on "Daily Bread"...

Recently I've had occasion to revisit--several times, I might add, through my own quiet times of reflection, or a word from a blog I follow, or even in a sermon I heard; God things, all--the prayer that Jesus models for us in His Olivet Discourse (more popularly known as the Sermon on the Mount). I'm sure most of you are familiar with the words He spoke in Matthew:

"Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."

The words I've been focusing on lately are the seven simple ones He prays in the prayer's only real physical request: "Give us this day our daily bread."

What I've been focusing on is just what, exactly, constitutes "daily bread". I've always found that part of His prayer interesting. He asks us not to look ahead to tomorrow, or focus on yesterday, but trust our Father to provide us what we need for sustenance for today. As evidence of this, Jesus tells us further on in His teaching, just a few verses later, where He tells us not to store up treasures here on earth, but in heaven, and not to worry about daily provisions...as our Heavenly Father will provide those to us as we have need.

I think this whole bit about trusting in God to provide for us on a daily basis is played out beautifully in Exodus. God's provision of literal "daily bread" in the form of manna is simple and yet powerful. The Israelites were told, with one exception, not to take any more than they needed for that day. Were they to take any more than this allotment, the leftovers would spoil and they'd have to toss it--probably at the risk of embarrassing themselves to their neighbors, friends, and family. It was an important lesson in trusting that God would provide for today, and do the same thing tomorrow.

I say all of this to let you know that I've really been taking Jesus' words here to heart, especially lately. Many of you know that we are in fairly significant financial debt. It's getting better, really--we're working very hard on whittling it down--but, the truth is, we're probably saddled with quite a few payments to creditors for several years, at the very least. It's not a fun situation to be in. Quite honestly, there are times when I wonder whether this burden will every be lifted. It's a demoralizing, depressing, embarrassing function of my financial immaturity. But I digress.

It's at these times that I have to force myself to take stock of all that God's given me. This includes the obvious material blessings (and they are many, despite my sinful desire for wanting more), as well as things I don't often stop to think of, such as family, friends, a job, my health...honestly, this list could go on and on, and that alone is evidence of God's grace in my life! And although I tend to think of the Lord's provision stretching into tomorrow and next week, and the years to come, I, like His children in the desert, need to recognize the bread that He's provided for me today.

It's hard, I admit. But I'm learning every time my mind wanders to the balance I owe for a particular debt, to simply thank God for the daily bread he's provided me with in the form of our bills being current. When I start to worry over whether we'll ever have the finances necessary to buy a home, or send the kids to college, or retire, I whisper, "Thank You, Lord, for my daily bread!", knowing that there's money in our checking account. Knowing that the God of all creation has it taken care of, to the point where I don't have to worry about our daily needs.

God promises us that, when we ask Him to, He will provide us what we need to make it through today. In so doing, He provides hope for tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after. The key, I'm discovering, is to keep our eyes focused on the blessings He provides for us today. Everything after that is already in His hand...which we'll discover tomorrow. And the day after. And the day after that...

a few thoughts from the weekend...

Let me say first that I've got a ton of great ideas in my head that I would love to get on paper (or, in this case, on the keyboard). What I'm lacking right now is time. So, if you are a faithful reader of my blog, thanks, and rest assured I will be musing away with some pretty meaningful stuff soon.

For now, though, here are a few things left over from this past weekend:

--Jacob will be having a little sister in May! For those of you who may not have heard yet, we actually announced this last weekend (1/25) at Jacob's first birthday party. Emily Faye Walton will join us in just a few short months! We couldn't be more thrilled at God's grace toward our family and are really looking forward to holding our newest little one!

--The Super Bowl turned out to be pretty good, huh? We got together at a friend's house and grilled out. It was a fun night. I was planning on only staying through halftime--when I thought the game would be a blowout--but, of course, ended up staying to watch the dramatic finish. Very, very good game, and highly entertaining. That's two years in a row now.

--Apartment prices have skyrocketed since we lived in one. We stopped by a new complex in Rockledge on Saturday, just to look (no, we're not planning on moving!). Granted, it was a "luxury" complex, with gated entrance, fitness center, et al, but, wow!! $950 for an 800sf 1BR/1BA. By the time you get to a 3/2, you may as well take out a mortgage. The most spacious place they had was an admittedly large 2000+ sf 3/2 with garage but, at over $1700 a month...well, I think you can get a lot of house for that. And these were all "special" prices--this week only, according to the woman who showed us around. Becki asked me later what I thought that meant. Simple. Those prices are only good for this week. Next week, though...they'll "extend" the deal.

--I'm becoming a bit of a data geek. Figured I may as well hone my current job skills, which involve a lot of data analysis and reporting, so that when the next job comes along I'll be a genius at it. I've been stuck at "intermediate" level for a while when it comes to Excel, and never really delved into Access. So, I'm cracking the books open and diving into teaching myself both of those. So far, actually, I'm enjoying it. Pocket protector to follow...

ditching the idiot box...

We reached sort of a watershed moment in our house last week. A point that will hopefully serve as a turning point in our lives and will provide us with more purpose, more life, and more creativeness as individuals and as a family.

We got rid of our satellite TV service.

Now, before I go on, I should mention that we have not physically removed our TVs from the house. I honestly toyed with this quite a bit and decided that was slightly too radical for right now. In fact, we went ahead and bought a new digital TV converter box and hooked that up, so we'll still be receiving "over the air" broadcast signals. (And just a note here--I am really amazed at how clear the picture is, even with our old rabbit ear antenna. Almost all the major networks come in and, once we save up for and buy a multi-directional antenna, we should easily receive upwards of 30 channels very clearly, and, best of all, free of charge!) What's happened is we've now become more intentional about what we watch and how much of it we expose ourselves to. It is, honestly, a nice feeling to not "worry" about missing a show anymore. Funny how you don't really miss it when it's not there anymore.

