I some wide-eyed optimist quoting appropriate scripture inappropriately at inopportune times ("Well you know, God works all things to the good of those who love him!").

By saying that when I know the Lord and walk in His ways then the news is always good, I am saying that my experience with God is better by far than all the pain I have had to endure and all the good things I think I have missed out on in life. I have God, and that is more than enough.

To say that means I am standing on something deeper and more solid than the experiences of this life alone. I am taking hold of a timeless truth and allowing it to shape the way I view this world and all that happens to me. God is good, always acting in my long-term best interests. That truth will never change, so I must live in it and allow God to have His way with me. I have placed my faith in God - in who He is, believing His actions always reflect who He is, and He is good, full of grace, love and mercy (and, by the way, full of justice, truth, holiness, and righteousness, lest we forget).

I never want my wounds, fears, regrets and anxieties to reveal that I have more faith in them than I do in God. If that were the case, could I really say that I have known God?

There is news, and it is good!

2008-10-20T06:09:00.002-05:00

Here's something the Lord is teaching me right now...when I walk with God, the news is always good. Either God is at work in my long term best interests, bringing about what is right and good, or He isn't. Either I let Him have His way with me, or I try to bring about what is best for me and my family on my own. Some of us have the tendency to focus on what we have lost, how we have failed. We ponder and meditate on our regrets, our wounds, and our questions. We can be haunted by what might have been instead of celebrating what is. In scripture, those who really knew God never mourn what they have missed, instead they celebrated all they had gained. Does your knowledge of God - of His grace, His mercy, His love, His goodness - outweigh all the pain and hard times you have had to endure? If we are not able to say that, can we truly say that we have known God?

Mountains

2008-10-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

We are back in north Texas now and will be in Rockport Friday night. We have had a relaxing time away in some beautiful country. We stayed at The Inn of the Mountain Gods just south of Ruidoso, NM. It was a nice place, but the scenery was gorgeous. Every afternoon while Michael slept I sat on the balcony and read and spent some time alone with the Lord. Here are some pictures I took with my cell phone showing the view from our balcony. The mountain in distance is, of course, Sierra Blanca, and they got the season's first snow the night before. It melted by the next day, but still.

One day we drove up into the mountains and hiked to the peak of one where there is an observation tower. Here's a picture of Michael and Kim hiking.

The sun was out when we reached the summit, but then a cloud came up behind us and completely covered us. I have never had that happen before. Here are some pictures I took of the cloud coming around us.

These pictures don't do it justice. Oh well. It was wonderful to go from where we live, which is one of the most beautiful places on earth, to visit another beautiful part of God's creation.

State Fair of Texas

2008-10-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from our trip to the State Fair of Texas. These sculptures were done in sand. The King Tut exhibit just opened in Dallas, so everything around here has an Egyptian theme. The following pictures are of the sculpture done in butter. Very impressive, and cold!

And of course, here's Big Tex..

And here are some pics of Kim, my brother and me eating Chicken Fried Bacon. And yes, it was good.

Where have you been?

2008-10-01T06:28:00.000-05:00

OK, so I confess that since Hurricane Ike I have had little time to update my blog. But I haven't been goofing off either. Let's sum up things going on...

Here is a snapshot of life at FBC Rockport:

The Winter Texans are making their way back into town these days and it is good to see so many familiar faces. Welcome back everybody!
We have started two new adult Sunday School classes this year, and both are doing well.
We have baptized 25 people so far in 2008. I baptized 15 of those, and more than half of the folks I baptized have been adults. The ones I didn't baptize were mostly students baptized by Ray.
There are SEVERAL adult Bible Studies offered throughout the week. I am especially excited about the one for men on Thursday nights called "Wild at Heart."
AWANA has started off well, averaging just over 60 children at the start. We have folks driving the church van to pick up children who otherwise wouldn't be able to come. We need as many adults as we can get to serve as "listeners" as the children recite scripture.
Children's Choir and Faith Weavers is now offered on Wednesday nights for our children. I am told we had 27 children there last week.
We have the new Baptist Hymnals in our pews now and Allen Ray is learning about all the features so he can utilize them to their greatest potential in worship.
The Music Ministry has begun working on the Christmas musical. It won't be long until Christmas!
Just a few years ago the church debt was well over $1 million. Now all that remains is $31,381.74. Can anyone smell a note burning?
The Youth Minister Search Committee has been working hard and is making good progress. In the meantime, the student ministry continues to remain strong.
The teenagers have turned their attention to various local mission projects in addition to regularly helping South Texas Children's Home.
We have sent missionaries to Columbia, Germany, and Ukraine this year, not to mention those serving in the Houston-Galveston area after Hurricane Ike.
We are in the process of collecting budget requests for 2009, and early indications are that people anticipate the Lord stretching us and expanding our ministries. If that is true, we can expect a very challenging budget for 2009.
We have now begun our Strategic Planning Process. We are in the Discovery Stage right now, and FBC Discovery Night is October 19 from 4-6 p.m. Don't miss out!

All in all, these are very exciting times for us! We are truly blessed in so many ways, and I feel very blessed to be the pastor of this congregation.

Rockport-Fulton See You at the Pole

2008-09-25T05:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was See You at the Pole, a student-organized, student-led prayer meeting at the flag poles of their schools where they worship, acknowledge God's presence, intercede for the lost and hurting on their campuses, and pray for God's kingdom to come in a place that is all too often Godless. At one time there were millions of students around the world gathered at prayer meetings on this day, but I don't know what the popularity is now.

I went to RFHS and joined with about 70 students and another 15 or so adults as the students conducted their prayer service. I was so encouraged and delighted by the students, and so proud of those from our church who led out. At the Jr. High there were another 35 students praying, and I haven't heard how many adults were there as well. Praise God for the desire of our students to not only stand up and be counted for Christ, but to also claim their campuses for Christ.

I wonder how many of us would gladly face ridicule and accusations of hypocrisy if we gathered at a very public location in our places of business and conducted a prayer meeting. What these students have done is no small thing. Let's find ways to join with them in taking Christ where he is needed most in this community.

Evacuation Reflections

2008-09-20T16:49:00.000-05:00

So we returned to Rockport without trouble and have been trying to get back into the swing of things. I have seen footage and pictures of the Galveston area, and I am startled and humbled. Everyone in Rockport is thankful that the storm turned north and missed us completely. I have heard people joking about the evacuations in Rockport, calling them "hurrications." I have even endured some good natured ribbing about running from the storm from some of those who stayed behind. I wonder if some people were mentally giving themselves high-fives for waiting until the last minute to evacuate and then "winning" their gamble because the storm turned north. I laughed at that too for a while, until I saw the footage of the devastation from Ike, and then all the light-heartedness seemed inappropriate. I suppose "sobering" is the best word. We dodged a terrible bullet here in Rockport. If Ike had come ashore here as they were predicting at first, our house would have seen major damage, perhaps major flooding, and our house is in one of the highest spots in Rockport.

So we turn our attention now to praying for and ministering to those impacted by Ike. I spoke to my friend Greg Smith, who is the pastor at FBC Brazoria. Greg had invited us to evacuate to his house, that is until the storm turned that way and his family had to go north to Denison. He returned early this past week and found that his house and church sustained no real damage, thank goodness. Now his church is ministering to 100 or so relief workers in the area. Our own church has sent a team of Texas Baptist Men relief workers to League City.

It has been puzzling to me how the Ike devastation has received so little national press, not compared to Katrina. That being so, there is a chance that the relief efforts could be stymied by lack of funds and volunteers.

The American Red Cross is seeking monetary and blood donations. In some cities they are seeking volunteers to work at relief shelters. Please contact your local Red Cross or go to their website, http://www.redcross.org/.

I also encourage Texas Baptists to consider making a contribution to the Texas Baptist Men's Disaster Relief fund. You can obtain more information on their website, http://www.texasbaptistmen.org/.

All Clear in Rockport

2008-09-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

We are still in north Texas as I write this. By the time we got here, forecasters had decided that Ike would turn north and miss Rockport, as it did. The city rescinded the mandatory evacuation but kept the voluntary evacuation. That was canceled today and people are encouraged to exercise caution as they return to the coast.

It was hard to know how to pray about the storm. We all prayed that it would turn north and not hit the Rockport area. But praying it north put others in harm's way. Let's continue to pray for all the folks in the Houston area as they pick up the pieces of their lives. I encourage all of you to find ways to help these folks by working through the American Red Cross or Texas Baptist Men.

More than likely we will return on Sunday and the church will be up and running starting Monday.

We are Ike Evacuees

2008-09-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

I've met a few evacuees, those folks fleeing from the destruction of hurricanes, following those blue evacuation route signs, looking for a place to find shelter from the storm. Now Kim, Michael and I are those people!

We got everything squared away in Rockport and got out of town this afternoon. We are now at my parent's house and will stay here through the weekend. Thanks to Mike James who helped me get the plywood on the windows at my house. We put out plenty of food, water and kitty litter for Tennyson, who volunteered to go down with the ship. Brave, noble kitty.

I hope this finds all of you folks from Rockport well. The order for mandatory evacuation went out today, and all non-essential personnel are required to leave. So travel safe and may God go before you, beside you and behind you.

Right now the storm seems to be tracking north of us, which means Rockport will not get the worst of it. Still, I will be praying for all of you staying behind and putting yourselves in harm's way for the sake of the citizens of Aransas County. Thank you for your selfless service and commitment to duty.

I'll post more later.

Hopelessness

2008-08-30T06:34:00.000-05:00

This has been a most unusual week for me, as so many of our church families are enduring painful and confusing times of crisis. It has been a while since so many tragedies lined up in one week. And to top it all off, we have a couple of storms out there that may or may not come ashore and affect us. What would it take to cause you to lose your faith and become hopeless?

Kim and I were among the many throngs of people who saw The Dark Knight when it came out in theaters in July. I have been asked by many of you if I have seen it yet and what I thought. Truth is, the movie was such a punch in the gut that I haven't been able to write about it. I think it is the best Batman movie made so far, the best comic book movie I've ever seen (sorry Spider-Man 2), and the best movie I've seen this year (sorry Indiana Jones). I came out of the theater stunned and numb, and after all this time I still cannot shake it. Let me explain why without spoiling the movie for the two or three who haven't seen it yet.

You know the Batman story, how he wages war against crime and corruption in Gotham City, inspiring hope in the citizens and encouraging others to take a stand too. Well, his plan has worked. He has just about defeated the mob and has a plan in place to make it final. Gotham City has a new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, who is a genuine hero, a White Knight, who works with Batman to fight crime. Dent is the hero the city needs, one with a face people can see and know, not like Batman who hides behind a mask. So, Batman thinks that after the two of them take down the mob, he will disappear. There won't be a need for him anymore. Dent will take over and city will be safe. Enter the Joker, who is a new kind of criminal - one with no plan, no motive except chaos, pain, death and destruction. The Joker threatens everything Batman has worked so hard to accomplish, and threatens to take away everything Batman holds dear. The Joker becomes fixated on Gotham's good guys and puts into play a deadly series of events meant to nudge the heroes and all of Gotham's citizens toward insanity, chaos, evil, and brutal violence.

