“You can drink a gallon of milk in 10 seconds?”
So Jessica is a Friends fanatic and she got me hooked a couple of years ago when she quickly acquired, oh I don’t know, ALL the Friends seasons on DVD. Well, unless you lived in the Mariana Trench for the last 12 years then I’m sure you’ve seen at least one episode.
I’m writing this because I came home tonight and she was watching season 8 (she likes to watch them when I’m not home because it makes her feel safe, haha), and it made me remember my all time favorite scene from Friends.
Good frickin grief this is funny…
What’s your favorite Friends episode or scene?
I love my small group…
The small group that Jess and I have the privilege of being in and help lead is amazing. It’s a little community of 6 young married couples that get to share together and support one another through life. We get to pray together and show love to one another and laugh with each other. And soon we are going to be serving together for the first time.
We’ve put together 20 big bags with all kinds of toiletries, shampoos, soaps, sunscreen, crackers, trail mix, toothbrushes, t-shirts and other items that would be beneficial to a person living on the street. We’re going to go out together and pass them out in a few days. Here’s some pic’s of us putting them together…
It won’t be much since we only have 20 bags, but I know that it will be a real blessing for 20 people who haven’t felt like someone cared about them in a while.
I’ll keep you guys updated when we go out…
Any ideas that your small groups are doing to serve together?
The Chapman’s on Larry Ling Live
If you haven’t seen it yet, I sincerely encourage you to watch the Larry King interview with Steven Curtis Chapman and his family which aired a couple of nights ago. The Chapman’s adopted daughter Maria Sue was accidentally struck and killed by one of the Chapman boys, 17 year old Will, as he drove into the family’s driveway.
It’s an incredible story of pain, sorrow, extreme heartache, and unrelenting faith. I couldn’t help but shed a tear watching…not just because of the tragedy behind the story, but because I was watching God completely use this event and the Chapman’s testimony to the whole world on live television for HIS glory.
He used that segment to let the people that watched it know that there is hope.
Check it out here….
Full-Time Pastor vs. Part-Time Christian
I heard an interesting statement today at the Leadership Summit that we’re attending as a staff…
Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv said that at a point in his life and his ministry he had become a “full-time pastor and a part-time Christian”. That really struck a chord in me to be honest. I feel like I may be in that season a bit in my life right now.
Trying to maintain great, authentic, and challenging experiences, and pour into and foster deep, intimate relationships with people…all the while not chasing after the things that God is calling me to. Not using His word to guide and direct me daily. Not immersing myself throughout they day in personal, private worship of my own. Not spending enough time (hardly at all) in prayer with the God of the universe who is calling me to a relationship with Him. Trying, at times, to be someone different than who He created me to be.
And it sucks. And I hate it.
And I desperately want to know how to change it.
The truth is there is absolutely no way that we can minister to, or heal, or help, or guide, or lead, or whatever to people when we are not being ministered to, or healed, or helped, or guided, or led by the Holy Spirit. By letting Him invade our lives. And flushing out mediocrity. And routine. And the mundane. And darkness.
So thankfully, this last couple of days has been a quick journey into the realization that I need to rediscover and once again burn with the truth of the staggering love of Christ.
As I will soon embark on the new road of being a father to a young man (whoa), more than ever is this idea of clinging to the cross and Jesus in my heart so that I may better minister to others more prevalent. For I do not want to be something different, or live something different, or look like something different when I am serving in my community and ministries than when I am loving/teaching/guiding/disciplining my son Cruz or my family.
So that is my prayer today Lord. That I would begin to see You again. Deep in my heart. That I would begin to breathe You once more.
I’d like a full-time job again please.
My skin is crawling…
I heard yesterday while tuned into KTAR talk radio that Lifestyles condom company pitched an idea to 15 YEAR OLD Miley Cyrus to be one of their official “spokesgirls”.
What the hell is the world coming to?
I found myself steaming that anyone would even think that that would be ok to do. I kind of want to find the guys responsible for that PR stunt and punch one of their kidneys out of their back.
From what the talk show host said, Miley’s management team of course said no….thank the Lord.
Are You Kidding Me?
That was precisely what I was thinking when I walked out of our friendly Fry’s grocery store tonight with my wife Jessica…
As I approached the car, I noticed 2 women standing beside another car a couple of spaces from us. They were puffing away on their cigarettes while the kids they were “watching” were running around the car.
And then my eyes fell upon one heck of a spectacle.
There it was. What looked to be a 7 year old boy peeing in the parking lot next to their car.
What the crap!!!!?!?!?!
The friggin store was not 100 feet away and the little boy was urinating in the parking lot while the pee ran down the parking lot asphalt towards our car. I couldn’t believe that it was really happening. It’s not like we were out in the boonies at some deserted truck stop in Calexico California! The store WITH A FULLY FUNCTIONING bathroom was right there!
Maybe I’m being overdramatic but it was like I was in a movie scene. It was the pure picture of trashiness, and I wondered what kind of example that was setting for that young boy and the other kids…
In case you had any suspicion…
Does your spouse/child/family member/friend/dog have a particular shady side to them? Do they duck when they drive by police cars? Do they carry a Bowie knife of them at all times claiming that “you never know when you’ll need to cut your seatbelt off in a fiery car accident”? Did they “grow up” in a town called Winchestertonville or some other town you can’t validate?
If you answered yes to all these questions…you may have a criminal in your midst!
But don’t fear! Now you can verify their felony status for free with Criminal Search!
You are loved…
Every once in a while my mind sparks a memory of my Grandpa. If you never got to meet Sonny Stribling, I’m sorry for you would have been blessed to have shook the hand or hugged a genuine Southern gentleman.
He was a quiet respectful man who didn’t have to speak the words “I love you” too often…you just knew it in his eyes and in his gentle spirit. But he would’ve loved to have shared some chocolate pie with you while exchanging baseball nostalgics.
Or better yet, Grandpa wouldn’t have thought twice about sharing his favorite fishing hole with you over some homemade turkey sandwiches. (Made by Grandma of course)
He passed with an indescribable graciousness on January 13th of this year with those who loved him dearest at his side. It honestly was one of the most calming and spiritual points of my life.
I could literally feel God in the room with us.
And now I am fully confident that he is running again. That he is pain free once more. And that he is once again enjoying a relaxing moment at his favorite fishing hole.
So until that fateful day when we meet on that creek to fish again, you will be missed Grandpa.
You will be loved.