We'd been praying and thinking about doing this for quite a while now, for two reasons: One, it's going to be nice having an extra $70 in our budget every month. Two, it's going to be even nicer to not be slave to mindless drivel nearly as much. I say that because, yes, there are a few shows we still like to watch and will plan to catch when we can (although I will definitely miss the convenience of the DVR. Turns out they used to make these things called "VCRs" that may work OK for that purpose, though!). But one of the things that bothered me about having literally hundreds of channels to choose from was I could easily, at any point, drop what I was doing, plop myself on the couch, and "channel surf" to my heart's content. And I found myself doing that often. It was way too easy to unplug from the world around me, in other words--and I'm at a point in my life where I definitely need to be plugged in and purposeful with my time. I guess I'm admitting here that I'm weak in this area, and needed to cut it from my life. And I don't mind telling you I don't have a problem with that.

Case in point: I found myself last month watching some show on MTV--you'll remember them;they used to show music videos?--and, about 10 minutes into this pathetic excuse for entertainment, I literally shook myself awake, verbally asked myself what I was doing, and clicked the "off" button. It had gotten that bad--I could no longer keep myself accountable and, therefore, couldn't justify the expense, both in money and time, that my television watching habits garnered.

So, an era ends. Personally, after just a few days, I'm loving it. I look forward to spending our time as a family finding other avenues of entertainment and growing together instead of letting mindless media dictate that for us.

At least until football season... (just kidding!)

Happy Birthday, Jacob!!

Hard to believe it's been 365 days since we were introduced to our adorable, wonderful son, but it has! I clearly remember meeting him for the very first time, feeding him formula as his Mom recovered, holding him in my arms, and then the sheer elation I experienced as I handed him to Becki and to finally be together as a family. All wonderful memories that come flooding back one year later. I also remember thinking how tiny he was, and that I would never want him to grow up, but that we had plenty of time for all that.

And, yet, here we are at the milestone of his first birthday. I'm afraid to blink, lest I miss his first words (which, I'm convinced, will either be "Gators" or "moose"!), his first "real" steps, potty training, his first fishing experience, his first date, or graduating college!

Wow, does time fly... Son, when you read this someday, I want you to know how profoundly you've changed the lives of your mother and I. We are so proud of you and count each minute we are allowed to spend with you as sheer joy. You have brought us such an incredibly wide range of emotions over your first year...from unbridled happiness to unmitigated worry and, yes, even sheer terror (though you won't remember your first ambulance ride, I'll always have it burned into my brain; ask me about it later!). You are truly a gift from the Lord above and I am absolutely humbled to be your Dad.

Happy First Birthday, Son!

To my own Dad: I don't say it often enough, but this year has taught me what an incredible father and person you are, and I love you very much. To have this experience gives me the utmost respect and adulation for you, and I pray that I can be half the father you were for me. Thank you for providing a shining example for me to follow as I raise my own son...and soon to be children!

on vacation and prayer

We're on vacation this week. We rented a gorgeous mountain home in Blue Ridge, GA for our parents and my sister and we're enjoying the cold weather (and hopefully a little snow!), the "rustic/luxury" cabin, good food, and a lot of fun. Weird how a week can seem so long when you start your Monday off in an office, but so short when you're in this environment--I'm already mourning Saturday, when we have to leave.

On the way here, we were privileged to spend a couple of days with our good friends Scott and Carmen Copeland. Scott is one of my best friends and, although we never seem to talk all that much throughout the year, when we are able to get together every 12 months or so, we pick up right where we left off and have a blast!

Anyway, Scott joined the staff of Brookwood Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, GA recently, so, naturally, we tagged along on Sunday morning. Scott did his normal bang-up job of leading us in worship and then the pastor, Dean, gave one of the more simplistic yet thought-provoking messages I've heard in a long time.

Dean really challenged his congregation with the premise that, in order to be the community God had called them to be and, most importantly, make an impact on their surroundings, there were several things that needed to be paramount in not only the individual lives of the congregation, but the corporate entity, as well. To be honest (and Dean, if you're reading this, I apologize!), I forgot what the others were. But his last point was the sharpest and, at least for me, thought-provoking. Simply put, Dean felt (and I wholeheartedly agree here) that what was missing in their congregation was prayer. Communication with God.

Why is it that churches push programs and money and resources but seem to fall woefully short when it comes to the basic premise of communicating with the very One who sustains them? For that matter, why do those of us who claim to know Him intimately? Understand that I am implicating myself here, as well.

Pastor Dean shared several practical and powerful illustrations from the Bible on Sunday that pointed directly to the awesome impact of the saints' perseverance in the simple act of prayer. He talked of how Peter's companions, in Acts 12, "prayed very earnestly" and were rewarded greatly when he showed up miraculously at their door. He pointed out the incredible fact that Jesus, before He began His ministry here on earth, spent 40 days and nights seeking His Father in prayer. Remember that this is God Himself illustrating the importance of humble obedience in this area--I mean, if God not only says it, but practices it, how much more should we? Finally, Dean, of course, led us to Ephesians 6, where we are told to "pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere."

Finally, and probably most emotionally--at least for me--we were treated to a video story of a modern-day miracle of prayer named Danny Velasco. I present a similar story here, for your viewing pleasure. An incredible story of a man who was dying, a woman who prayed, and, because of her faithful prayer, a God who saved:



As I was listening to all of this on Sunday morning, I wondered why we don't take prayer much more seriously. And I wondered if it's because we simply lack the faith that God still answers prayers miraculously. I also wondered what would happen if we knew that the Thing we were praying for would happen. Would we clamor to hit our knees far more often? I think the answer is obvious. And, yet, God DOES promise to hear us and answer. He is faithful.