What would it take for you to cross that line that separates good and evil, light and darkness in your life? Literature and mythology abound with stories that explore that fine, thin line within the heart of humanity that separates the heroes from the villains. What would it take to nudge you over the line? What would have to happen to cause you to leave behind sanity and reason, your morals and ethics, to willingly and knowingly break the law of the land and the law of God?

Believe me when I tell you that you have enemies who are at work nudging you ever closer to crossing that line. We all have the capacity for evil, violence, and terrible sin and betrayal. The Bible makes that abundantly clear. The Enemy would like to bring that out in you, and he will use your pain and suffering to tempt you to indulge the worst parts of your nature, just like the Joker did in Gotham City. The good news is there is another way. In the midst of our pain and suffering, our confusion and chaos, we are to turn to Christ, who, through the Holy Spirit living within us, can move us toward peace, wholeness and Christ-likeness. Our situation is not hopeless. Don't give in or give up. There is a light shining in the darkness. Is it shining in you?

Predictable Bigfoot News

2008-08-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

Well, I saw this comming. Some of you have sent me this story from various websites. Here's a link to Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,406101,00.html

I thought the evidence would just disappear but the people involved simply admitted it was a hoax.

I still want to believe, but don't.

Exciting Bigfoot News!

2008-08-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

Those of you who know me know that I am not a believer in Bigfoot, and never will be. I admit I am not able to explain the impressive body of physical evidence collected over the years that people use to "prove" the existence of Bigfoot. There are a lot of things in this world I am not able to explain and I don't lose sleep at night, nor do I fear camping in the woods because of Sasquatch; javalinas, maybe coyotes, but not Sasquatch. I admit that those of you who are eyewitnesses to Bigfoot have experienced SOMETHING, but I don't know what. As I have always said, if Bigfoot did live in Texas, one of you would have killed one by now and we would have eaten it at our Wednesday night meals. Chicken-Fried Bigfoot. (It helps to marinate the big foot in buttermilk for 24 hours before frying)

It turns out that I was right about Bigfoot not being in Texas! He's been in Georgia all along, and now our friends at the Bigfoot Research Society say that at a press conference in California on Friday, August 15, they will reveal the remains of Bigfoot to the world as well as the results of scientific DNA testing. Hoo Boy! I can't wait.

The McCraws, ever the alert church members, sent me this link to Fox News where you can read the story and find links to another website with photos of the alleged remains in a freezer. See it for yourself and tell me what you think. Here's the link...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402882,00.html

As always, you may have to copy and paste the link into your web browser's thingamadoo.

I'm not a prophet, or the son of a prophet, but I can almost guarantee you that the DNA results will be inconclusive, perhaps strongly suggesting this or that, but not solving anything. Then the remains and all physical evidence will mysteriously disappear (stolen by Elvis, of course, with the help of JFK and those who staged the "moon landing") and the furor will rage on for decades on the Internet, becoming yet another entertaining chapter in Bigfoot lore.

I want to believe. Maybe I will once I've had a satisfying bowl of Bigfoot Chili.

Comfort Food, pt. 5

2008-08-13T09:07:00.000-05:00

It has taken me a while to write this entry because I have struggled to find the words to do justice to genuine Texas Chili. Eating a bowl of Red is a mystical experience, defying rational explanation or description. A good bowl of Red touches you deep inside, satisfying not just a hunger in your belly but a longing in your soul, and burns brightly within you, like a fire in your bones, or your gut, depending on you constitution.

"Chili heads" are passionate about Texas Chili. Just do a search on the Internet and see what turns up. My addiction to chili formed early in life and I have never recovered. While I am not a "Chili head," I am passionate about the dish and respect others who are as well. One man said that the cook at the diner where he bought chili believed that every pot of chili had a soul. Lyndon Johnson once said, "Chili concocted outside of Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing." Legendary frontiersman Kit Carson's alleged last words were, "I wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili." God rest his soul.

For the informed reader of chili lore, I fall squarely into the Frank X. Tolbert camp of chili appreciation and understanding. Tolbert was a historian and columnist for the Dallas Morning News and co-founder of the annual chili cook-off held at Terlingua, just outside of Big Bend. Tolbert's book A Bowl of Red should be required reading in all Texas schools and necessary to obtain a Texas driver's license.

Tolbert describes how records show that in the 1840s Texans made a brick to carry with them out on the range, a brick made of dried beef, beef fat, dried chili peppers and salt. They would boil the brick in a pot with water and eat the results. Variations on this idea took root in various cattle drives and on every cattle ranch scattered across Texas. In the 1950s Tolbert interviewed the seven surviving Civil War veterans from Texas, one being 116, and all but one claimed to be great lovers of Texas Chili. All agreed that their first experience with chili con carne, or Texas Red as we know it today, was in San Antonio in the 1880s, served up in small cafes and by roadside vendors. The thing to do was to go to San Antonio on a Saturday night and eat a bowl of Red. After the 1880s, the Chili Queens of San Antonio began to appear in the market squares, including Alamo Square, where they sold bowls of Red. They flourished until 1943 when city health regulations made it too difficult for them to sell their wares.

I would give you a recipe for Texas Red, but there are so many out there that you can easily find one you like. Mine changes often, depending on the mood and the availability of ingredients. I use stew meat cut in small pieces, not ground beef. I also buy chile pods and toast and grind them myself. Texas Chili does not contain vegetables beyond the chile pods, garlic cloves and comino, or cumin that has been toasted and ground. Let's be clear: no beans, no tomatoes, no green peppers, absolutely no corn. If you enjoy all those ingredients, put them in, call it stew, and enjoy!

If you have to buy a mix to make chili, I recommend Wick Fowler's 5 Alarm Chili mix. Wick is a past champion at the Terlingua cook-off.

So what about you? Are you a "chili head?" Do you have a favorite, sacred recipe for Red?

Comfort Food, pt. 4

2008-08-07T13:49:00.000-05:00

I will admit to being a huge fan of home-made fried chicken. Hot or cold, the stuff is good. As good as it is, I much prefer home-made Chicken Fried Steak or CFS for short. In fact, I never order CFS at a restaurant. My mother has made CFS as far back as I can remember. And, if I had my choice, I would choose her's over just about anyone's.

The origins of CFS are lost to us, although the recipe for various southern versions of county fried steak can be found in recipe books going back almost 200 years. In Texas, and I think CFS is a Texas cuisine, the dish is a combination of a number of things.

First, dredging beef in flour and frying it was common in the antebellum south. As Anglos moved west into Texas, this dish may have come with them. In Texas, however, the Germans brought with them one of their favorite dishes from deutschland: wiener schnitzel, which is a veal cutlet dredged in flour, eggs and breadcrumbs and then fried. Veal never caught on well in Texas, at least not like beef. Then came the cattle drives, where chuck wagon cooking developed into an art form. Beef was plentiful, obviously, and the cooks learned to use just about every part of cow. It didn't take long to learn that if you took a rough piece of meat and beat it silly until it was thin as paper, dredge it flour and fry it, then that meat would taste better. Later, when God created canned milk, this was added to the mixture on the cattle drives, and something resembling what we know as CFS was born. By the way, Lamesa, TX claims to be the birthplace of CFS.

So, here are some thing's I've learned from cooking CFS. First, if you don't have a cast iron skillet, go out to eat. Secondly, go ahead and use those "less preferred" cuts of meat rather than strips, rib eyes or sirloins. You don't need to bread and fry those cuts to make them tasty, and you don't add anything to them by using them for CFS. Third, have your butcher tenderize the meat for you, then take it home, get out a hammer or meat tenderizer, and beat that meat until it is about the size of a hubcap. Finally, use Crisco only to fry the steak in your iron skillet. Never deep fry CFS, it should be pan fried, with the oil coming up on the sides, but not covering the top.

I have heard many recipes for CFS, and they are all wonderful. Using buttermilk is fine, but that seems to taste better with chicken, in my opinion. I've even seen some people use condensed milk instead of regular milk. I have developed a taste for a milk-less breading. Try marinating your meat in the left-over pickling liquid after you finish a jar of jalapenos. Then substitute the liquid for milk and make CFS like you normally would. It isn't too hot, and you get just a hint of the twang from the vinegar. Delicious.

So, send me your thoughts about the greatness of CFS along with your recipes.

Comfort Food, pt. 3

2008-08-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

So here's another of my comfort foods: Tex Mex. And let me be clear, I am not talking about Mexican food, which is very good. Tex Mex is much different, and better, in my opinion.

My roots run deep here, from early memories of El Chico (back when that was a pretty good place to eat) to Jose's Restaurant in Cleburne, to Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth, to many wonderful little places in San Antonio (my favorite was Tex Mex Willie's, which moved and changed names). That meaty, cheesy, spicy flavor has left an indelible mark on my life. When I need to reconnect with something deep inside me, it never hurts to have Tex Mex.

So, what separates Tex Mex from traditional Mexican cuisine? I'm glad you asked. There are several answers to this, but two things stand out in a big way.

First, Tex Mex uses yellow cheese. This is the American influence on traditional Mexican fare that made it north of the border. Government cheese was easy to produce, often free, and was bright yellow. We call it "American Cheese" now. It was so readily available in the homes of many poor Texas families that it was incorporated into traditional Mexican cooking. When these folks set out to start restaurants and diners offering food "the way Mama used to make it," that meant using yellow cheese as well. Today many places have switched to using cheddar cheese instead of American, which is what I prefer. Cheddar tends to be tastier, but greasier, and it preserves that splendid yellow color that says, "Tex Mex."

The second thing that separates Tex Mex from traditional fare is chili gravy. Please, no enchilada sauce, sour cream sauce, ranchero sauce, tomatillo sauce, or queso sauce or any other sauce. Just put the chili gravy on there. I have much to say about chili, but that will come later. Suffice it to say, whoever it was in the mists of Texas' past who adapted a chili recipe to make a tasty, meaty sauce to cover enchilada's and everything else, well that person deserves sainthood. Oh, those other sauces are good from time to time, but chili gravy is the real deal.

Now I'm hungry. How about you? Do your crave Tex Mex? Where are your favorite places to get your fill?

Mystery Man is a Hero in Fulton Harbor

2008-08-04T06:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday night there were many from our church gathered at Paws and Taws at Fulton Harbor for a wedding reception. Someone noticed that in the water, maybe 50 or 75 yards offshore, there appeared to be a sunken sailboat. And everyone agreed that there appeared to be dolphins swimming very close to the wreckage in such a way that indicated that they were caught and could not break free. After time someone suggested that it was not dolphins but actually sharks, with black tips on the dorsal fins, that were caught in the wreckage. This made sense because we never saw the dolphins surface for air, which meant they would drown soon if they were, indeed, dolphins. From time to time we could see the dorsal fins break the surface of the water. This went on for about 45 minutes.

