Avoid Being an Idiot

As of yesterday my really good friend Aaron and I no longer work together. Yesterday was his last day before moving to North Carolina. Selfishly and professionally I hate to see him leave. No one has helped me more in my job than Aaron. He has given me encouragment, ideas, photos, tips, revisions, and insight. Its going to be weird to dial up his extension and not hear him give me an answer to my question.

Personally, however, I admire the heck out of him and couldn’t be happier for him. He is moving his family (wife and two boys) up to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to pursue God’s call on his life, possibly to prepare to be a professor since he obviously has the spiritual gifts of knowledge and teaching.

I admire him because he isn’t doing this the easy way. They don’t have jobs lined up in NC yet. Their boys are young. He hasn’t heard back on his big scholarship yet.

But he isn’t waiting on all the pieces to fall perfectly together before making his move. He just knows that God has told him to go to seminary and he is going. He knows if it is God’s will, it’s God’s bill. He knows that God will take care of his family. He knows he is doing the right thing.

Even if it’s difficult.

I also admire Aaron because he is a Duke fan. So you know he’s smart enough to ace seminary.

Pray for Aaron. Drop him a comment over at the Wardrobe Door to lend him your encouragement.

So Indiana Jones is back at the movies.

Doug Collins is the Chicago Bulls’ coach.

Looks like we’re going to have a Laker-Celtics NBA Finals.

Is it just me or are we re-living the 80s? All we need is Bill Cosby in primetime and I can be a kid again.

Several weeks ago, Pastor Steven Furtick preached a sermon that really resonated with where I am right now. He said that big dreams start with small steps. That you have to be faithful in the little things before God will give you big things.

He said, “you’ve got to work what you’ve got.”

You may not be able to get out of debt by next week, but you can make a budget. Work what you got.

You may not be able to lose all the weight by the time you go to the beach, but you can order a salad for lunch instead of a cheeseburger. Work what you got.

You may not be able to own you own business by fall, but you can be a good employee and work hard today. Work what you got.

I want to pastor and preach one day. But right now I need to work what I got. I need to be faithful with the responsibilities God has given me. Here are a few examples:

• If I were a Pastor, I would be sure to faithfully pray for my congregation. I should faithfully pray for those in our college+twentysomethings ministry now.
• If I were a Pastor, I would spend a lot of time and energy preparing for sermons. I should spend a lot of time and energy preparing to teach Sunday School now.
• If I were a Pastor, I would be extra careful to serve people. I can start by serving my wife and washing the dishes.

You gotta work what you got. Jesus said so.

A friend of mine’s prayer at church tonight made me smile. As we are preparing to launch a new strategy with our college+twentysomethings ministry, Jeni prayed:

“Thank you for the vision You have given us.”

You might not realize the significance of this, but it was profound for me. You see, the idea for our new strategy (I will share with you on Monday) was birthed in me during my personal time with God. As I cast the vision for where we are going, I tried very hard to receive input, insight, and buy-in from the group. I feared being perceived as a lone ranger trying to dictate our ministry’s direction.

To hear Jeni say the words, “the vision you have given us,” tells me that we have a core group of people who have have ownership in the ministry. We have a group of people listening to God. We have a group of people ready to see God move in Greenville.

I consider that a leadership win and an answer to prayer. Thank you Jesus!

Quick hits:

• Shannon and I rolled into Greenville about 5:30 yesterday evening after a wonderful week at Surfside Beach. I read a lot, ate a lot, sat on the beach a lot, and watched TV a lot. It was grand!
• The closest thing to shoes I wore all week were the $4 pair of flip flops I bought at Twins when I got down there, save Sunday when we went to church (we went to First Baptist Surfside so I figured I should put on some shoes and socks).
• I finished Vintage Jesus and am almost done with The Reason for God. I’ll post about both later, but let me just say for now that you should read both books. Phenomenal!
• I didn’t check work email or voice mail while I was gone. Felt really good to be (almost) disconnected. I did steal some wireless from neighbors on Thursday to check out what was going on at The Whiteboard Sessions. But I loved not having to respond to emails.
• Went on a 20 mile bike ride today–10 miles to the church, there for a few hours, and then 10 back home. Felt good.
• Possibility of a new job that I just found out about a few hours ago. Hmmm. I don’t know any of the details, but should in the next hour or so. Waiting on a call back.
• I go back to work tomorrow, which means I should resume regular blogging tomorrow

Normally, Fridays are reserved for favorites here at ABI. Not today.

Friday is for vacation.

I just left the office and will not be back for over a week. Shannon and I are headed to Surfside Beach, SC late Sunday night after church and a gathering for our college+twentysomethings ministry.