We look to so many things other than the power of prayer to change our world for Christ. May we be constantly reminded, on a daily basis, of the powerful, life-changing, awesome impact of the simplicity of communication with the One who created and sustained us. It is in this communication that we experience the miraculousness of His Power in our ordinary lives.

National Champions

Hey guys...as a couple of you have reminded me (and, seriously, thanks...), I have not blogged at all this week. Truth be told, I've been sick with a cold and we've been scrambling to try and get stuff done for our vacation this week, so spare time has been at a bare minimum lately.

But I did want to take a minute to say how proud I am to be a Florida Gator tonight! 2008 National Champions. Second in the last three years. It was a heck of a battle with the Oklahoma Sooners tonight, but we managed to pull out a 24-14 victory and I couldn't be more thrilled!

Just wanted to say that, as always, it's Great To Be A Florida Gator!!!

random Monday morning thought...

While working out this morning:

"There is nothing better than shooting baskets in a empty gym...one with real hardwood floors, regulation sized court, and intact nets."

Deep, I know.

a list of things to be thankful for...

So, in honor of Turkey Day (more formally known as Thanksgiving), I thought I'd take a moment out to make a list of just some of the many things I am thankful for.

It's so easy to get wrapped up in a negative, victim attitude and think that the whole world is on our shoulders. I know I have to work really hard at avoiding that mindset. And what makes it so ironic is that those of us in the United States--even at our "worst"--live life better than probably 95% of the world's population. Who are we to complain? Anyway, this is something that helps me remember just how very much God has blessed me. I hope it helps you, too.

1. A gorgeous, loving wife and an adorable son who love me far more than I deserve.
2. A new son or daughter just 6 months away!
3. A beautiful, comfortable, spacious home in a great neighborhood and location.
4. A great looking, functional, and well-running minivan in the garage.
5. Good, healthy food on the table at all times.
6. An extended family that loves me.
7. Friends to share life, laughter, and love with.
8. A good paying, steady job...as well as several other income-producing projects that Becki and I are able to work together at "on the side".
9. I'm breathing and in relatively good health.
10. Plenty of good books to read.
11. The knowledge that, even when things are tight, it will all be OK because HE says it will!
12. Being a Florida Gators fan!!
13. Knowing that there is so much more "out there" for me to explore, enjoy, investigate, and become.
14. Living in, despite all of its issues, the greatest country in the world.
15. Cool, crisp fall nights.
16. A Savior who loves the unlovable me.

I'm sure I'll think of many more....and I'll come back and add them later....but, for now, here's just a short list to greet you all this Thanksgiving morning. Have a blessed one!

election day musings...(long!)

I cast my vote this morning. Glad that's over with. I am looking forward to not having to watch any more political infomercials, having my mailbox stuffed with ads, or receiving unsolicited calls from candidates, at least for 3 years or so.

One note from the polls: I don't get why so many people went to vote early. I've read reports of people standing in line for "early voting" for up to 6 or 8 hours. This morning, we were in and out in 10 minutes. And I don't ever recall, in all my years of voting, waiting more than just a few minutes on Election Day. So, yeah...I don't get it. Of course, maybe one of the reasons there were no lines today--a lot of folks voted early? Still...

Anyway, here are a few points I'd like to make from today, as well as the last few months:

1. My number one issue for today was taxes and the economy. Yeah, I know. As a Christian, I'm supposed to put "abortion" and "gay marriage" in this slot. I'll cover those two topics in a moment--one is still important to me, the other, not so much anymore--but for now let me just say that I really worked hard at aligning myself with a candidate who I felt spoke for what I believed in here (and it wasn't Obama...or McCain). If you've read my blog at all in the past year, you know that I've become a huge believer in Fair Tax, and I remain convinced not only of it's merits but also of the opinion that a complete overhaul of our tax system is the ONLY thing that will save our economy. We HAVE to stop spending frivolously and start being accountable for taxpayers' money. I not only want to know how my money gets into the hands of our government, but, more importantly, what happens to it when it's there. If we can get our financial house in order (a pipe dream, maybe, I know), we can solve so many of our problems. But, in my opinion, it has to start with a fair, balanced, simple tax system that will actually increase revenue combined with a spending cooldown until our budget is balanced.

2. OK, let's talk about the social issues for a moment. To many of you, when I wrote the paragraph above, I was automatically labeled "pro-choice", simply becase the abortion debate wasn't at the front of my mind when I went to the voting booth today. And therein lies the problem. Growing up as an Evangelical Christian, I was taught that this issue trumped anything else on the ballot. Period. In fact, I remember in my early days of voting basing my entire decisions simply on whether the particular candidate was "pro-life" or not. If I wasn't sure, my church would help me out with a handy dandy "voters' guide" that I could even take with me into the booth, just to make sure I didn't screw anything up. Don't get me wrong here--I definitely see the great, great merit in this issue, and understand for some people this is literally the deciding one. I could probably write several paragraphs on this subject alone, but I'll summarize my point by saying that I truly believe the manner in which we--Christians and/or "pro-lifers"--address this important issue is simply all wrong. We should be reaching out to the women who have to make choices like this and, instead of demonizing and vilifying them from behind judicial lines, help them with the practical issues that they'll have to go through--such as, for example, how to successfully carry their baby to term and, once here, place it in a loving home. (There's a great story about this on Greg Boyd's site, as well as some other thoughts I readily agree with; check it out here.) In addition, we need to create commonality with those "pro-choicers" who, believe it or not, are almost overwhelmingly AGAINST more abortions in general. As pointed out in a fantastic commentary here, judicially we are no closer to solving the abortion problem than we were 20 years ago. And to circle back around to my number one issue from above, it seems that a stunning 75% of all abortions in this country are carried out because of poverty. How great would it be to both reinvent our fledgling monetary policies while at the same time completely eliminating the major reason for abortion?