Well, no one was in any hurry to walk out there and free the dolphins, or sharks. Eventually we called the sheriff's department, who put us in touch with Texas Parks & Wildlife, who sent out a game warden to assess the situation.

However, before the game warden could arrive, an unidentified hero appeared in the water. He was making his way toward the wreckage and carried something in his hands. I was not close enough to him to get a good picture but this is what I got.

Who was this mystery man? Was it even a man at all? My first thought was that it could be Bigfoot. The way it moved and looked back at the camera reminded me of a picture of Bigfoot.

The idea of it being Bigfoot is ridiculous because everyone knows Bigfoot has never been spotted on the Texas Gulf Coast, nor does he carry a weapon. Besides, I am on the record as not being a Bigfoot believer. But who could it be? I have now concluded that this mystery hero was indeed Aquaman. Note these two artist's rendering of Aquaman and note the similarities with the Mystery Man.

Notice that Aquaman could actually walk in the water on legs, he doesn't have just fins. Also, the mystery man is carrying a weapon of some sort, just like Aquaman. Laugh if you want, but isn't venturing out to save dolphins exactly the kind of thing that Aquaman would do?

Some are saying that the Mystey Man is just one of our church members, but I prefer to think we had a first-hand sighting with a little-respected hero - Aquaman!

By the way, Aquaman rescued a ceiling fan on someone's backporch that ended up in the water as a result of the recent storm. What we thought were dorsal fins breaking the surface of the water was actually the waves breaking over the blades of the fan and turning the fan. Ha! Oh well, sorry Mr. Game Warden, but no, we haven't had too much to drink. We're Baptists!

First Pro Baseball Game

2008-08-03T06:09:00.000-05:00

I thought you all might enjoy this picture of Michael at his first baseball game. Thanks to Bobby and Kathryn Albin for taking us. Michael had a good time but didn't last the whole game.

Comfort Food pt. 2

2008-08-03T05:54:00.000-05:00

Another of my comfort foods is pizza. But not just any pizza. Most pizza is good, although I tend to stay away from cheese pizza or pizza with only vegetables on it. Why not just eat quiche? For me, the more meat the better on pizza.

By far my favorite pizza all my life has been from a place called Mama's Pizza. They have the perfect combination of thin crust, great sauce, real cheese, and fresh toppings. They roll their crust at the edge of the pizza to create what is essentially a bread stick you can dip in ranch dressing. When I was seven years old my family started ordering pizza from the Mama's in Cleburne. That was 30 years ago and I am still and ardent fan. The only Mama's left in north Texas I know of are on Berry St. and Camp Bowie in Fort Worth, and there is one on Parker, I believe, in Plano. I've never seen them anywhere else. At lunch they have all you can eat buffets, and I can put away quite a bit. "Haven't you had enough?" Uh...no.

My second favorite pizza is Chicago-style deep dish from a place called Giardano's. They basically make a pizza pie: thin crust spread over a deep dish pan and then filled to the rim with sauce, cheese and meat. Once slice of their pizza can weigh one pound! It is so good that on a birthday not long ago, Kim had them put one on dry ice and mail it to us from Chicago. Yes, it is that good.

I've had pizza in Manhattan from Ray's or Famous Ray's, I can't remember which one, and it was excellent. I enjoyed folding it over and eating it on the go.

What about you? Do you have a favorite place to get a slice? Is pizza one of your comfort foods?

I'll have more later.

Comfort Food

2008-07-31T12:15:00.000-05:00

All this talk about bacon has made me wonder about your favorite foods. Not just your favorites, but what are your comfort foods? You know, those foods you turn to when you need to reconnect with who you are, with your roots, with better memories, that make you feel as if all is well with the world. I have many such foods and I have much to say about them all. I know that is shocking to you.

Today I'll write about nachos and Rotel Dip. I don't recall the first time my mother made nachos, but I had to have been hooked right from the start. I am fairly simple when it comes to building nachos - tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and jalapenos. Every now and then some meet is acceptable, but not too often and definitely no vegetables beyond the peppers.

My expert opinion on the matter is that the pepper makes or breaks the nacho. Some peppers taste as if they have been pickled in formaldehyde. And some brands are more reliable than others if you use store-bought peppers. There is no substitute for home-grown, home-canned jalapeno peppers. I do remember the first time I ate jalapenos on nachos. My mouth burned so bad that I cried and had to drink milk (after a failed attempt at cooling the heat using Coke. Bad idea.). After the storm had passed and I could collect my thoughts, I remember thinking, "I'm gonna need another bite of that." And I have been hooked ever since.

Rotel dip is another staple in my comfort food diet. Kim knows it has been rough for me when I make a vat. Velveeta may not occur naturally in God's creation, but it must have been an oversight on His part, as blasphemous at that may sound. The combination of Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes is a miracle of cheesy goodness. Many a marriage could learn a thing or two from the example of the two becoming one. I might use that in ceremony sometime. Add sausage or ground beef and jalapenos and you have yourself as perfect a meal as you can expect this side of heaven.

Nachos are my substitute for mac and cheese, which is a staple in many people's comfort food menus. I'll write about more foods later. I would love to hear about your comfort foods as well.

More Bacon

2008-07-31T06:29:00.000-05:00

There never seemed to be enough bacon at breakfast when I was a child. My brother and I would often fight over bacon. He is six years older than me and could physically intimidate me. But I got up earlier than him. I figured he could beat me but I still would have eaten all the bacon. The blows raining down on me could never change that happy reality. I ate the bacon. Not long after that he would get up early too and we would watch each other. I neglected to pay attention once and he licked some of the bacon, refusing to tell me which pieces. It was cruel and heartless torture. Looking back now I figure that he didn't lick any of it, he just told me he did.

There is no doubt that I love bacon, but even I have my limits. I was sent this picture yesterday. Chocolate covered bacon cake. I'll pass.

Bacon

2008-07-29T09:58:00.000-05:00

I have intended to write a serious devotional piece for a while now, but the fact that it has been so long since I last posted just shows that I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Instead I'm going to write about bacon. Kim actually bought bacon not long ago. This is a rare and wondrous treat for our family. I could eat a pound of bacon at every meal. Kim knows that, and because she loves me she only buys bacon maybe twice a year. Michael loves bacon, which goes without saying since he is my son. We have even been known to fight over bacon. I'm not proud of that, but the boy has to learn to eat his bacon or lose it.

When I was a kid we would take string, some washers and a pound of bacon down to the creek to fish for crawdaddies. I remember vividly the salty, smokey smell of the bacon, the slimy texture, and the way it tasted when I licked my fingers. That's right, children, I never washed my hands after handling raw bacon. And I lived! My grandmother cooked everything in bacon grease and is a legendary cook. Not only that, the woman is 95 years old with clear arteries.

I walked into the church this morning and followed the smell of bacon to the kitchen where a youth group staying in our facilities was making breakfast. Sweet Fancy Moses. There is nothing like the smell of bacon to start of your day.

Patty Albin sent me this clip on bacon. I hope you enjoy it.

Goodbye Dolly, Good Riddance

2008-07-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

Today in Rockport we had some strong winds and rain from time to time, and some reports of tornadoes to our north and south, but I am ignorant of any real damage in our area. It could have been much worse.

I have learned much about hurricane preparation and will know a little more what to expect in the future.

One encouraging thing in all this was my involvement with the city's and the county's Emergency Operations Center. County and city leaders, including area service agencies, nursing homes, and many other community leaders met together regularly to basically do whatever needed to be done for the community in the event of a disaster. It was so encouraging to see these people come together to speak with one voice and help the people in Rockport and Aransas County. I am honored to have been included.

So, now, on to business. I have two weddings this weekend and a full day on Sunday.

Hello Dolly pt. 4

2008-07-22T08:25:00.000-05:00

It appears now the storm has turned west and most experts have it making landfall in extreme south Texas sometime Wednesday. The county's Emergency Operations meeting for 4 a.m. today was cancelled.

We are now bracing for a strong storm, but we give thanks that the Lord seems to have spared us the worst of it. Having said that, I realize it could change at any minute.

We are thankful to the Lord and our thoughts and prayers go out for those who find themselves in the path of the storm.

Hello Dolly pt. 3

2008-07-21T17:58:00.000-05:00

Gains and I attended the 4:00 p.m. meeting of Aransas County's Emergency Operations team, and listened in to the latest official briefis from the National Weather Service and the State of Texas. Much of this information will be out very soon, but here is a brief summary...

Hurricane Watch still in effect, may be upgraded to a Warning tonight or in the morning

Dolly has not slowed down, currenlty moving at 18 mph; if the store does not slow down it will make landfall Tuesday afternoon and may not have time to intensify

However, all computer models show that it will slow and intensify to a strong Category 1 Hurricane before it makes landfall at about 3 p.m. Wednesday, with winds reaching land at 3 a.m. Wednesday. The storm appears to be getting better organized. The State of Texas is making preparations for a Category 2 Hurricane just to be cautious.

Currently the storm is tracking to make landfall at Port Mansfield. However, computer models show it could come in anywhere between Brownsville and just north of Corpus.

So...Gains will attend the 10 p.m. briefing Monday night and I will attend the 4 a.m. briefing on Tuesday, and the following briefing at 10 a.m.

Hello Dolly pt. 2

2008-07-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

It is a little after 10:00 a.m. on Monday and the latest computer models show the storm tracking north, northwest, which places landfall just south of Corpus Christi. The forecasters still say it will go more towards Brownsville, so who knows who's right.

While a strong storm, even a Category 1 Hurricane wouldn't require us to evacuate, but we are still doing what we can to prepare.

Gains has gone to represent our church at a emergency meeting with city officials, state officials, and the folks from the national weather service to be updated and to make contingency plans. We want to be prepared to help our members in case the storm takes a turn for the worst.

Well hello, Dolly!

2008-07-21T06:22:00.000-05:00

No one around these parts is as excited as Louis Armstrong was to see Dolly. At least not Tropical Storm Dolly, which is watering the Yucatan Peninsula as we speak (So glad we are not in Cancun right now!).

Kim and I are learning to join with others in South Texas in watching the radar and tracking the storm. It is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen into a category 1 hurricane, at least that is what they are saying right now. Most computer models have it making landfall far south of us, but who knows? So we watch and wait.

Those of you reading from the northern regions can keep abreast of the Jones family storm preparations, such as they are, by checking back here from time to time.

Exile

2008-07-16T06:18:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we looked at Jeremiah's letter to the Exiles living in Babylon, in Jeremiah 29. We learned how difficult exile conditions are and how we are prone to long for deliverance instead of the Deliverer. God told the Exiles to make homes for themselves and live their lives - live deeply, live well, live lives of faith trusting in Him - His presence, His power, and His plan.

At the time we are not able to see the end from the beginning. That is why we live by faith, not by sight. Things were bleak and hopeless for the Exiles from Judah. Many years before, the Assyrians had taken the citizens of the northern Kingdom of Israel into exile and relocated foreigners to the Promised Land. The Ten Tribes of Israel were scattered across the globe by the Assyrians and lost to the sands of time. Jewish communities did sprout up all over the world but they were scattered, disconnected, and only a shadow of the the people they once were. The Jews from Judah expected the same to happen to them.

