Time To Strip

I am a fan of Gnarls Barkley.  I mean, who isn't, right?

Recently, I heard a take on their song "Crazy" that I can only describe as simply brilliant.

Tremendously simple and it may be my favorite cover.  After watching the original and then the stripped down version, I was reminded how taking some ideas or habits I have in my life could improve if I simplified them.

I have really wanted to pray with and read to my kids at night but they are in different bedrooms.  One of them wants me to read until she falls asleep and another wants to just see pictures and drink chocolate milk.  We are talking about 2 hours a night and trying to fit this in just is not practical.

Time to strip.

I can do this all together.  Pile in one bed, pray and read together. With chocolate milk in hand, of course.

I am also trying to strip down how I connect with others, how I work, and even how I pray.  I don't see simplifying as just gaining time but becoming a more effective parent, friend, and spouse.  A better me.

What is something amazing in your life that you can strip down to make it epic?

  

Words are awesome!

Everyone has words they make up or use incorrectly so they might as well be made up.  Some words are so awesome, they need to make a comeback in normal conversation.

My favorites up to date:
Crapulous - the original description of how you feel the day after drinking too much aka hangover
Brayday - the day before you get paid which means you are broke for the next 24 hours, for example,"No, I can't go out to eat because today is brayday, but definitely tomorrow."
Groak - to stare longingly at someone while they are eating, in hopes that they will give you some of their food.
Sanction - to approve or boycott (what the heck, right?  I love words that contradict themselves.)

It is amazing words can captivate, hurt, heal, and set free.  Are the words I am using more powerful than I realize?  Inconceivable!!

The question Jesus lays before us is if the problem is our words or our heart.  Matthew 15:18 claims that whatever words come from our lips, started in our hearts.

Either way, this is a statement we can all sanction.

Painting and sharing my faith....two of my least favorite things

I do not like painting in any way.  Not even fingerpainting.

Unfortunately, I don't have a few thousand dollars to pay a professional to paint our home or furniture.  While we have not started on the walls, I figured that we could get a head start on some headboards.  Quite a small task considering they were already sanded down.

First coat of Valspar on two headboards went quickly and uneventful.  The second coat I was holding the small paint can and brushing the top, when all of the sudden, I just dropped the paint can.  I was almost done!!  There was paint everywhere.  A real mess.

I immediately thought of how much I hated painting and sharing my faith.  For the same exact reasons.  Painting and sharing my faith are both sticky, time consuming, and you can always see where I messed up.

When we share our faith, we are not just saying this is what I believe, but rather, I hope you will believe this too.  It is uncomfortable for all involved and it seems like I am saying I have all the answers.  I don't.  All I have is my experience with God, my interpretation of what God says, and paint all over me.  I wouldn't believe me either.

But just like painting, I must do it.  Not because I am commanded to, but because I believe everyone should be able to connect with God.  The number one reason people don't share their faith is because they don't think about it.  I don't think about painting until I realize I need to paint.

It is time to paint, even if it creates a huge mess, it never turns out right, and you look dumb doing it. God can take our mess and make it meaningful.  It can change lives.  Our faith I mean, not Valspar.

Rest ye merry gentlemen

As I head into 2015, I realize that I feel very unaccomplished.  I am not the head of my company, leading a youth ministry, nor am I the prayer warrior I anticipated on being.  I mean, I read "Circle Maker"... twice!

The fact is, there are NO shortcuts.  I really don't desire to be head of the company I work at, I absolutely love doing any youth ministry, and communicating with God is not a duty but a privilege.  I could just dive into these shortfalls, work on them day and night, and let them consume me; but I would rather just learn and live.

I want to make this year of REST.  You have no idea how funny that is, since my wife and I are just a month or so away from having our 4th child in under 5 years.  Rest doesn't seem likely, or even possible.  I guess I should use the word TRUST instead.  Or RELY.  Either way, I am excited to accomplish more by trying to accomplish less, worry less, and rest more.

Here is to a restful year!  By the way, read "Circle Maker" if you get a chance.