For the record here, as long as there is a vote, and as much as possible, I will always vote "pro-life". I do believe that abortion is murder, and unborn babies need to be protected. But I also believe that our approach to this issue is a completely flawed one that needs social action and justice, especially from the Evangelical Christian church--and quickly.

As for homosexual marriage, I have to admit I've softened on this quite a bit. Yes, I do believe homosexual behavior is a sin according to God's Word (just as much as lying, cheating, and adultery), but, again, we risk alienating the very people we are trying to reach with Christ's message when we use a broad brush to try and legislate our values on those who simply are not ready to accept them. As a more practical--and, I believe, effective--approach, I wonder what would happen if we befriended these same people and lived a dynamic, different life as Christ asked us to--one that would have them practically begging to know what The Difference is? Instead, again, we use the wrong approach when we try to legislate morality (in both of these issues, as well as a host of others) from behind judicial lines. I'm also struck by the irony that the very entity that is driving this edict--again, the Evangelical Christian church--has a divorce rate higher than that of the society around it. Who are we to judge when we are unable to live the life of commitment that God-ordained marriage demands?

Again, I do have the opinion that marriage should be one man and one woman in a committed, lifelong, God-centered union. But I also realize there are those that don't think that way. For me to attempt to shove my belief--which is not at all judicially or politically created, but God-centered--on someone else, especially without appealing to their heart, is simply wrong. This is a moral issue, and I simply believe, in a free country, we are unable to legislate morality.

3. As you can tell, I'm undergoing a bit of a revolution when it comes to my faith and my politics. I was never really that much into politics in the first place, but recently, with the historic election this year, I've attempted to get a bit more into it (as evidenced here and here). The last few weeks and months I've been really reading some radical stuff that goes completely against the grain, so to speak. It started when I read Jim Wallis' "God's Politics" a few months ago. I enjoyed it for the most part, and Jim made some good points but, frankly, I felt he was advocating leaning too far to the left (read: "Democrat") in an effort to seem "radical". For instance, the whole "legislating morality" issue? That applies to things like poverty, as well (something Wallis believes should be addressed through our government, which I don't completely disagree with). You can't tell me what to do with my money, even if it's for a noble cause. This, by the way, is something that makes me distrustful of Obama's platform--the "redistribution of wealth" from those of who, apparently, by the government's decree, don't need it. Anyway, although I do believe Wallis has some neat ideas for how our Christian faith should interact with our political involvement, I do have to say that I do disagree with him on many issues.

Bring on Greg Boyd, of Christus Victor Ministries. I don't even remember how I stumbled onto his site, but I did, and I have to say it's been really eye-opening for me. I'll let you draw your own conclusions by exploring his thoughts here, but I'll also try to summarize what I've learned from him. Probably all you need to know is summed up in the title of his book, "The Myth of a Christian Nation". I realize that's offensive to some of you, and I don't mean to be offensive, but Greg makes a point that I've felt to the core of my being for a long time now. When did we, as Christians, start equating being a United States citizen with being a citizen of the Kingdom of God? When did we start placing our nationality above our "kingdomality"? And where did we get the crazy idea that our forefathers crafted our nation to be solely a Christian one? I frankly have not seen it and I don't get it. After all, weren't they fleeing from religious persecution--from, ironically, a state-mandated religious monarchy? Sure, our nation's ideals and values are based on Judeo-Christian ethics...but that's not the same thing. Is it?

Boyd makes the distinction, both in his book and through the sermons that he preached that inspired it (you can listen to them by going here, starting with the 4/18/2004 archive), between the kingdom of this world (maintained by government) and the Kingdom of God. He suggests that the two are necessarily isolated and, often, diametrically opposed. He points out that serving our Heavenly King is our top priority and we are to serve Him even when--especially when?--it's opposed to our political leanings.

What does this mean? It means we should stop trusting in our government so much. Indeed, he makes the assertion that all governmental systems should be viewed with a healthy suspicion, as well as the knowledge that, while some good can always come from anything God created, looking to place our hopes and trust and faith and future on those very systems--no matter how "good" we may think they are--will always leave us wanting for more.

Greg cements what I've been feeling for a very long time now...that Christians as a whole are too wrapped up in the political process to make an impact for Christ in the world around us. Instead of changing those around us with "Calvary Love" as he calls us, we look to our government to enact legislation in order to "make" that change happen. Instead of serving others simply because Christ asked us to, we look to our elected officials to come up with the capital and resources, so we won't get our hands dirty. Instead of putting our arms around those who feel unloved and despised and simply loving them because they are a child of God, we stand behind a voting booth every four years to "vote our conscience" and, in so doing, make bastards out of the very people God sent His Son to die for.

I've long believed that God is disgusted with His "church" here in the United States. We've traded a Kingdom mindset for political processes, forgetting that, rather than legislating our morality and having our way, He's empowered us and commanded us to love one another. Christ has called us to be His hands and feet, and we should be determined to do that with no political affiliation, with no regard for party politics, with no expectations of our government and the kingdom of this world coming to the rescue. If Christians want to change the world, it begins with each one of us. Not our elected officials.

In the meantime, of course, by all means, pray for our great nation and its leaders. But do so with the understanding that God has His Hand on His Church. NOT any nation, no matter how "good". May He be glorified....

debating the race...

Note: This post was actually written several weeks ago, which is why you may be confused by some of the references to time in it. I prayed and thought long and hard about posting this, mainly because I don't want to come off as arrogant or ignorant (both of which I have tremendous capability of being!). The following represents a bit of a simplicity in politics, I know, but, what can I say: I'm a simple man.

Anyway, enjoy. And don't rake me too much across the coals should you decide to leave a comment. Thanks.