The Persians conquered the Babylonians, and those of you familiar with Ezra and Nehemiah know that the Persians let the Jews go back to the Promised Land. Not everyone wanted to go, and not everyone did. But God did send back to the Land a faithful Remnant from whom Christ would come.

The Greeks rose to power and then the Romans. The Jews living in the remote parts of the Roman Empire could now travel back to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple rebuilt by Herod. So they came from all over the world - Jews from communities located in Asia, Asia Minor, North Africa, and from across Europe. They traveled in the safety of Roman protection; they traveled on Roman roads connecting the ends of the Empire together; they spoke and read a common language, Greek, in addition to the language of the lands in which they lived. They went to Jerusalem to worship.

On one particular occasion as the mass of travelers where in Jerusalem, a group of people stood up in their midst and began preaching to them about a man named Jesus, who they said was the Christ, who died on the cross and was now alive through the power of God. These travelers heard this Spirit-filled gospel message in their own languages. Some in the crowd thought the speakers were drunk until one of them, a fisherman who was obviously from Galilee stood up and set the record straight and called them to believe in Jesus. We know that over 3000 people did believe and then made their way back across the Empire.

Later, Christian missionaries, like Paul, would encounter these Jewish communities as they traveled. And in this way the gospel message spread across the world and you and I are believers today because of it. This is our heritage, our roots. You and I are rooted in the Exile.

What grand plan is God working out on the pages of human history right now in the midst of your exile conditions? You will know it and experience it when you choose to live by faith and not by sight.

Strategic Planning

2008-07-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

Several years back, God led FBC Rockport to relocate to the current location, culminating a vision going back perhaps 20 years or more. The Lord provided not only the vision of relocating for the purpose of further kingdom growth and impact, but He then provided the land, sold the old property, got the current building built, filled it full of people from day one, and then provided the funds to pay off the debt. We will be completely debt free in the near future. We have much to celebrate!

I believe God called me here to be a part of what He has in mind next. I don’t know what He has in store, but I am convinced that He has only just begun. For this reason, I propose that this fall we enter into a time of prayer and fasting, and that we earnestly seek the Lord together to get a sense of His leading thus far, to discern His current activity in our church and in Aransas County, and then to follow in faith and obedience as He leads us into the future. I am calling this a time of strategic planning, but it is as much a time of seeking the Lord and renewal as it is a time of “long-range planning.”

The goal will be to receive God’s vision for our immediate future and then develop a plan for how we can take hold of that vision. This could involve many things:

Uniting our diverse membership under the Lord’s leading into the future He has in store for us
Greater outreach and ministry effort into Aransas County, the state of Texas and across the world
A plan for developing our property to help us accomplish God’s vision
A blueprint for organizing and structuring our church ministries in order to help us accomplish God’s vision and fulfill our mission statement
And so much more!

The Church Council has voted to bring this before the church in the August Business Meeting. At that time I will ask the church to consider several proposals:

That FBC commit to the Strategic Planning process
That FBC elect a Strategic Planning Team. The Church Council will be able to recommend how in August. The ministerial staff will be members of the team.
That FBC call Dr. Lash Banks to serve as our consultant through the process; Dr. Banks will lead us to develop an operational plan for the immediate future of the church. He is not a consultant on building new buildings.
That FBC set aside the necessary funds to pay for the planning process.

In the Evening Worship Service on August 10 I will answer the question, “Why do we need to conduct strategic planning?” Then in the Evening Worship Service on August 17, Dr. Lash Banks will be here to give an overview of how he will lead us through the planning process and you will be able to ask questions.

Again let me emphasize that this is not a fundraising campaign, nor is it a building program. This is a time of seeking the Lord so we can determine who we are and what He would have us to be doing, and how we should go about doing what He has called us to do.

Please pray with me as we consider the best way to proceed into the future together.

Rivers of Life

2008-07-09T08:16:00.000-05:00

I have been reluctant to post pictures of our family on the blog because of the chaotic nature of the Internet - the nature of a pastor's blog lends itself to openness instead of restricting access, so I have chosen to have little control over who can read the blog. So to protect our family's privacy to a certain degree, Kim sends out pictures from time to time via email instead of putting them here on this website.

We had several requests for pictures after I posted about our trip to Cancun, and Kim sent some out to some friends and family. If you didn't get the email but would like to, we didn't intend to leave you out. Just let us know where to send them.

We have heard back from many people who also sent pictures. We have been blessed especially by those of you in Sherman who were having children around the same time Michael was born. Like you, Kim and I have wondered at how much the children have grown and matured in the course of a small handful of years. Each day is different and new and the children are not the same from one day to the next. Neither are we, for that matter. The hand of God is leading us ever onward, and we hope that the Spirit works in us to become more like Christ with each new day.

Life is dynamic and active, full of movement and transformation. Love is wild and chaotic, not still or ordered. Life tends to be messy and uncontrollable, not neat in its place.

Ancient Greek philosophers tended to describe the nature of reality as a fire - consuming, dynamic, transforming. One philosopher said that the nature of reality is like a river. You can't step into a river in the same place twice; each new step brings you into contact with new water, water constantly in motion.

Psalmists and prophets celebrated the reality that Yahweh would do new things in our midst, that He is endlessly creative and inventive. That is why we must learn to sing new songs to the Lord as we try to recognize and celebrate all the new things He is doing. The old songs won't always do if we want to celebrate the persistent newness of God.

The pictures of our children remind us that we don't step into the river of life in the same place twice. Thanks to all of you for allowing us to dabble our toes in the river of your life. Keep the pictures coming.

Pounded

2008-07-08T07:36:00.000-05:00

Kim reports that last week she bought toilet paper for the first time since the church welcomed us to Rockport back in January. For those of you keeping score at home, that is right about six months. Whoever had the over and under on six months owes me dinner.

Miguelito con Cancun

2008-07-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

Every bride is entitled to a shot at her dream wedding. I get that. Some brides dream bigger than others. Kim's sister has waited a long time for her bridal event, and she deserves every moment of happiness she can get. I wouldn't have missed her wedding for the world. It was unfortunate for us, for Michael really, that her wedding was in Cancun. Isla Mujeres, to be exact, an island 15 minutes off the coast of Cancun. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort on the north end of the island, and the wedding was at the northernmost tip of the island. It was gorgeous beyond description, with the turquoise Caribbean Sea on three sides of us. I enjoyed watching the minister perform the ceremony in his broken English, but he did it with great joy and compassion. They served a five course meal for us on the beach after the sun went down. We were surrounded by torches and candles, there was a light breeze, and the food was wonderful. Even Michael enjoyed staying up late for the wedding festivities.

I learned that all-inclusive Mexican resorts are not for everybody. They are certainly not for two-year old boys who live on the beach anyway, nor are they for Southern Baptist pastors. Michael enjoyed playing in the sand for a while. He also enjoyed playing in the water some. But he does that in Rockport on a regular basis. What Michael enjoyed more than anything was the golf cart. We rented a cart to drive the three miles to the other end of the island so that Michael could swim with a dolphin (he liked the dolphin some, but he got upset because he really wanted to play with the dolphin's basketball but no one would let him; no one teaches dolphins to share!). Kim drove the cart while I held Michael and navigated with a Mexican map. He enjoyed that cart more than anything else the whole time we were there.

As for me, well...if you don't drink the booze at an all-inclusive Mexican resort, then it is just another day at the beach. Which isn't bad, mind you, but when everyone else around you has had too much to drink, then the beach gets really tricky and annoying ("Please Mr. Drunk Old European Man, can you cover up your Speedo, if not for your own dignity than at least for the sake of my son?"). They had hammocks set up on the side of the island that was very rocky and had rough surf. I mainly relaxed there when Michael, Kim and I were not in the water.

Here is a picture from the hotel of the rocky shoreline. The little huts near the water are where they hung the hammocks.
We ended up staying in one of these villas. It was very nice even though you could not drink the water.

The hardest part of the trip was getting Michael through security and customs. Going into security I did not think Michael was a terrorist threat, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Our family looked like the Three Stooges going through security, but Michael eventually set everyone straight and they decided not to detain us.

Some Loose Threads

2008-07-05T15:31:00.000-05:00

Yikes! I looked at the date of my last blog and could not believe it has been this long since I last posted anything. We've been busy, but that is no excuse.

So...let me get you up to date.

The VBS video is not formatted correctly for this webpage. However, there was talk of putting it on GodTube.com and on FBC Rockport's new webpage, www.fbcrockport.net, which is currently under construction. Of course, you can always order a copy in the church office.

The Sunday after youth camp we baptized 8 people, 6 of those were youth who made decisions at camp. Last Sunday Gains baptized another VBS decision, and tomorrow morning I will baptize one more from VBS. We should all be thankful for how the Lord is at work in our midst.

The search for a Youth Minister is well under way, and I believe the Search Committee is about ready to solicit resumes. There should be information on the church website.

This Tuesday night I will speak with the Church Council briefly about the process of Strategic Planning that I hope we can begin in September. The goal is for us to prayerfully seek the Lord and align our lives and our church with His purposes and His activity in Aransas County.

Yes, Kim, Michael and I went to Cancun for Kim's sister's wedding. I'll have more to say about that in another post, possibly with pictures. It was a great trip, but...oh, never mind. More on that later.

There continues to be talk about our Lord's Supper service a couple of weeks ago. I am so pleased that it meant so much to so many. Communion ought to be important, and I will do what I can to make it meaningful every time we observe it. While it won't be the same every time, it can be meaningful and worshipful. I believe the Spirit fell on us as we remembered the body and the blood of Christ. I hope you all have made the effort to tell Eric Scott and Allen Ray Moers how much you enjoyed the service. They did most of the work and bore the brunt of worship leadership - I just pointed them in a certain direction. We are truly blessed to have the caliber of worship leaders that we do.

Scatterings

2008-06-17T09:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a little bit of this and that...

If you haven't read Dale Pogue's blog entry for today (June 17), be sure to give it peek. You can find it at www.dalepogue.com. I know many of us have been praying for Dale during the past several days as he has recovered from his heart attack and subsequent heart cath. First Charles Fake moved to Houston, then Walter Knight passed away, then Dale gave everybody a scare - all the ministers I have looked forward to getting to know are endangered, it seems. I told Allen Ray and Gaines they needed to get physicals ASAP and discuss the results with me. I don't want any more surprises.

VBS here at First Baptist was truly wonderful. I can't say enough how blessed I am by all that God has done here in our church. Thanks to Gayle and Margo and all the adult and youth leaders who worked so hard to see the Lord do something special in our children. We are still trying to survey all the "damage," but here are some things we know so far:

229 children enrolled
195 average attendance
62 workers
$1500 raised for South Texas Children's Home
16 professions of faith so far (Three baptisms scheduled for this Sunday morning)
20 gallons of lemonade made each day

Angela Scott emailed me this morning and asked if I might put the video on the blog or on the church website. I'll see what I can do as I have time today. If you want your own copy you can order one through the church office.

