A GREAT tradition for you to start

So yesterday was my ARI'S 4Th birthday. She had her right of passage and got her ears pierced. Like any other unsuspecting parent, the time has escaped me to the point of aggravation. I don't think any good parent ever feels they spend enough time with their children. I think I do a pretty good job (especially when I compare myself to others). I think I'm way above average, but could be so much better. So I made a national SMUDA holiday that the king (that's me) has declared across the land. This decree says:

(IN OLD SCHOOL ENGLISH ACCENT....JUST IMAGINE THE TRUMPETS SOUNDING THEN..)

UPON THIS LAND, ANY SMUDA WITH A BIRTHDAY FALLING ON A NON-WEEKEND SHALL CAUSE ALL UNSUSPECTING SMUDA'S TO CALL IN SICK, TAKE OFF SCHOOL, FORGO ANY PLANS MADE, AND DROP ANY AND EVERYTHING TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY SPOILING "SAID" MENTIONED SMUDA........

decreed by his majesty

KING JAMES III

We've decided to take every birthday that falls on a weekday and EVERYONE must call in, take off, and cancel OR say no to. So that we can make that person in our "tribe" feel oh so very special.

This is something anyone can do. If your married, dating, kids are grown, college aged, whatever. We can get so caught up "chasing" whatever it is that God has put on your heart to chase, that at the end of the day your life became this series of chases (which is not ALL bad) but when it gets to the point where we've missed the out on the loved ones around us. IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?

I've really been praying that God would give me the wisdom to stop, and breathe in the "moments" with the people I dearly love. My wife, my kids, my mentee's, the people who call me pastor, and the people who call me friend. Like I said, comparatively speaking, I'm really good at this...but here's my scariest thought.

Yesterday was her ears pierced!

Tomorrow I'm walking her down the isle!

And I refuse to miss a single big event in between...

Start a tradition...take the day.

tHe iDiOt....

NEHEMIAH and the art of MICKEY MOUSE FACE

A buddy of mine just did a teaching at a chapel service here at my church. He spoke about NEHEMIAH and the need for us as followers of Christ to have Joy "expressively" pouring out of our pores. Needless to say I blew off that teaching (just kidding Jared). Actually, it brought me to start a study on NEHEMIAH. 2 particular scriptures pop at me.

Chapter 2 vs 1. Nehemiah writes "NOW I HAD NEVER BEEN SAD IN HIS PRESENCE BEFORE". Now Nehemiah was the kings cup bearer. 

Job description: Looking for a bright young man, who is young, cheerful, has good listening skills, gives good council, and is available night and day at the kings request....OH, and must taste all the wine before the king does in case it's poisoned, in which case you would die. All applicants please pick up application at Human resources of King Artaxerxes palace.

Even more, I find it amazing that the king took notice. See Nehemiah was grieving the outbreaks in Jerusalem. These had been happening for some time, yet he says he was NEVER sad in the presence of the king. You could argue it was because of a lavish lifestyle (being the cup bearer had it's privileges) you could argue for a time he was glib (thank you tom cruise). But I tend to believe it's because he was in the presence of the king constantly. I tend to think because his job description meant that he lived to possibly die one day for the safety of the king, this brought him joy. There may have even been a time where he saw what was happening in Jerusalem, and his desire to go to rebuild the wall, that he had to put on his mickey mouse face until he could bear it no more. I used to be a waiter (and a darn good one at that) and I used to have a  manager say "I don't care what your going through, every table better feel like they are @ Disney world, so get your mickey mouse faces on". 

Sometimes we need to be strong and rely on God to give us the strength. Though our world may be crumbling we must never forget we are in the PRESENCE OF THE KING. One way Nehemiah did this (chapter 9) was reassure and remind HIMSELF the goodness of God during times of prayer and fasting. 

Sometimes we need to grin through something until we cannot bear it any longer, to show the KING the desires of our hearts.

I don't give a FACEBOOK.......

****this post is meant to be more comical then anything else. If you are offended A. it probably fits you....and B. We ALL need to learn to laugh at ourselves more right?

Ok..so here's a rant. I was so excited about facebook at first. But now I really feel it's simply feeding people's urge to be self minded (myself included. This is probably WAYYYY more for me then ANYBODY else.). I've come to realize, if I wasn't in ministry, I wouldn't have one.i Facebook is like ORLANDO.....it is NOT REAL (for all my Floridians, you know what i mean. Orlando is not a real representation of the actual FLORIDA)..It IS however a great way to get a mass about of information out at once.....

It's all about OUR status, which comically to me goes against almost anything JESUS right? no? maybe? huh? I'm babbling, but i SWEAR this all makes sense in MY HEAD....(which is a very very lonely place)

Here's what I don't give a facebook about:

I don't give a facebook about:  (STATUS SPEAKING) 

-y0ur workout routines (this includes running "x" miles per day)

-who your having lunch/dinner/coffee with (this includes your "amazingly beautiful ____________)

-when your sitting in Starbucks doing GOD KNOWS WHAT?

-you going to the gym...or NOT..

 -every conversation you have, during every moment of your day

-how long you spent at the gym

-your eating schedule (s)......

-who your hanging out with every moment of your ever popular life

-for the love of all that is holy YOUR FLIGHT SCHEDULE (S)

-whatever your watching on t.v.

-your gym schedule....(again..i know)

-if you want me text you while your at the GYM....

-when you are getting a haircut

-whatever cute thingy your pet has done.

-(for pastors) your prep time, your meeting "key" leaders, your speaking schedules, flight schedules, book sales, staff meetings, how great your staff is

-MAFIA WARS....(seriously)

-if your up way to early....or way too late...

-what kinda SONG best describes you

-what kinda GYM describes you

-comments on "HOW AMAZED YOU ARE BY HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON FACEBOOK?"

-All your RIDICULOUS rants on government and how the president is the DEVIL.....

-if your status @'s someone (ex....Jimmy is meeting @bobloser for lunch....you should be punched in the face)

all time worst example of a STATUS:

Jimmy is meeting @joeydillweed for lunch, then hitting the gym to run 900 mile, even though it's waaay to early to be up, but it's OK because later I'm catching a flight to talk leadership with @JesusChrist, and how we can overthrow @OBAMA, AND my new book "how to play F.B. mafia wars", while listening to becks "loser" which f.b. decided was the song that best describes me, .........TEXT IT.....

WHAT I DO GIVE A FACEBOOK ABOUT:

genuine things about YOUR day

funny sayings you heard, or said

YOUR birthday

events in YOUR life

birth of your child

gifts you received 

anniversary celebrations (no details on dinner needed)

an old story YOU remember

something funny your kid said

whatever revelation God gave you for that day

how you feel

an exciting moment in your life

a great event that just took place that day

what made you smile today

what made you laugh (excluding the gym, or anything workout related) 

invites to your big events 

if your struggling

if your happy

if your sad

if your joyful

what your working towards (school, life, family)

what's making you smile

what's making you feel loved

major ACCOMPLISHMENTS in YOUR life

funny little quotes or things your doing..

but all in all....that's just me.....(again...all meant in humor)

let's not be so self indulged that we miss the point of such an awesome "connection" to people opportunity by tooting our own horn(s)

I care to know more about the genuine things of people......then their workout schedules....

but again...I'm am 

tHe iDiOt....