The second (and, I think, last) Presidential Debate is on tonight. I'm not watching it. I started out this year with the grandest of intentions; to really dig deep, get inside the candidates' heads and figure out their stance on the issues important to me. I've watched history unfold as we've seen the first African-American Presidential candidate accept his party's nomination. Even if he doesn't win, we'll still mark a historic moment with the first woman Vice President ever to be elected to office. It was my hope that, with the "change" that Barack Obama has been talking about, and the folksiness that Sarah Palin exhibits, there would be a clean, honest, insightful race to the White House.

I've been dissapointed. I guess my expectations are just too high. Maybe it's just me, but I've yet to hear from either candidate real, solid answers for dealing with the avalanche of challenges and issues we all are facing in the United States of America today. Instead, well, it's more of the same. "Barack did this, or didn't do that." "McCain is George Bush reincarnated." Finger pointing. Mud flinging. Attacking character. Name-calling.

I realize here that I'm supposed to, as a "conservative", "good" Christian (as opposed, I guess, to a "bad" Christian?), place all of the blame in the Obama camp and wave my flag for McCain/Palin. But that just wouldn't be correct. Unfortunately, one side is as bad as the other. We were just talking last night about McCain's promise that the last few days of his campaign would be focused squarely on sullying Obama's character. Which, to me, serves to distract us from the flaws in his own character.

So, let me be clear here: I'm equally disgusted with the Republican campaign as I am with the Democrats fight.

I just simply don't get why we can't have someone who will run on the basis of what he intends to do for our country's problems rather than what the other guy will/will not/did/did not do. And I understand that this--the attacking of the other guy--is how it's "always" been done. But that doesn't make it right, does it? Hopefully you can tell the internal struggle I have with all of this.

Just once, I'd love to have someone stand up and say, "Well, Dan, I don't know how my fellow American over there, the gentleman I am in competition with, would answer that--you'll have to ask him and work out the details with him--but here's how I would tackle that problem." Of course, I get that this is a "perfect world" scenario. But, still, a guy can dream, can't he?

So, I guess I've got just a few weeks to figure this all out. For the record, I'm almost certain I will go with McCain in the voting booth--there are just too many things that scare me about having Obama in the Oval Office--but I have to confess I'm not real confident about either of these men. Or their running mates (although I do honestly like Sarah Palin, and, actually, Joe Biden seems like a nice guy, too).

And that brings me to one last point.

Wouldn't it be nice to have more than two choices for this important election? I watched a few minutes of a speech from Ron Paul this morning in which he pointed out this flaw in our two-party system. Basically, it was never designed to be a two-party system. In that, Americans lose the ability to select who they believe would best run the country and, instead, vote for the "lesser-of-two-evils". Honestly, that's what I will be doing.

I wish it wasn't that way, but it is. Whatever happens, though, I put my trust in Jesus. To many Christians are up-in-arms over this election (and, frankly, politics in general) when they should be focusing on their need to follow Jesus' call. After all, Jesus said his kingdom would not come through the politics of men. Jesus--and those who followed Him while He was on this earth--changed the world around them not by employing political or economic movements. Instead, they rolled up their sleeves and went to work helping anyone who would talk with them, investing in the lives of everyone they met. I wonder why we think that it's different today?

Whatever happens, though...remember to pray for our leaders. Whoever they may be.

frankie say "relax"...

Seriously, folks, chill out!

From a "worldly" standpoint, I suppose there is plenty to be worried about today. We have a critical election coming up in just a couple of weeks. Some people I've spoken to (both in and out of the Christian community) believe either nirvana or Armageddon is coming, depending on who they're opposed to in the election. Meanwhile, to listen to the experts out there (read: "media pundits") we are going through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Which may or may not be true.

But that brings me to my point. Should we, as Christ-followers, be as worried as we are? I have Christian friends taking the above two points so seriously that they can barely sleep at night. I've actually heard others say that if Obama's elected President, they're moving to Canada (which we hear every election, but, still...). Is it right to get so wrapped up in all of this that we forget that our Heavenly Father is in complete control?

Don't get me wrong here--I'm not advocating being completely apathetic to politics or the economy. In fact, I believe it's important to stay involved in the political process and make your vote count. And who doesn't want to know where our money's going? When it comes to that, though, I'm always reminded of how God showed the Isrealites the scope of His care on a daily basis...He provided more than they needed, but did it day-by-day. I guess He was asking them not to look ahead, but to trust Him for each day's needs. I would assume it's the same today.

I have alot more to say about this, but I'll let my blog buddy Seth Barnes take it from here. He's got a fantastic entry on this very subject here. Enjoy.

on the bailout, the sports world, and new beginnings...

I had a blog all ready to post this morning about how I was disgusted with the electoral process and the candidates' tactics to this point. In the interest of not revealing my ignorance of politics, however, I've decided not to reveal it. Suffice to say, I am tired of the whole race, I'm not sure that I'm voting for anything better than the cliched "lesser of two evils", I wish there more than 2 candidates to choose from (as Ron Paul states in this video clip), and we need someone who will give us solid answers, not "well, he did this, and I won't".

Sigh.

If I get enough requests, and if you'll all promise not to go too hard on me, I'll post it. Be warned, though--I ramble quite a bit. But, if you're interested in reading it, leave me a comment and I'll do my best to oblige.

Turning to ligher matters (for the most part):

-The Walton Family is gaining a new member, arriving in June 2009. I know, I know, we're nuts. But, whatever...we're also richly blessed. Becki's only 5 weeks along (we think), so, obviously there's really nothing to report right now, but we will update as we get news. We'd only been trying for a few weeks, so, uh, I guess everything works pretty well. When we get back from the hospital with our new little one, it's separate bedrooms. Not for the kids. For us!