No internet. No blogging. No emails. No cell phone. No painting my kitchen. No spreading mulch. No work.

Just beach, books, and my baby.

I can’t wait to get away for a little while with my beautiful wife. Family will be joining us throughout the week. Its always a fun time at the beach. Plenty of card games, Trivial Pursuit, chick-flick movies, and sunburn.

I’ll be back in the blogosphere after Memorial Day.

I told you earlier this week that I bought a road bike. I also mentioned how cyclists are taking over the area where I live and how the “natives” don’t take too kindly to it.

Now, I must say that I don’t know many cyclists. The few that I know are very nice. Like Milo. And Ken, a gentleman I met last fall who recently helped me find a bike.

However, there is a somewhat negative perception among many people ’round these parts about “them [insert adjective here] cyclists. They hog the road. They make everybody slow down. They’re gonna cause a wreck. They’re from up north. Yada, yada, yada.

I find myself when I am riding having this imaginary conversation with passing cars: “I’m not one of those cyclists. I didn’t just move in, I grew up here. I don’t wear spandex. I’m just trying to get fit and lose some weight. I’m sticking it to the oil companies by not driving. I’m way over here on the very edge of the road. Please don’t get mad at me, although if I were the one driving I would probably get mad at me for slowing me down. But I’m not driving. I’m riding a bike. To get fit, remember? But I’m not one of those cyclists.”

I feel like I need to justify myself against the negative, and mostly false, perceptions.

Do you ever feel like that as a Christian? That you need to justify yourself against negative perceptions of Christians.

Do you ever want to tell people, “I’m not judgmental, boring, too political, or hateful. I actually love you. I’m not perfect. Actually I’m very far from perfect. But I want to be godly and holy. I really like quality music, funny movies, and a good fight. I’m not one of those Christians.”

The only way to not be one of those cyclists is to stay to the side of the road, wave and smile at passers-by, not ride in the middle of the road around a curve, and not dress like its the Tour de France when it is just a Tuesday.

The only way to not be one of those Christians is to live humbly, love much, and worship Jesus in all I do.

Are you one of those?

“…the word has gotten out that being a Christian is about avoiding the suffering, pain, and horrors of this life by living in a safe, zip-locked Christian plastic bag filled with diversionary worship songs to prom-date Jesus so we don’t have to pick up any cross or shed any tears. Such Christianity rings hollow for those who have suffered and know the horrors of our sinful world.”

– Mark Driscoll in Vintage Jesus

As I said in Monday’s post, I did not get the job I interviewed for. On Monday, I posted the equivilent of a “prepared statement.” It was all true. It was what I had been thinking about for over a week as I prayed and dreamed about the job. It is certainly what I believe.

But, honestly, it is not necessarily how I feel. What I feel is disappointment. What I feel is uncertainty.

In two days, the disappointment has pretty much rubbed off. Its no big deal. Getting over that. Knowing that I’m going to the beach next week helps that a lot

The uncertainty remains.

On Monday, I was planning on taking my mind off of the whole situation by watching the NBA playoffs and just not thinking about much.

That plan changed when Aaron started asking me questions about calling via gmail chat. And while the questions were highly inconvenient to my desire to be mindless for the rest of the day, I appreciate Aaron bringing them up.

I must confess that I’m not sure I totally understand calling. I distinctly remember the night just over 2 years ago that I believe God called me into ministry. But I don’t know in what role or capacity. I’m trying to figure all that out.

I believe that one day God will call me to a church-related vocation (i.e Pastor), but the timing is not right yet.

So that just leaves a lot of uncertainty. When? Where? What role?

I’m not exactly sure what this post is supposed to accomplish, but thanks for letting me blog out loud the things I’m wrestling through.

I guess the good thing coming from not getting the job is that I am more focused in thought and prayer about what God’s plan and calling is for my life.

**I know all the job blogs are probably getting old, so this should be the last one for now**

The area where I live is being overrun by cyclists. I can’t drive to work without dodging a few. Most people who cycle in this area are not from around here. So the people who are from here get pretty mad at the spandex-wearing cycle gangs who, despite what the road signs that bear the image of their vehicle choice say, won’t share the road.

But since I can’t beat. I’m joining them. Last week I received my 2007 Motobecane Grand Record. I got it for nearly half price on eBay. I’m loving it so far. Hopefully, I can say the same thing a year from now. The goal is to use it to get into some semblance of shape.

I did get a helmet, but not the spandex shorts or cycle shoes. So if you see a guy in basketball shorts and tennis shoes riding around, don’t yell at me or throw pennies at me (I know a guy who threw a hand full of pennies at a group of cyclists). I’m just trying to get fit.