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6.23.2005

The Right Kind of Love

This is from BreakfastWithFred.com's e-mail, which is great!

C.S. Lewis did a series on B.B.C. on the four types of love. In English we deprive ourselves of that precision by using the one word love for everything from Mother love to Potato love (I love French fries!) I like to think of two types of love: scriptural and Hollywood. Scriptural is the type we see in I Corinthians 13; Hollywood is the type that we see on TV and movie screens. Scriptural love emphasizes what I can do for another while Hollywood magnifies what the other person can do for me. One is selfless; the other is selfish.

With a majority of our culture's subscribing to Hollywood love there is no surprise that 50% of our marriages end in divorce. I have observed that genuine love is spontaneous and excessive. It doesn't wait for anniversaries, birthdays or holidays to express itself. There is that sudden wish to do something giving for the one that I love. When you hear a young man describing the qualities of his new love you realize how excessive genuine love is. My Father had this kind of love for my Mother. One Christmas when we could hardly get by he bought a German chime clock out of his deep emotion for her. Being a very practical person, my Mother was not overwhelmed but she was reassured of his very deep love for her.

Christians don't always follow the scriptural model. The Hollywood model is so persuasive in our culture that even believers fall into the trap. One well-known Christian performer became dissatisfied with what she was getting out of the marriage and rationalized that God wanted her to be happy. Since she wasn't happy with her husband she decided that it was God's will for her to divorce him. Christian love should mirror Christ's love. As He gave Himself for us we should give ourselves to others in the same unconditional way.

This week think about: 1) Do I love according to scripture or Hollywood? 2) How can I be spontaneous in my love? 3) When do I put the good of others first?

6.22.2005

Little Update

Life has been normal crazy the past few weeks and that's a good thing for everything except the blog. I'm going to a kids camp next week to it'll probably be a week or so before the next entry, but hey, you never know.

I'm working on a couple of things for Interlinc and I still have a couple of other book ideas that are on the back burner. As they come along, I'll let everyone know.

Here's what I wrote for our next church newsletter.

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I have a small curved scar near the ring finger-knuckle of my right hand. Like most scars it came because I made a mistake. I was trying to start a weed-eater and it wouldn't start. I kept pulling and pulling it. Finally I pulled it very hard and my hand slipped off of the handle. The force caused me to hit the wall behind me where my hand found a nice piece of metal. I learned a valuable lesson from that mistake: Don't get angy at inanimate objects and if you do make sure there is nothing sharp nearby.

An old saying talks about wisdom being gained from experience and experience being gained from mistakes. Have you ever talked to someone who showed you a scar from their life and you made a mental note to change your life so you could avoid the same mistake? I had that experience once while talking to long-time empty nester.

He said that he prayed for his children and grandchildren now more than ever because it was the best thing he could do for them. His biggest regret as a parent was not praying for his children more while they were young.

I pray for my children more as a result of that conversation. I also believe that we need more prayer for our children and youth ministries. It's easy for us as good Americans to make our plans and work our plans but even in the church we can fail to pray about our plans as we should.

We can plan and program events, lessons, and discussions times in order train our students under our own power but if we don't pray for the students, the events, lessons and discussion times then lasting transformation by the power of God will not occur.

We all need to pray for our children and youth ministries more as an admission that we will not have long term life transformation without God's power and guidance. Here are some practical ways you can begin to pray more for our children and youth ministries.

1. Pray for your own children everyday. Pray for their spiritual growth, their vocation and their possible spouse. If you don't have children "adopt" one and let the parents know you are praying for their child regularly.

2. When you drive by any church use that as a reminder to pray for our church and our children and youth ministries.

3. When you see events on the church calendar, pray for God to prepare people's hearts and for those events to be used by Him.

4. When you see me, tell me you'd like to join the Prayer Team and I'll e-mail you detailed items of prayer.

5. Pray when you can, for as long as you can and as often as you can you will not have to share your scars of not praying enough with someone years from now.

6.16.2005

All you need is blogs, blogs. Blogs are all you need.

I'm horrible at the blog roll thing, just ask Andy so here are some blogs that recently sent somone my way. Thought you might want to get to know them, too.

All Blogs Go to Heaven from PA

Check list for a Jesus Christ disciple in Brazil from Brazil (duh!)

Just Thinking from TX

Ministry via Mistakes from LA

Out in the sticks from CO

Roy Hutchinson's Blog from the UK

Stu's Rants from AR

6.12.2005

Sports Stuff

The RedSox finally won one at Wrigley Field. (Go Cubs! - that's for Jake)

Here's cool article on Red Sox players and faith.

The Cards beat the Yankees today! (Go Cards! - that's for Andrew who is back to blogging again)

and for the team I've known since I could walk and talk because I grew up here: Go Spurs Go!

Napoleon Dynamite Digital Camera Scaventer Hunt

We met and I gave the teams the list and they had 4 hours to complete the list of 61 items. I led our church small group and then met the teams at Sonic where I bought everyone tots and a drink.

They all seemed to have a blast. I was blown away that both teams brought back a LIVE CHICKEN! The pictures made me laugh and one team got all but 5 things on the list, they are the champions.

I got the idea and barely modified the list from the Napoleon Dynamite Scavenger Hunt thread on the YS Forums.

6.01.2005

Tic & Marko's Excellent Adventures



Amy has started a photo journal of the adventures of her Tic and Marko Paper Dolls! Too funny!

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