Economics is Fun

Before I get to my post I want to let you know that I won't be writing much for the next few months. I'm in 6 hours at school plus all of my other "stuff." So I don't have any extra time.

Today I was listening to NPR and heard a great rap about economics. It explains the two main different views regarding the mess we are in right now. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nERTFo-Sk

Things People Told Me (or that I once read) #6

"Go out and live real good and I promise you'll get beat up really bad. When you're dead you're gonna rot anyway, it won't matter if you have a few scars. It will matter if you never lived."

- Rich Mullins (circa 1997)

Things People Told Me (or that I once read) #5

In honor of my sister's 33rd birthday (on Dec. 24) I will republish this quote. It was said by my dad when she went off to college.

"Hey- don't be sad if people think you're weird."

Immanuel #2

I'm reposting my Christmas post from last year. I still can't get past all that I learned.

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This Christmas season two significant things occurred:
1) I preached my first Christmas Eve service
2) Our house got robbed

Our house got robbed the Friday before Christmas while I was at lunch with a friend. I had been spending the weeks prior to Christmas reflecting on the word Immanuel. The mournful feeling left by being robbed unlocked a deeper understanding of what Immanuel means (God is with us). Here is an excerpt from my sermon. It follows the reading of the birth narratives found in Matthew and Luke.

Our robbery came after a long line of unfortunate events for us. I'll name a few to give you the context. We just moved from Portland to San Antonio to be closer to family and our condo has not sold. I've been through 4 phones since September, my wife has been in the emergency room twice, and two months ago somebody created a counterfeit copy of our ATM card and emptied out our bank account.

Needless to say, when we found out that our house had been robbed, we felt all of the emotions of the loss and pain that we have been experiencing since we moved from Portland. I guess I experienced the worst side of my humanity - loneliness, brokenness, hopelessness, and insecurity.

Then I had to get ready for this sermon.

And you know what? In my brokenness I began to feel God at work.

1. While my wife and I embraced with tears slowly falling down our cheeks...there in my brokenness, in the midst of my paint, I began to experience IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US.

2. That night when my son had my undivided attention and we played, sang, and read books...there in the midst of my brokenness and pain I began to simultaneously experience JOY IN MY WORLD.

3. And later, as I rocked my son to sleep, there in the darkness and silence of his room my heart continued to hurt as I felt the weight of all that had happened...yet I sensed God picking me up and rocking me. And, in the midst of the pain and brokenness I experienced A GLIMPSE OF SALVATION/DELIVERANCE here on earth.

Interestingly enough, a ton of people donated money so that we could replace nearly all of the things that were stolen. Getting our stuff back was really just a bonus. The ultimate blessing was all that I learned about faith, trust, the power of tears and hugs, and the importance of a loving community.

Things People Told Me (or that I once read) #3 and #4

#3

"dabbadoobadabbadoobadabbadooba duck."

- Quinn

#4

"Momma, dabbdoobadabadoobababadaba.

Momma, dabbdoobadabadoobababadaba.

Momma, dabbdoobadabadoobababadaba."

- Quinn

On turning 30 and Savoring the Present Part 3

I have just under 900 Facebook friends. The weirdest part is, I actually do care about the majority of my Facebook friends. I have still images burned in my mind of moments that we shared as well as 15 second video clips. My brain remembers all sorts of random details. I remember hiding uneaten food in a trash can with my friend Rachel so we could get dessert. I remember my friend Cody sneezing a big thing of snot on his mom's amazing cinnamon rolls. I remember thinking my friend Adam was the coolest kid I ever met. I remember my sister Tami telling me that she'd never let anything happen to me. This was all before 5th grade.

I remember Jonathan teaching me about AOL, Tim teaching me about Boys to Men, Rachel teaching me about Gangsta Rap, Mandi teaching me that it's ok to be me, Edgar teaching me how to say "your momma" jokes, and I remember running 50 laps in athletics with Danny because we were late for practice. This was all in middle school.

I could go on about the people who formed my faith, the importance of my parents, the people who snazzied my dance moves, the girl I couldn't get out of my mind, the atheist who taught me it's ok to have faith, the guys that I bled with on the football field, the mentors and friends that took care of me when I was lonely at college, the teacher who taught me how to think, the friends in Portland that taught me a better way to live, etc.

All of this is to say that one of the hardest parts of getting older is not being able to keep up with friends...it's just impossible. I think I will always have a slight longing. I'll never be able to tell everybody thank you or you are important to me.

I am learning that my place in life right now is to go smaller. Sure I'll say, "Happy Birthday" on Facebook from time to time, but my energy must primarily be spent on my wife and my son. This is my role and my joy in life (I like when those things overlap).

Things People Told Me (or that I once read) #2

#2

"God made you like you for a reason."

- John (circa 2004)