-I'm not sure what to think of the sports world anymore, expect that it's completely on it's ear. In college football, upsets are the norm (expect in the Big 12, where Oklahoma and Missouri remain undefeated). USC, Georgia, and, yes, my Gators all upset pretty badly. In the NFL--hey, the Dolphins are actually fun to watch, and just doubled their win total from last season! And don't forget baseball. The Tampa Bay Rays--yes, kids, Tampa--are in the ALCS gunning for a spot in the World Series. At least the Cubs gave us some semblance of normalcy by collapsing in the playoffs.

-Fall is officially here. I guess. Here in Florida, we'll start feeling maybe in late December...just in time for the thaw in early January. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but Becki and I are making plans to spend a week--along with our families--in the mountains of North Georgia in January and can't wait for the cold! I would love to introduce my son to real snow, too...here's hoping. Anyway, how crazy is it to start thinking seriously about Thanksgiving and Christmas plans? Seems like yesterday we were celebrating July 4th...

-Isn't it great that we've been saved from financial Armageddon thanks to our elected officials' brilliant $700 Billion bailout package? I was really worried there for a while. Please note the dripping sarcasm. My buddy Scott has a great post about this subject here. And I thought Dave Ramsey had a fantastic alternative, in addition to some great comments. Too bad nobody listened. I'd ask what this is going to do for the homeowners--should I say soon-to-be-EX-homeowners--out there, but I already know. What it will do is distract us from the problems that got us here in the first place and help those responsible--yes, including the foolish borrowers--avoid responsibility. Not that "responsible" and "elected official" ever belong next to each other.

OK, so that last one wasn't so light. Good way to end, I guess...

on 1 Chronicles 14:14-17...

Note: Here's another entry from my journal as I continue to read through Seth Barnes' The Art of Listening Prayer.


"And once again, David asked God what to do...so David did what God commanded, and he struck down the Philistine army. So David's fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David."

What a fascinating concept David illustrates here. He asks questions of God as though He were sitting at the table with him, right there. And God answers. Rather than procrastinate or make excuses, David acts...and, of course, is successful. It's interesting to note that, in verse 17, it was David who got the glory. I wonder if he even wanted it? Nevertheless, it's clear that God orchestrated the whole thing, and communicated this to David.

Lord, I wish I had the heart of David. I wish I had the courage to ask You questions and to expect an answer. I say I do, but I don't really think I am doing that. I know You're trying to speak to me now, God...please let me be still enough to listen! I doubt this whole "dialogue" thing so much, but I know it works, because I can see the fruit of it in others' lives. Father, please cast my doubt aside!

Was yesterday one of those days where Your voice was shouting at me? Mark Balmer of Calvary Chapel took a break from his current sermon series on Exodus--the one week we decided to go and check the church out--and speak on a subject that's been on my mind and heart quite often lately: living desperately for Jesus. He referenced Luke 9:1-11, where Jesus sends His disciples out to do His work. He tells them not to take much--nothing, really--with them, in an effort to leave their "comfort zone" behind and trust fully in His provisioning. Basically, abandoning all to Him.

Are you telling me something here, Lord? Can this be mere coincidence? Or am I reading more into this than is actually there? God, I've heard You say to me the last few weeks that You have great and wonderful things planned for me. What does that look like? Do I have the faith to step out and let You lead completely? Why do I doubt You? Show me, God, what You would have me do!! Lord, like David, give me the faith to act on it...for Your glory, Father!!

back from a blogging break...

Well, I really didn't think I would let that much time go by, but I look up and see that it's been a solid two weeks since I posted! I don't have a great excuse for not keeping up with things here; truth be told, I simply haven't felt like writing lately. What's strange is, I have thoughts that go through my head that I'll think I should write about (and, of course, these thoughts occur when I'm away from my laptop), but I never get around to it sometimes. That's been amplified these last couple of weeks, for some reason.

I did switch my schedule at work, to a night shift, so maybe that's got something to do with it. Right now I'm getting home between 11pm and midnight on the weekdays and, no matter how much I may want to, I haven't gotten up as early as I've planned to. Which eats into my "creative" time (for me, the mornings). Anyway, no matter what, welcome back. Thanks for sticking with me.

Here are a few things going on in my (our) life recently:

- College Football is back. Thank goodness. I won't spend much time here on this subject (although I do love to write about it--maybe another, separate blog is in order?) except to say I'm thrilled to have something other than baseball and golf to watch on Saturdays. I'm giving a bigger welcome back to the NFL, too, than I normally would, simply because of my involvement in several Fantasy Football teams. I told you about this several weeks ago, if you'll remember. Turns out I went a little overboard--I've got 3 NFL teams and a college team and, frankly, it's really hard to keep track of all of them. I'm concentrating on just one more than the others, so we'll see what happens. So far the results have not been good. Note to self: just one team next year. Please.

- We will be buying a new car soon (like in the next few days). For those of you who get our family update emails, you know that both of our cars are getting into retirement age. We actually had a bunch of work done to the Kia, but still feel like it's time to move on. God has richly blessed us by providing the funds to go do this, so we'll be buying a "new to us" car--probably a minivan--soon and selling our other two. We looked at a really nice Chrysler Town & Country the other day and made what I thought was a very fair offer, but the guy said no way, even though it's been sitting with no action for three months. I was kind of bummed about that, as I thought for sure it was a done deal. Oh, well, just means God's got something else in store for us!

- Jacob's first tooth is starting to come in. Accordingly, Mommy and Daddy's sleep has started to erode away! Actually, it hasn't been too bad. He's a tough kid and faring pretty well. Hard to believe he's 8 months old already!