We sent our youth to camp yesterday morning. Please pray for them while they are away. There are 80 total who went from our church - 65 youth, 10 adults, and 5 children. They will give a report in the Sunday evening worship service this coming Sunday. Continue to pray also for our Youth Minister Search Committee as they are now well underway in their process for discovering the person the Lord has called to be our next Youth Minister.

I have had several comments on my sermon from Sunday to our men. I am not sure why preachers tend to go so easy on Mother's Day and then nuke the men on Father's Day. It was suggested to me yesterday that my sermon was more of a Mother's Day sermon, because it was exactly what so many women wanted their men to hear and take to heart. I may keep that in mind for next year and speak to the men on Mother's Day and the ladies on Father's Day.

This coming Sunday we will celebrate the Lord's Supper in both morning worship services. I will not be preaching, but the music and scripture readings will help us to focus on the body and the blood of Jesus Christ. Both services should be very special, and you might consider staying for both. The next Sunday Kim, Michael and I will be in Mexico for Kim's sister's wedding. This was something I wouldn't miss for anything, and I appreciate Gaines filling in for me. We will pick up Jeremiah's story the first Sunday in July.

Vacation Bible School 2008

2008-06-11T07:47:00.000-05:00

We are in the midst of our VBS and so far I have been truly amazed at the whole enterprise. The other night we had 201 children present and 50 workers, and they are all working towards raising an offering for South Texas Children's Home of about $3,500, which they will reach, of course, with the help of some generous donors. This will then result in some heads getting shaved and me having to hula dance on Friday night (I feel a cold coming on!).

We have handled our professions of faith differently this year with the hope of making certain the children are making real decisions for Christ. Right now there are four new Christians as a result of our VBS, and we have more to talk to tonight.

I have been truly impressed by our leaders and all our workers. They went all out in decorating and preparation. And this has been true in every church I have served in - God has been faithful in raising up leaders who understand the importance of VBS and give it the attention and passion it deserves.

It seems that God, through His Spirit, produces within a congregation a foundational desire to see something really special happen in the lives of the children. Whether through AWANA or VBS or Children's Choir, God's people delight in seeing the children learn the ways of God and take their place in the body of Christ.

Indiana Jones after all these years

2008-06-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

Over the past month I have watched all the Indiana Jones movies again, and recently Kim and I went to see the new one, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I was so very excited to see it, as I have already written about. I tried not to be be distracted by the mixed reviews of the movie and to view it with fresh eyes and take it on its own terms.

Well...I loved it! It was not a great movie, by any stretch of the imagination. Nor was it even a great "Indiana Jones" movie. I used to think Raiders of the Lost Ark was the best, but now that I am a father, I prefer The Last Crusade to the others; it has more humor and warmth, and the relationship between father and son provides an emotional anchor to the narrative. And while I enjoyed "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" on TV, the young men who played Young Indy never got it right, in my opinion, not like River Phoenix did in the opening minutes of The Last Crusade ("Everybody is lost but me!"). I think I like Crystal Skull better than Temple of Doom, but I haven't made up my mind yet.

I was struck by how old Harrison Ford looked. I suppose it has been a long time since I really looked at him, and seeing him in the fedora again was a shock. He looks great for his age, no doubt about it, but Indiana Jones is not supposed to grow old. I kept saying, "Has it really been almost 20 years?" All in all the movie was fun, a little confusing, and a great way to spend an afternoon. But let's face it, if they made a movie with Harrison Ford called Indiana Jones Runs His Errands, I would still pay $10 to spend an afternoon tagging along with Dr. Jones (Now we go to the dry cleaners, but don't touch anything!).

Favorite Music, pt. 4

2008-06-07T14:59:00.000-05:00

I have really enjoyed hearing from some of you about your favorite music and why it means so much to you. Isn't it interesting the way some songs connect with us in surprising ways, and that connection lasts a lifetime? I also enjoyed hearing how the Lord has ministered to so many of us through music.

Allow me to say one more thing about music, and then we'll move on (I want to comment on Indiana Jones, and going back to school, plus some other things we'll get to over the next week or so). My best advice about music is to pay attention to what you are listening to, and know why you are listening, or why you like it. This goes for all music - Christian, secular, instrumental, whatever.

I have worked hard to find out as much as I can about the people writing and performing the music I listen to, all music. I have a fairly informed opinion about what I like and why, and what I don't like, and can give reasons. No one should lesson to music or the radio (including talk radio) mindlessly. Be informed, make good decisions.

This goes especially for Contemporary Christian Music. A song might be Christian, or "praise and worship," but it still might be shallow, insipid, or just plain stupid. Listening to that kind of music all day will not make you a better Christian. In fact, it might make you shallow, insipid, or just plain stupid. Pay attention to the lyrics of the songs. Ask what they are saying, what do they mean? Does the music have "meat" or is it just "milk?" Does it compel you to pursue Christ, or inspire you to a deeper walk? Songs that contain scripture will always be the best, and will be the closest to "true worship," according to scripture and the way our Protestant founding fathers worshipped. Feed yourself on the word of God.

For those of you who want to use music to develop a deeper walk with the Lord, I would urge you toward hymns. There are many albums out now by contemporary artists that are reinterpretations of old, sometimes ancient, hymns. Find one you like and marinate your soul in in it, letting it soak in deep. There's something about the old hymns that tie us to something ancient and lasting. We are reminded that this is not all about us, and that we are a part of a story that has been going on long before our time, and will continue on long after we are gone.

Favorite Music, pt. 3

2008-05-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

I never thought I would use an iPod until I received one as a gift a couple of years ago. I have a 30 GB video iPod. I am able to start the music with the first song on a playlist and then have the music going as I drive, work in the yard, go for a walk, or whatever.

The iPod keeps a count of how many times each song is played. If you skip to another song, then it doesn't count. So, you have to play a song through completely in order for it to be counted.

So, here is the list of the 25 most played songs on my iPod. The number in parentheses is the number of times it has been played. Again, this list does not include classical music or hymns, which would dominate the list, except for a couple of hymns by Jars of Clay. Nor does it include Christmas music. I won't comment on the songs that were on my favorites list in the previous posting.

25. "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" by Johnny Cash (14). This is the story of young Billy Joe who thought he was due more excitement than what he could find on the family farm. So he gets himself ready and heads into to town to "be a man," but ignores his mother's advice and takes his guns with him, and this gets him into trouble when he gets into a confrontation with a cowboy who can shoot faster and straighter that Billie Joe can. This is a good reminder to contemplate the outcome of our confrontations.

24. "Two of Us" by The Beatles (14).

23. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton (15). Um...I prefer this to the overwrought version by Whitney Houston years ago. I didn't realize that I like it this much.

22. "Speak, O Lord" by Keith and Kristyn Getty (16). The Getty's lead worship at Alister Begg's church in Cleveland, Ohio. They are Irish, and consider themselves to be modern hymn writers. Keith wrote the song in our Easter musical, "The Power of the Cross." This song is one they sing right before Alister preaches.

21. "Twin Guitar Special" by Bob Wills (16). Wills' Texas Swing music is the perfect soundtrack for driving across Texas, which I have done a lot lately.

20. "I'm Walkin'" by Fats Domino (16). Oh my... well, this is not the only time Fats appears on this list. I have no explanation. Must be my affection for New Orleans.

19. "Jesus, I Lift My Eyes" by Jars of Clay (17) This is from Redemption Songs, their reinterpretations of old hymns.

18. "The Stone" by Jars of Clay (17). From the City On A Hill worship cds. The Stone that the builders rejected has become our cornerstone.

17. "Whole Lotta Lovin'" by Fats Domino (17). Well...again I have no explanation as to why Fats has been played so often. I suppose I can't bring myself to skip the songs, they are so joyful.

16. "When the Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash (17). This is John's vision of the return of Jesus Christ, and it is a song filled with joy and terror. Not everyone will be treated the same on that day. Are you ready for it?

15. "Silence" by Jars of Clay (18). The lyrics here are angry and disillusioned, lashing out at God for His silence, and yet they still communicate a desperate need for God. The singer is not turning away from God in pain, but turning to Him, seeking Him. "Scream, deeper, I don't want to scream, I want You to hear me, I want You to find me. Because I want to believe, but all I claim is gone, and all I pray is wrong." God has a way of bringing us to the end of ourselves and emptying us out. And you know what we find there? God.

14. "Open Our Eyes Dear Savior" by Ginny Owens (18). This is another one off the City On A Hill worship cds. I believe Ginny is blind. She sings, "We want to know Your ways, revel Your heart to us. Open our eyes, dear Lord, your light is marvelous."

13. "Mandy" by Barry Manilow (18). Okaaaay....I almost left this off, so this is how you know I am being honest. I am speechless at this one. So, I'm not afraid to admit that I like this song, although I am not a Manilow fan by any stretch of the imagination. I had no idea that I listened to it this often. What can I say? Apparently when "Mandy" is played on my iPod, I'm going to listen to it.

12. "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash (18). This one is on the album released after his death, and was among the last songs he recorded. John answers the call of the Lord and speaks as a prophet to evil sinners, "You can run on for a long time, but sooner or later God will cut you down."

11. "Take A Chance On Me" by ABBA (19). I am so embarrassed. This is really the only disco song I like, and I'm not sure why I like this song, but it is fun. I think that ABBA comes first alphabetically on my playlists and when I am in a hurry I just start at the top, so that is why this song is played so often. That has to be it because I am incapable of dancing. I'm not opposed to dancing, I just can't.

10. "Sing" by Jars of Clay (19). A love song to the Lord, who makes us want to sing.

9. "Good Monsters" by Jars of Clay (20). The song asks, "Do you know what you are?" Then it suggests that we are the fullness of all the things we love, and we are so in love with ourselves.

8. "A Little More" by Jennifer Knapp (21). Jennifer is one of Kim's favorite Christian artists. She asks for grace, a little more than I can give, a little more than I deserve, unearth this holiness you have place within me.

7. "Never Finish" by Leigh Nash (23). Leigh used to be the singer for the Christian band Sixpence None the Richer, who are from the San Marcos area. In this song she ponders just how deeply she can love her husband and her son, and knows that "no matter how hard I try to get it, its the one thing I know I'll never finish."

6. "The Valley Song" by Jars of Clay (24). This song was a constant companion after Kim miscarried. Here are the lyrics:
You have led me to the sadness, i have carried this pain, on a back bruised, nearly broken, i'm crying out to You, i will sing of Your mercy that leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy

When death, like a gypsy, comes to steal what i love, i will still look to the heavens, i will still seek your face, but i fear You aren't listening, because there are no words, just the stillness and the hunger for a faith that assures, i will sing of Your mercy that leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy, alleluia

We wait for rescue, with our eyes tightly shut, face to the ground using our hands to cover the fatal cut, though the pain is an ocean tossing us around, around, around, You have calmed greater waters, higher mountains have come down, i will sing of Your mercy that leads me through valleys of sorrow to rivers of joy

5. "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" by Jars of Clay (24). A wonderful version of the old hymn.

4. "If I Stand" by Jars of Clay (25).

3. "You Move Me" by Susan Ashton (26). She says, "I can't go with You and stay where I am, so You move me." Praise God.

2. "40" by U2 (27). Based on Psalm 40. I love, "I will sing, sing a new song."

1. "Help Me" by Johnny Cash (29). John's desperate prayer to the Lord for help.

This exercise made be realize something that I had not before. Over the past year I would often turn to music to help me put words to what I was feeling or experiencing and to connect with the Lord during difficult times. The most-played songs helped me keep my sanity and faith when we lost the pregnancy, and helped me stay the course when our heats were broken when we realized our ministry in Sherman was over and during the confusion and impatience as we waited on the Lord to open the door to Rockport. I am thankful for the music available to us and how God can use it to speak into our lives.

Favorite Music, pt. 2

2008-05-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Okay...here's the list of my Top 25 Favorite Songs that are on my iPod.

25. "San Antonio Rose" by Bob Wills. As with most of these bands or artists, it was hard to pick just one song to be my favorite. This one's a classic.

24. "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel. The lyric captures that feeling I think all men have when it comes to the woman they love: I don't know what it is, but there's just something about her I can't live without.

23. "Consider the Cost" by Steve Camp. Steve used to be popular in Christian music, and he spoke with the voice of a prophet. I think this is one of his most important songs.

22. "When God Ran" by Benny Hester. This one goes way back, and is the first of two songs on my list about the parable of the prodigal son, which speaks to me in very personal ways. The lyrics are still startling to me, as he describes the greatness and glory and power and strength of God, and then says, "the only time I ever saw God run was when He ran to me..."

21. "You Don't Know Me" by Cindy Walker. Many people have recorded this song over the years, from Eddy Arnold to Willie Nelson and everyone in between. As a child, I think I heard Mickey Gilley's version first. I have always been shy and hesitant around females, so I understood right away the longing and regret of this song.

20. "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. I have always thought that this is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written about how a man finds that missing part of himself in the woman he loves, and the torment he endures when there is separation. I have not liked it when Christian artists have recorded this song as a testimony of their love for God. The lyrics are powerful wen describing my love for Kim, but seem inadequate and silly in describing my passion for Christ.

19. "40" by U2. Bono based the lyrics to this song on Psalm 40, where David waited patiently for the Lord, who lifted him up out of the pit. The song is filled with hope about singing a new song, but is tinged with impatience as we wait on the Lord. We so often feel that way.

18. "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney. Macca post Beatles is hit and miss, in my opinion, but this song is greatness. What man in love has not felt like he was in the middle of something that he doesn't really understand?

17. "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline. It is that voice. None like it.

16. "I Need Thee Every Hour" by Jars of Clay. This is the first entry on my list by Jars, and the only hymn I have included. This song appears on the album "Redemption Songs" where Jars recorded old hymns and made them new. I am humbled every time I hear this one.

15. "With or Without You" by U2. This song was popular when I was 17, and I often felt that way about women - can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Bono's painful wail at the climax of the song probably sounds familiar to many broken-hearted men who felt like they had nothing to win and nothing left to lose.

14. "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash. This one rocks along expressing joy in traveling and road-weariness at the same time. This is a fun song.

13. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World"
by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. You would probably recognize this version if you heard the ukulele. This song is hauntingly beautiful, and manages to be both hopeful and sad at the same time.

12. "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" by Louis Armstrong. I love Satchmo, and this is my favorite. Hard to not to love his raspy voice and distinctive trumpet playing.

11. "Heading for the Light" by The Traveling Wilburys. George Harrison, Jeff Lynn, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty made up the Wilburys, and their music is a lot of fun. Harrison sings this song with a joyful sense of determination and redemption.

10. "When the Saints Go Marching In" by Sara Groves. This one is for all of us who feel overwhelmed walking down the narrow road that leads to life. We need to remember the great faith and courageous obedience of those who have gone before us and resolve to be one of them.

9. "Breathe In Me" by Michael W. Smith. Smitty's song expresses the deep desire for renewal that so many of us feel from time to time in our lives. During these times we are convinced that God can breathe in us new life, and we cry out our deep longing for more of Him.

8. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" by Willie Nelson. This classic is from Nelson's album, "The Red-headed Stranger," an old west fable. The song is so simple and subtle, expressing the realities that life is filled with partings, but Heaven won't be.

7. "Help Me" by Johnny Cash. This is one of the last songs John recorded before his death. In his feeble voice you can hear the shakiness of years of hard-living, pain and regret. This adds an emotional punch to the lyrics, which are a prayer to the Lord for help. The song is a confession of our desperate need for God.

6. "Two of Us" by The Beatles. This song is among the first written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, during their young days in Liverpool, but it was one of the last songs The Beatles recorded before their acrimonious break-up in 1970. The lyrics remember the close friendship between two young boys, and these are fond memories. Although both Lennon and McCartney denied the song was autobiographical, you can't help but wonder if, at the end of it all when their friendship had soured, they longed for a simpler time.

5. "Growing Young" by Rich Mullins. This is the second "prodigal son" song on my list. The world tells men to grow up, be strong, and don't admit weakness or mistakes. Jesus tells us we must become like little children and ran back into the arms of our loving Father.

4. "Worlds Apart" by Jars of Clay. The lyrics express astonishment over what Christ has done for us. In humble surrender and submission, the singer falls on his knees and asks Christ to take his world apart, and gives all that he is for all that Christ is. The cross compels us to this kind of surrender.

3. "Hard to Get" by Rich Mullins. Rich recorded this song as a demo on an old tape recorder, sung in an abandoned old church. Not long after recording the demo, Rich was killed in a terrible car wreck. The lyrics describe how hard it can be to understand God's silence and seeming absence during our times of deepest needs and hurt, but ends with a note of hope in the realization that Christ has been with us all along.

2. "In My Life" by The Beatles. This song has special meaning for Kim and me, going back to the beginning of our relationship. Every time I hear it I am reminded of my wife's love for me, and how fortunate I am to be loved by her.

1. "If I Stand" written by Rich Mullins, recorded by Jars of Clay. Jars recorded this song for the tribute album for Rich after he was killed. I like Jars' version better than the original. This is the first contemporary Christian song I ever truly loved, the first song to really minister to me. I was 19 years old, sitting in my dorm room struggling with who I was in Christ, because my walk was not consistent or always upward and onward. I wept like a little girl when the truth swept over me, "If I stand let me stand on the promise that You will pull me through, and if I fall let me fall on the grace that first brought me to You." I had never really understood living by grace before that moment, and the realities of God's mysterious and marvelous existence and love for me swept over me like waves. Praise God for His grace.

There now, that wasn't so bad, was it? As I said, I would love to hear about your favorite songs and what makes you connect with them so powerfully. The songs are often the soundtracks of our lives.

My next post will be my "real top 25 songs," the ones played most often on my iPod. I was surprised and laughed out loud at the songs on that list.

Favorite Music, pt. 1

2008-05-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

If you are not a fan of music, or if music talk is boring to you, then my next few posts will not be of interest to you, so be forewarned.

I recently read an article by Stephen King on music that he likes. He published a list of his "Top 20" songs and got a lot of feedback about it. Much of the feedback was negative. He rebuked his readers by reminding them that any amateur musicologist could publish a list of "Top 20" songs. It is an extremely personal matter. He was not saying that his list was definitive for anybody other than himself. Then he commented on how iPods maintain a count on how often you listen to songs, revealing what your real "Top 20" is. His real top 20 list, based on the count on his iPod, revealed that the songs he listened to the most were not necessarily his favorite songs. Both lists revealed something about his personality and his current state of mind. But, far from being serious, the exercise was mainly all in fun.

So...I decided to take a look at my own iPod and make a list of my top 25 favorite songs and then look at the counts of how often a I played each song and make my "real" top 25 list. I confess that the two lists are not the same.

So I will post first the list of my 25 favorite songs on my iPod. Later I will post the list of my "real" top 25. I did not include classical music, which is what I listen to most often because it is background music with no words (apparently my life needs a soundtrack). I did not include any Christmas songs on the list. Nor did I include any hymns, with one exception.

My iPod has 1,013 songs right now. I narrowed that down to 52 favorites and then painfully culled that list down to 25. Here are some observations on the process:

It was much harder than I though to pick my 25 favorites.
I tend to like just a few bands or artists and like a lot of their music, such as Jars of Clay.
I tend to like music by artists with whom I am already familiar. There is only one truly "current" song on my favorites list.
I connected with each song in very strong emotional ways. There are often strong memories attached to each one, or a powerful feeling the song creates in me.
There is no Elvis on my list. Not even fat Elvis. I am surprised by this.

So, I encourage you to try to make a list of your favorite songs. I would love to see it. Think about why the songs are important to you, why you connect with them.

Next post is my top 25 favorite songs.

Certainty

2008-05-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

It is not unusual for people to ask me how they can know for certain that God is speaking to them or leading them in a particular direction. Those of you who have studied Experiencing God will remember that God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, other Christians, circumstances to reveal Himself, His purposes and His ways. What we find in scripture is that people simply knew that God was speaking, they knew what He was saying, and they knew what God wanted them to do as a result of their encounter with Him.

I wonder if you were to go back and interview someone like Abraham, or Paul, could they explain their encounters with God in such a way that would take the mystery out of it? What if your spouse comes to you and says that God spoke to him or her in a dream and commanded your family to sell everything, pick up stakes, and move to the Navajo Indian reservation, get jobs and help start churches among the Navajo. You might say, "You're crazy. How do you know that this was God?" The response might be, "I just know. It's what I believe. I can't explain it any better than that."

Now, before you file for divorce and have your spouse committed, keep in mind this is precisely what happened to the people faith we read about on the pages of the Bible. Often the only confirmation they received was after the fact - after they had obeyed God and acted in faith, and then God brought about all He had promised, then they knew for certain that God was indeed leading them.

You will not ever be able to take the mystery out of your walk with the Lord. If you remain close to God and follow His ways, there will always be a sense of wonder. You will have to walk by faith and not by sight. Sight comes after the fact. This is going to be difficult for those of us who pray for certainty instead of faith. We often say to God we want more faith, but in our hearts what we really mean is "Lord, make us sure this is right."

The only way to manage the terror and insecurity of living this kind of life is to know the Lord intimately. The more you know of Him, the more you are able to trust Him, and the less frightening walking by faith will seem. But, again, this kind of intimacy with God is only learned through a walk of faith.

Everything in your walk with Christ will come down to this: do you know the Lord well enough to trust Him with everything, to risk everything, to lose everything?

Isolation

2008-05-02T06:34:00.000-05:00

For a variety of reasons, this was an emotionally draining week for me. By Thursday afternoon I was empty. I don't know about you, but when I feel this way my instinct is to withdraw. Sometimes solitude is the best thing for you, and it serves a purpose. Many of us need to be wise about our pursuit of solitude because it can led to isolation, which is not helpful but is actually harmful to our emotional health. Thursday night we went to dinner with some friends from church, and though I went feeling drained, I came home feeling more refreshed. We all need to cultivate friendships with those feed us, who are givers and not just takers.