- The IRS finally came through. As I wrote about here, our economic stimulus check was massively late. Well, it finally came. Needless to say, it made a quick entrance into and exit from our bank account, as we really needed it. And there's actually good news from this whole thing. Last week we got notice that, somehow, we had overpaid our taxes and would be getting an actual refund of around $1200 in about six weeks or so! Now, based on what I know of the IRS, I'm taking a "wait and see" approach on this...so, if it does indeed come, it will be a nice bonus. But whatever happens getting an IRS envelope is usually not a pleasant thing, so the fact we don't owe anymore is big. Again, I'll let you know what happens.

red letters: a review

Several months ago, I was provided with a complimentary copy of Tom Davis' book, Red Letters:Living a Faith that Bleeds, through a blog I frequently visit. You can read the offer by clicking here. Incidentally, take some time to look through Seth's blog...I have been spending quite a bit of time there in the last few months and have been really moved by what I've read and seen. So much so, in fact, I believe God is starting to stir my soul to complete abandon to Him. What that means I'm still not sure of, but I digress. As promised to those who provided this book to me, here is my brief and humble review.

Red Letters: Living a Faith That Bleeds is a straightforward, simple book. In writing that, I don't mean to devalue the message that Davis is sharing. In fact, I believe his writing style enhances his message, which was clearly written from the breaking of his heart. Tom starts our journey by introducing us to Kirill, a young boy who he met on the cold, dark streets of Vladimir, Russia, who also just happened to be Jesus. You'll have to read the book to understand that statement, but it is a powerful and valid one.

Throughout the rest of the book, Tom lays out the reasons we, as Christ Followers, should be consumed with expanding our borders and reaching out to a world that desperately needs to be touched by God's love, and not just told about it. He makes the argument that, in our world today, there is absolutely no excuse to allow the things that go on...things like disease, hunger, criminal injustice, and the like. With the globalization of the world around us, we have, more than in any era in human history, the resources and power to literally wipe these things from the face of our planet. As Bono, of U2 fame, is quoted:

"We are the first generation that really can do something about the kind of "stupid" poverty that sees children dying of hunger in a world of plenty or mothers dying for lack of a 20-cent drug that we take for granted. We have the science, we have the resources, what we don't seem to have is the will."

Harsh words, I know. But I also know he's right. Although he touches on many instances in our world where there is a lack of social justice, Tom's main topic is the AIDS crisis in Africa. The statistics are there, and they're sobering, but what makes this book so compelling are the stories. I've always been a numbers kind of guy: logical, rational, calculated. Sure, the numbers here have an impact on me. It's hard to ignore a statement like: "Though the region (Africa) is home to just over 10 percent of the world's population, it contains more than 60 percent of all people living with HIV." But it's impossible to ignore the heart-breaking stories that he shares. Stories like Adanna's, who watched her parents and sister agonizingly wither away from AIDS and who, at just 10 years old, is now in charge of her younger siblings. Like most girls her age in this position (and there are many in Africa), Adanna, having exhausted all of her resources to provide food for her family, is left with the unimaginable choice to trade one last thing--sex. Unfortunately, this is a common theme throughout the stories in Tom's book.

But, scattered among them...there is also hope. Stories of hope from those who have already answered the call. Hope that we can make a difference. Hope that we will.

As I stated a few paragraphs ago, Tom's message is straightforward, simple, but also extremely hard-hitting. Consider the opening sentence:

"The Christian church owes an apology to the almost fifty million individuals in our world currently infected with HIV/AIDS."

Our apologies can't come in the form of words. Red Letters is a call to action. Will we mobilize together and share God's Love the way He intended for us to? Will we observe and follow Christ's words (hence the "Red Letters" allusion)? Or will we continue to live in our "comfort comas", not oblivious to the plight around us--for it can't really be ignored--but apathetic to it?

I know I've been challenged by this book to do more. That's a broad statement, I know, and while I don't believe God is necessarily calling me to Africa to do it, I do believe there are opportunities in my immediate vicinity to be His hands and feet. May I answer the call...

on John 10:2-4

Note: I'm currently reading through a 30-day devotional book called The Art Of Listening Prayer, by Seth Barnes. True to form for me, the 30 days so far have not been consecutive, but I'm trying! Anyway, through this devotional I'm learning more about what true conversation with God really is, and how to still ourselves to hear His Voice. It's not an easy thing for me--in fact, I confess that I'm struggling with the concept. As I wrote in my journal this morning, I understand the mechanics behind God's actual speaking, but I struggle with the trust and patience required to actually hear Him. Still, He is teaching me amazing things so far...and I'm recognizing that listening really is an art to be practiced.

This first post is an entry from my journal. I will follow with others as I am on this journey. As always, thanks for reading.


"...a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice."

Sheep don't understand English (I don't think), so it's impossible for them to know what the shepherd is saying. So, how do they "recognize" his voice? They know the tone, the inflection, the volume, the accent of the one speaking. They know all this intimately from spending time with him. Out in the wilderness, with no one around, no distractions, no noise, the shepherd's voice becomes clear and loud. They can't help but listen. Through weeks, months, even years of listening to his voice, the sheep know their shepherd.

Although we may not always audibly "hear" God speak (in fact, this is a rare occasion), we recognize His voice--the tone, the inflection, the volume, the accent--by spending time with Him. Like anything, the more time we devote to this, the better we hear. Simple things, such as a gentle prodding, a "feeling", a stirring in our soul, even circumstances that align themselves in such a manner that we sense His shouting at us--these are all actually God speaking! And though we don't always hear the actual words, His voice leads us! The questions for me, for us is: Will we follow?

we're waterlogged...but fine

So, just a quick update from my post yesterday, since so many of you have been asking. We're fine, thankfully. The water is still high in many areas of Viera, but appears to be receding quite a bit in our neighborhood. Which is good, because it's back to work for me in the morning.

I remember not too long ago posting that I was almost hoping for a Hurricane to swing through, because I was looking forward to some time off of work. How foolish of me. Right about now (well, actually, a day or two ago) I am ready to get back to "normal" and see the sun again. This has been the strangest storm I've ever seen and has done more damage than any Hurricane I can remember (in our area, at least). So much rain...we're well over 20 inches.