Our modern culture tends to move us naturally toward isolation. It can take deliberate, persistent effort to remain connected with the people in our lives. It is not unusual to find a group of Christian friends, a Sunday School class, even an entire church that is physically present together but are emotionally and spiritually isolated from one another. True unity and intimacy in the body of Christ must be cultivated and protected by wise and sensitive people.

Our society tends to hunger for intimacy. People know they need it but do not have the faintest idea how to achieve it in healthy ways. We have MySpace and Facebook, countless chatrooms and "find your mate" websites, there are speed dating parties, and so forth.

I saw the latest sensation this morning: Cuddle Parties. I am not making this up. These are organized events with facilitators, strict rules such as no sex or booze, and the people...well, they cuddle with each other. Take a peek at their website. It is fascinating. http://www.cuddleparty.com/

Again I ask, do the Christians in our culture have a way of living that is more attractive, more enriching, more inviting than cuddle parties?

Burdened

2008-04-23T06:23:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday we learned of the turning point in Jeremiah's career as a prophet to the kingdom of Judah. In Jeremiah 7, Yahweh sends him to the Temple to preach a sermon that would almost get him killed. The reforms of Josiah's reign were accomplished and popular, and everyone thought all was well. But Yahweh told Jeremiah to proclaim to the people that they were in danger because the reforms had changed the outward appearances, but had not changed their lives. They needed to repent or pay the consequences. When Jeremiah finished his sermon and offered the invitation as they sang every verse of "Just As I Am," the people responded by trying to kill him.

All of us who long to live lives of significance and relevance need to pay attention. Those of us who desire to stand in the gap between our Lord Jesus Christ and our families, our friends, and our culture should take notes. Jeremiah's experience shows us that not everyone will be receptive, and it is possible we will suffer as a result of "standing in the gap." And not just that vague "suffering for Jesus" that we hear about in church but don't really believe we will experience because we live in Texas, for Pete's sake, not Iran. But we are wrong. Notice, Jeremiah was not fighting for his life against the pagan Babylonians or Egyptians. These were God's people, in God's house. Jesus knew that it was near impossible for a prophet to find acceptance in his own home town. He learned that by reading the book of Jeremiah.

And still...Jeremiah never gave up on his people. Oh, he whined and complained incessantly to to Yahweh about those who came after him. But we also see a another side to Jeremiah. He knew that his people were wounded, and it would only get worse the longer they refused to repent. This wound broke his heart.

In 8:10-11 he writes of the false prophets, "all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace."
By ignoring the reality of the seriousness of sin and the urgent need for repentance, the false prophets could bring no healing to the people. Their denial made them irrelevant. They were of no consequence to the culture. They were useless. But popular.

In 8:21-9:1 Jeremiah demonstrates why he was the one the people should listen to, why he was the one living a life of relevance and consequence. He says, "Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? Oh that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people."

Jeremiah was burdened, sick and broken-hearted over the spiritual condition of his people. He saw the truth and it devastated him. He could not keep silent, even though they tried to kill him to silence him, he could not stop from proclaiming the need for repentance and the reality of salvation. Is there any wonder why God chose Jeremiah?

Here is what you and I should think about - is the reason why God does not use us to impact our people, our families, our culture because we really don't care? Yes, I know we are all concerned for these folks, but when was the last time you mourned, were gripped with horror and wept day and night for them? Are we burdened to the point of pursuing people with passion and persistence, because we see them as worth fighting for?

Any Road

2008-04-16T06:26:00.000-05:00

At First Baptist I have started a sermon series on the life of Jeremiah. We hope to learn how to live God-sized lives of relevance and importance as we see how Jeremiah lived in relationship to Yahweh and then stood in the midst of his times and culture and proclaimed and lived out the word of the Lord.

This Sunday we will look at the point Jeremiah's early ministry when things really began to get sour on him. For over 55 years God's people had been ruled by evil and sinful kings: Manasseh and his son Amon. These guys led the country astray, and began state-sponsored pagan worship and immoral practices, some taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem. There was no end to their evil and wickedness. Amon's son, Josiah became king and began to turn things around. They found the book of Deuteronomy and this sparked a time of renewal as people returned to the Lord.

Chapters 2-6 in Jeremiah contain some of Jeremiah's sermons during this time of renewal. He preached against the sins of idolatry, comparing the people to unfaithful wives who give themselves to whatever man happens to come along - the people were engaging in every sin that came their way, and worshipped all manner of gods. Through Jeremiah, Yaweh called the people back to a right relationship with Him.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

The people seemed like wanderers, seeking a way to go, but not knowing where they were headed. Without a destination in mind, they were blown about by every wind and walked down every road, ending up no where. That kind of a journey took its toll. The book of Deuteronomy reminded them of their destination, the point, the goal, and guided them down the ancient paths. If they would go down those roads, they would find what their hearts were seeking. Remember, Jesus told us, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."

When I was a teenager I really loved The Beatles, and George Harrison was my favorite because he seemed to be the most spiritual of the four. Harrison's songs contained spiritual themes and concern for things in life that often echoed with Christian ideas. Some of his songs sounded very Christian to me, and I would try to tell myself that he was one, in some way. The older I get, and the more I know Jesus Christ, the more convinced I am that Harrison was not a Christian, but just a seeker who sampled a little of this and a little of that. In the end he was part Buddhist, part Hindu, part everything. He was recording an album when he died a few years back. My favorite song from that album is "Any Road." If you have time you might watch the video and listen to the song. The lyrics say, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Do you know where you are going?

Caffe Raro

2008-04-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

USA Today is running a article on its website about what the BBC News is reporting is the most expensive coffee in the world today. It is called "Caffe Raro." It is a blend of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee (my personal favorite) and Kopi Luwak (that extremely rare coffee made from the beans collected from the droppings of civets in Southeast Asia). The roast is being served in the espresso bar at Peter Jones, a London department store, with the proceeds going to a cancer charity. Right now it is going for $100 a cup.

Don't laugh, but...I'm intrigued. Just when I thought coffee couldn't get any better or stranger, along comes Caffe Raro.

I forgot to mention at Prayer Meeting Wednesday that I'll be speaking at a Men's Fish Fry at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis on Friday night. Ennis is just a little south of Dallas. Pray for me as I travel, and pray that God will speak to the 300 or so men from the community who will be gathered together that night. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks to Charlie Williams for the invitation.

Prophets

2008-04-09T06:42:00.000-05:00

Are you as mesmerized by what is taking place in El Dorado, TX as I am? Years ago my family lived next door to some Mormons. They were wonderful people and I loved them dearly. Every year they would give my family a Book of Mormon, which I tried to read but found boring. Mark Twain called it "chloroform in print." Although they described themselves as Christians, my parents assured me that they weren't. That bothered me, because they were so nice. The folks in El Dorado are a small, extreme branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), and don't represent the wider Mormon community.

As an adult I have done a lot of studying on Mormonism and in Seminary Kim and I were trained to witness to Mormons and how to teach others to do so. I have spoken to many members of the LDS church and have never led one to Christ.

Our Roman Catholic friends believe that the Pope is the highest religions authority on earth, that he is God's representative and spokesperson. The Pope has the right to speak ex cathedra and proclaim church doctrine that carries the same weight and authority as scripture. This has happened often over the centuries, and there have been times when one Pope heard from the Lord and spoke with authority, only later to have a different Pope hear something different from God and proclaim something else.

Mohamed would often make unilateral decisions according to the word of Allah as he led the early Muslims. Like the popes, his "word from the Lord" could seem contradictory and practical, depending on the times and the issues faced. Apparently God has the ability to adjust to the rapidly changing times.

Which is true for the LDS Church. Some think Joseph Smith was a con man, scoundrel and possible sex addict when he began the church. He established plural marriage in the 1840s and may have had over 30 wives himself. When Brigham Young led the Mormons west to Utah, he strongly upheld Smith's teachings on plural marriage and enforced them rigidly, ensuring the Mormons that it was necessary to obtain exaltation in the afterlife. There might have been a practical aspect to it as well. The Mormons would need all the people they could get in the rough country to tame and work the land, fight any Indians, and the more children you had the better chance there was that some would survive into adulthood.

Years later, the LDS Prophet, and I forget who it was, got a word from the Lord saying that plural marriage was no longer necessary and should be abandoned. God had changed his mind on the subject. God's timing on the matter was perfect, as it came just in time to allow Utah to be accepted into statehood. The U. S. wouldn't have allowed them in with the practice of plural marriage. Those members of the LDS church at the time who believed this particular Prophet was wrong about plural marriage split off and formed their own group, the Fundamentalist sect, and maintained the practice of polygamy. Their decedents are the folks in El Dorado.

What I take away from the life of Jeremiah is that a prophet is someone who lives by a couple of convictions. First, God is present and active. The prophet is overwhelmed by who God is and what God is doing, and must live according spiritual realites. Second, what God is doing right now is of vital importance. It is essential that we learn to perceive God's activity and become part of it.

As Baptists we believe that every Christian has the Holy Spirit living within them, and therefore can live in the presence of God, hear from God, confirm things with scripture, and respond to God's activity without the guidance of another spiritual authority. You are competent to be your own spiritual guide because God's Spirit is with you. You are your own prophet. What do you perceive God is doing, and how are you responding?

Charlton Heston

2008-04-07T06:41:00.000-05:00

I've known for a while now that Charlton Heston was gravely ill, still his passing affected me in odd ways. I first became familiar with his acting in the mid 1970s after watching The Planet of the Apes on tv. I thought Taylor was cool, although I didn't understand why he was screaming at the Statue of Liberty at the end of the movie. I wasn't very political at 6 years old, so the message was lost on me.

Of course I knew that Heston was Moses in The Ten Commandments. My mother would watch it every time it came on tv, about once a year. I would always get bored and fall asleep before the plagues. I don't think I've ever seen the end of that movie.

As an adult I have really enjoyed watching Ben Hur, and highly recommend it. No joke, good movie.

While I have not always appreciated Heston's acting abilities, I have always loved his voice. I think I could sit and listen to him read the phonebook. When I was in high school the traveling exhibit on Ramses II came to Fair Park in Dallas, and it was a really big deal, similar to what will take place when King Tut rolls through north Texas later this year. A group from my church went, because Ramses may have been the Pharaoh of the Exodus. We all got the audio guided tours and wore headphones and carried tape recorders (hey, it was 1988 or 89). When the tour began and I turned on the tape, it was Charlton Heston talking to me. I listened to every word about Ramses and all the different artifacts and enjoyed every minute of it.

My favorite Charlton Heston acting moment is from Wayne's World. I'm so glad Chuck could laugh at himself and have fun. You can watch the clip below. For some reason I think this is funny.