Yep, I'm glad to see Fay truck on outta here.

As promised, here are a few pictures I snapped on one of my walks around the neighborhood. No, I didn't have a boat. Yes, I got wet.

on Tropical Storm Fay...

OK, Fay never made it to Hurricane status...but it sure as heck feels like it.

As most of you no doubt know by now, Tropical Storm and Pain-In-The-Rear Fay made landfall in SW Florida early Tuesday morning, then swept north-northeast across the state, where she plopped her drenching rain and gusty winds right on top of us. To say the last 36 hours or so have been an adventure would be putting it mildly. We've literally had constant rain and gusting wind since around noon on Tuesday, and, even though the storm is moving north at a raucous clip of 3 miles an hour, it shows little signs of letting up.

Currently our concern (with most of Brevard County) is flooding. Luckily I came home from work early this afternoon, or I would have never made it in the neighborhood. Not 2 hours after I walked through our front door, 2-3 feet of water covered our street...making it impossible to leave lest we stall the car out. I took a walk this afternoon (pictures soon, after I dry out) and found that we actually have it pretty good. Turns out there are many places in our immediate vicinity--meaning our exits--that are under waist-deep water. And, unfortunately, it looks like we're in for continuing rain tonight.

Which means we may seriously have to think about sandbagging the house and, somehow, evacuating. Ugh.

Hopefully I'll have more--and better--news in the morning. Stay tuned.

on Fay, the Lakeland Revival, and Fantasy Football...

As I write this, we’re keeping a wary eye to our south, where Tropical Storm (and soon to be Hurricane) Fay is churning across Cuba. At least that’s what the infidels want us to believe! Just kidding. Anyway, looks like we may have a windy, wet week ahead. I wouldn’t mind a day or two off work (if it’s paid, at least), so I’m not complaining too much. True to form, the media hype is already starting. The first three minutes of tonight's news included a story interviewing a family in Orlando who was cautiously boarding up. I mean, don't get me wrong--better to be safe than sorry--but let's not make this out to be another Katrina. And, of course, since I cleaned the garage out tonight in anticipation of storing the patio furniture in it so it won't blow around...there's no way that thing's coming anywhere near here.

On to a few other things:

- I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this item of news. If you didn’t read it earlier in my blog, I commented—pretty harshly, I might add—on the whole Lakeland thing. I’ll stand by my comments at the time, and just remind everyone that, along with a passion for the deep things of God comes great need—especially in this day and age—for discernment, as well. Whatever happens, though, Todd Bentley needs our prayers. A failed marriage is never good, and is against God’s will, so, no matter what my opinion is of the man, I am praying that he and his wife can reconcile.

- I’ve taken the plunge and joined two fantasy football leagues for the year. Actually, I hope to be in three, the third being a team in the new college version at CBS Sports, but I have to wait to see if there’s a spot available. Anyway, I tried this whole fantasy thing a few years ago, and failed miserably, probably because I just didn’t put any effort into it at all. This time around, I’m actually doing some research and getting informed. In fact, one of my teams is being built via live draft, so I’ll be chatting online with the other managers while putting it together. I’m actually excited about doing this, and we’ll see how it goes. As long as I don’t get stuck with any of the Dolphins’ quarterbacks, that is. Actually, Chad Henne looked pretty good tonight against the Jaguars (sorry, Scott). Oh, yeah, it’s the pre-season.

- I’m posting really late tonight because I stayed up to watch swimming in Beijing (Phelps’ record 8^th gold medal!) and then the first half of the Saddleback Civil Forum. I will most definitely be posting more about this event in the next couple of days. I was very intrigued by it, and, although I’ve only watched the first half so far, it has not disappointed one bit. In fact, I’m more impressed than I thought I would be. This is what we who are Evangelical Christians should be doing—dialoguing with and asking honest, open questions of our candidates and their opponents. I love how Rick Warren opened it up tonight:

“We believe in the separation of church and state, but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics. We’ve got to learn to disagree without demonizing each other and we need to restore civility in our civil discourse…”

I couldn’t agree more, and I’m thrilled that a Christian leader is actually leading the way. Like I said, more on this soon.

- I can’t help but believe that Russia’s recent invasion of Georgia will hurt their National Championship, and maybe SEC Championship, hopes. Time for Mark Richt to rally the troops. Just kidding, Scott.

nice job, irs

So, here I am this lovely Monday morning sitting on hold with the IRS. So far it's been almost an hour. The reason for my call? I just want to chat. Well, not really. We still haven't received our "Economic Stimulus" check. Sure, we got the notice in the mail that it should be sent by July 4, but when the middle of July came and went, well, I made a call. Had to get on the phone early (they open at 7am) to just get in the queue, and got in after only 5 minutes. One of their helpful, cheerful agents (that was sarcastic, by the way) told me that the check was "hung up" but that it should be sent by the end of July. She had no other details other than that. I wondered at the time how she could have the information on the fact it was "hung up" but not know why, but, whatever, we needed the money, so just send it to me.

Anyway, here we sit on August 11 and nothing still. I don't need to tell most of you that, on a single income, a $1000+ check is a nice bonus and, in our case, we've been counting on it. Especially since they've told us to expect it. So, on the phone I sit.

Still waiting...

I'm struck by the irony that, had I been this late paying my taxes, the IRS would have been all over me...with interest and penalties, to boot. I wonder why it doesn't work the other way? Hmmm...

9:48am: Success! I'm on the phone with a very helpful and nice (seriously) Miss Blackledge, who says our delay is due to us owing, despite the fact we paid in full. It's a shame her position will be eliminated once Fair Tax is passed, but I digress. Supposedly she is "releasing" the hold on our check, and it should be here within two or three weeks. Sigh. We'll see.

At 10:02, my call is done. I miss the charming hold music.