Experiencing God Questions

2008-03-27T06:22:00.000-05:00

We have about 80 adults in our church taking Experiencing God right now. This is the first time for most of those folks. They just completed the week that talks about how God pursues a love realtionship with us. Two concerns tend to surface about this time in the study.

First, how can I be sure that God is speaking to me? The study asks me to write down testimonies of how God has spoken to me and led me in the past, but I'm having a hard time. Is there something wrong with me? As I shared with the group last night, God has spoken to you and still does. Usually the issue is our attentiveness to the voice of God or our ability to know that it is God speaking. We have doubts, not about God, but about our ability to hear and know God's voice. Sometimes we have experiences which we believe were of God but we have a hard time putting it in words. First, keep asking God to reveal Himself to you - to speak to you in such a way that you will know it is God speaking and you will know what He is saying. Then pay attention to what happens next and expect God to speak to you. My second piece of advice is this: write down what happens. Keep a written account of your walk with God. You'll need it down the road when you are struggling and mad at God and you are listening to those voices telling you that you can't hear God, He doesn't speak to you, there must be something wrong with you. Pull out your journal and remind yourself that God has spoken, you did hear it, and God is consistent in revealing Himself to you. Our laziness is no excuse for not keeping an accurate record of our walk with God. That record, that testimony, will be a source of encouragement to ourselves throughout our days and will be part of a spiritual legacy we leave behind for our children. Our children need to hear our stories.

The second question is, "Why isn't my experience with God like Henry's?" As I said last night, many of us choose to live by sight and not by faith, effectively moving us out of God's will and causing us to miss out on the kinds of experiences with God that would fill spiritual journals with amazing stories. We make safe, selfish choices about how to live our lives to keep things controllable and predictable. The Blackabys made different choices, and have great stories to tell. They chose to risk and lose everything to follow God's leadership, they took Him at His word and took reckless steps into the unknown as God led, and they experienced God in amazing ways. Too many of us never have the chance to make those kinds of choices because we are not open to the possibilities. For instance, let's say we had openings for children's Sunday School teachers and we ask people to pray about the possibility that God will lead you to teach. How many actually pray and ask God to show them whether or not they should volunteer? Instead, we often assume that God is not going to call us to do it, so why bother praying about it? After all, I'm too busy, too old, too incompetent, too impatient, etc., so God won't call me to do it. And we're right, God won't ask us to do it because our hearts are too small and self-centered - we are closed to the leading of the Lord. God will call someone else whose heart is open to Him - they will get the work done and they will receive the blessing.

The people in scripture lived extraordinary lives because they abandoned themselves to the reckless, raging fury that is the love of God. It is not safe, it is not easy, it is not comfortable, it is not convenient, it does not make sense, but it is wonderful and miraculous. It is a walk with God, who promises His presence, His protection, and His provision, but it is a life to be lived by faith.

Birthdays

2008-03-20T08:19:00.000-05:00

Today is Michael's birthday. He is two. For your own safety, don't call or come by the house today. Kim isn't dealing well with this birthday. His first birthday was bad, but now that he is two...well, last night Kim was upset about losing our baby. I thought, where's he going? That was the wrong thing to say.

We took Michael to the dress rehearsal for the Easter Cantata. I thought he would be interested in the people and the music for a little while and then begin to run up on the stage and become part of the show. ("I don't remember a little boy at the crucifixion! Who's that?") But Michael sat very still and watched the whole thing. He called Pilate a "bad man." He was a little disturbed by the Via Dolarosa. He didn't like what they did to Jesus and was concerned when they carried him off after he died. He seemed to feel better about everything when Jesus appeared after the resurrection.

I can't help but wonder what he was thinking throughout the whole thing. As usual, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself. When we got home that night Kim got out his Bible and they read the Easter story again. I know Michael likes to hear stories about Jesus. Kim and I passionately hope and pray that his interest will turn into saving faith one day.

Kim goes to the doctor next week for her first check-up since the miscarriage. She seems to be doing well physically, and we are praying that everything will be ready for us to try to have another child. So, our hope is that this Easter will be a new beginning for the two of us as we celebrate Michael's birthday and send him off to college next week.

Kim and I love all of you and we wish you and your family a very blessed and renewing Resurrection Day. May the Lord fill us all with His living presence.

Indiana Jones

2008-03-12T08:32:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by continuing my thoughts about the Oyster Fest Parade. Perhaps what I got a kick out of most was the band being pulled in a flatbed trailer as they sang "Jolene." Classy and family friendly. I'm not sure what is more unsettling, that they were singing that song or that I recognized it instantly.

So, I don't have the words to describe how excited I am about Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I kid you not. I watched the preview for it the other day and I felt like I was 11 years old again. It was the same feeling I thought I would get when all the new Star Wars movies came out, but they were largely disappointing. But as soon as I saw Indy's shadow reach down and put on that familiar fedora, I was hooked.

I was 10, about to turn 11 when I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark. When it was over my heart was beating so fast I didn't know what to do with myself. I hardly slept that night because I was so excited (and freaked out - those guys melted, and Beloq's head exploded!). I was astounded at Indy's resilience and tenacity. He was smart, he was courageous, his motives were (largely) pure, and even though he was constantly getting the snot kicked out of him, he was a hero I could get on board with. I wanted to get a bullwhip and learn how to speak Hovitos (I wasn't going to be caught like Indy was). When I turned 13 things went south for me in a big way, and my teenage years were times I have worked hard to leave behind.

I was 18 years old when Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came out. I had just graduated from high school and was about to head to Brownwood, TX for college. This was supposed to be the last Indiana Jones movie, and everyone knew that going in. There I was, with one foot in the world of a teenager and the other foot about to be placed in the real world of adulthood and "the rest of your life," and for about two hours on a Friday night I could go back to feeling like I was 11 years old again. That was a good feeling -to move beyond the pain, regret, and stupidity of my teen years and reconnect emotionally to a time in my life when I was more hopeful, excited, and believed that an average joe could take on the Nazis and win, by the virtue of what was in his heart. My heart had become corrupt. I wanted it to become pure and child-like again. (And it has...it has just taken time.)

So I'm looking to escape for a little while on a Friday night this summer and go on one more adventure with Indiana Jones. What about you? What movie can you watch that makes you feel like a kid again? I would love to hear about it.

North Texas vs. South Texas

2008-03-11T06:41:00.000-05:00

Last week illustrates some of the differences between north Texas and south Texas. For instance, I am already mowing my lawn and treating fire ants. While it has been cool, it has not been winter, at least not what I am used to.

Here's a picture some friends of ours from Sherman sent us that shows what should be taking place this time of year.

Yes, children, that white stuff is called snow. In case you can't tell, it is almost nine inches of snow. While they were having winter, in south Texas we were having Oyster Fest.

In reality, Oyster Fest was no different from most carnivals or fairs I have been to, except the parade. I thought the parade reflected Rockport/Fulton beautifully. I have never seen so many boats being pulled in a parade before. Nor have I seen so many floats entered by resorts and RV parks. And it felt a little like Mardi Gras, with all the beads flying through the air. But I enjoyed every minute of it. We went with a large group of folks from the church and sat in front of Fulton Mansion. It was a beautiful day and the parade was a blast.

But there weren't any snowmen.

Depression, take 2

2008-03-03T08:25:00.000-06:00

Not long ago I finished reading the book Lincoln's Melancholy by Joshua Wolf Shenk. I thought the book was fascinating, and gives wonderful insight into the lives of those who battle melancholy (not clinical depression) and those who experience depression as a natural part of the grieving process related to the tragedies and losses of life. As I battle the ongoing depression I feel over the miscarriage almost a month ago now, two things about Lincoln help me greatly.

First, he never denied the way he felt or acted as if something was wrong that needed to be healed or fixed. There was no attitude of "keep your chin up," or "Buck up, little trooper," and Lincoln never tried to pull himself up by his bootstraps and soldier on. He hurt. He was moody, he was sad and grieving. He was distracted and distraught. During his presidency it was common for people to think that Lincoln was incompetent and didn't know what he was doing. But those opinions were never based on Lincoln's obvious depression. There was nothing "wrong" with him. He was just depressed. He acknowledged it, and took it in, and allowed it to shape who he was. Historians now believe that his depression gave him unique insight into how to face down and then bind up the nation's wounds. Lincoln could stay on the straight and narrow course of the war because he had stayed on the straight and narrow course through many times of grief and depression in his life. He knew it hurt now, but he also knew that sooner of later he would experience the other side of the darkness.

Secondly, when Lincoln was in the depths of his darkest and most depressing days, he went to work. On some days he could manage only some simple correspondence. On other days he could add cabinet meetings to that, and so on. Lincoln refused to be incapacitated by his emotions, and found things he could do, and put other things off to another day. When you are depressed, it may be that the best thing you can do is brush your teeth and call it a day. Other times you might be able to clean the bathroom, or answer emails. On another day you might be able to go to lunch with friends. The point is to do something, do what you can, and let the rest go for now. People ask me how I'm doing, and I say that I am doing fine. I'm depressed, but I'm fine. Although some days it is a struggle, I go to work. I study. I pray. I meet with people. I go to the hospital. I listen, I encourage, I laugh from time to time. Each day I do what I can. This past Sunday I preached although I was depressed. I hope folks couldn't tell and I hope I was not a distraction to the message, but I prepared a sermon and delivered it on schedule.

Peter writes that we have a living hope in Christ Jesus. So I choose to live. Christ is victorious, he has overcome the world, therefore I will not be defeated. Some days I hurt like hell, and I can't explain it. Other days there is just a note of sadness flowing beneath the surface of things, and I can't explain that. But in all things I want to live a victorious life and bear witness to the greatness of my Lord. So, today I got up and enjoyed a cup of coffee, spent time with the Lord, got ready and went down to the church. So far so good, and if that is all I accomplish today, it has been a good day. Praise God.

Young again

2008-02-27T06:44:00.001-06:00

For those of you who visit here on a regular basis, I apologize for not writing in a while. My schedule has not lent itself to writing every morning. Let me just say that in north Texas, grass dies in the winter. You may not have to mow your lawn from November through April, except for some weeds that can get tall. I am still getting used to the Tropics, where grass grows all the time and insects never die. It's February and I'm treating fire ant mounds. Something just doesn't seem right about that.

Anyway...I received many comments about the entry I wrote last week about teenagers. Many of you have expressed thankfulness that the Lord never gives up on us. Amen to that. Those of us who grew up in the church probably had meaningful encounters with Christ as teenagers. We were quick to make commitments and we were totally sincere. But, for so many, things didn't turn out like we thought. There are many reasons for that, but, needless to say, we can give thanks for a God who passionately pursues us over the course of our lives. Our God knows us so intimately that He even knew (before we knew Him!) all of the failure and sorriness we were capable of, and He called us and revealed Himself to us anyway. Whatever season of life you are in, this is the perfect time to be renewed and rediscover the passion for Christ you were capable of as a youth.

I am taking an informal survey: If you could go back and do it all over, and know what you know now, would you be a teenager again? Let me hear from you. Tell if you would and why or why not. You can email me at pastor@fbcrockport.org