LOYALTY

I believe in LOYALTY.

I live loyalty. I breathe loyalty, I eat it....with a spoon.

One of the biggest wrestling matches I've ever had with God was when I realized that I would not stay in one church (the church I came to know Christ in) for 80 years. I left bible college wanting to be at one church, forever. Now several church's later, there is still a nasty taste in my mouth due to this fact.  Recently I took a group on a retreat, and had a conversation about "getting old". People at my current church LOVE to remind me how Old I'm getting. I don't mind. I'm 32. In perspective, in 9 more months I'll have outlived my birth mother, who I always regarded as dying too young. So I'm not hung up on getting old. The conversation went on, and I began sharing how moving so much, deprived me of one of my childhood dreams. Being old, arguing on the front porch with life long friends on who was the greatest quarterback Marino or Montana?

Crabby old men together, discussing how "back in our day we had "pure" role models like PARIS HILTON...Not like these stars today!!!

Needless to say, moving has taken a toll on long distance relationships in my life. 

Through this conversation, I shared my heart on this, and one of my

leaders said 

"then you gotta stay in one place for a while". 

Oh how I wish I could open my chest and show all my heart on this. 

THAT WAS MY DREAM. TO LIVE, BREATH EAT AND DIE IN ONE PLACE!

Proverbs 2:6 (the message) says this: "God gives out WISDOM free, 

is plainspoken in knowledge and understanding. 

He's a rich mine of common sense for those who live well, 

a personal bodyguard to the canddid and sincere. 

HE KEEPS HIS EYE ON ALL WOH LIVE HONESTLY, 

AND PAYS SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HIS LOYALLY COMMITTED ONES.

I love loyalty so much that I have an issue with myself on this one. However I also know

when God has spoken to move on. I think of when God called MOSES to move from the palace

to redeem HIS people. I'm sure the palace was nice, and I know Moses had big plans.

In todays world there is a lack of loyalty, and no place more than the church. Generations upcoming

are bouncing to find the "right fit". Leaving at a moments notice. Or they are even doing

"double duty" attending several churchs at once. I am not opposed to either, nor judge anyone

who does such. I simply wonder how healthy that is for the spirit? Though I know God has

ordained and called each one of mine and Gloria's moves, it is all at a cost. Though we call

ourselves "nomads" at times, more appropriately we've been missionairies to a post-christian

nation. That is not something we ever envisioned, but have obidiently embraced.

At the expense of losing a dream (1 place...forever) God has sent us many places to

teach, dialogue, and encourage loyalty. I just pray when I'm old....the old guys will be there

to argue....and defend the integrity of Paris.....

tHe iDiOt......

Nebraska...what are you doing?

EpHeSiAnS 5:1 (WAKE UP FRM YOUR SLEEP) Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us.LOVE LIKE THAT....(MESSAGE)

Nebraska. Know mainly for CORN and Corn husker football. Now this state has allowed parents to "dump" their children off at any hospital when they have "had enough". As despicable as this is, the thoughts of what these poor children have already learned from their parents. What will the next generation of parenting look like. As I sit here my youngest daughter is watching blues clues, laughing mercilessly. There's nothing in me that could ever imagine "having enough". No matter what she does or does not do. I love where this scripture says "his love was not cautious". Cautious loving is not loving at all. It's simply tolerating. It's placating. We need parents who will grow and love their children extravagantly. 

tHe iDiOt...

STARBUCKS CHURCH

ThE "PREGNANT" man?????

                             So the goal of mine is to "someday" have "someone" comment on "something" on my blog. I ramble (as per the sub title) I'm an idiot (as per basic evidence) . So I'm going on a limb with this posting. I "may" be just controversial enough to get some kind of comment. Maybe not, but here's my cheap attempt at fame and world  recognition (or just a head nod from someone)

So it's painful to watch my wife in anguish during our prego time. Were six months (and I produce BIG FRUIT) so my poor wife has the burden to bear this COLLOSALL child for another 3 months, and my heart just aches to watch (and ears to hear....ehem ehem..) So i let my ridiculous mind wander. What would it be like for "dudes" to give birth. I mean I know we have a higher threshold for pain (ok some of us do). We think a bit more clearly, and of course way more reasonably. So i begin to think this would be a non-issue. Dudes having babies would be cool. I'm a sentementalist too. I tell my wife, if "I" was pregnant, i'd be singing to the baby more, telling it stories in my belly, and the child would have already learned Latin in it's original context.....but that's just me....

Then I ran across this scripture. John 16:21"A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world". Now THAT'S where guys suck, and we blow our chance!

                                                     My wife will forget about all the pain Josiah James Smuda is putting her through .1 seconds after that beautiful little boy appears on the scene (trust me, my girls were collosal as well, and that didn't stop my wife). FASCINATING!! My wife has never once talked negatively of any pregnancy after each of my girls were born. It's an ability to forget (or forgive) the pain....Such a focus on joy....and Love...

            I've delivered during my career many visions, that (at least I think) feel like giving birth. The sweat, tears, "blood", emotions, etc. But during those times, and even now I have a tendancy to REMIND EVERYONE WHO WOULD EVER LISTEN of the anguish, pain, and suffering I had to go through to RECEIVE THAT JOY...WHY? because I'm a great pastor and that's what we do......We remind EVERYONE what WE went through, ALL THE TIME...(they teach us that in seminary, right after learning how to  give guilt to people who miss a sunday....but before we learn the "capitol gains campaign" lessons..)

Needless to say, after reading that scripture, I'm blessed to have found more reasons to call my wife MY HERO and reaffirm how unworthy I am of her love..... She has the ability to see JOY coming...She has the wisdom to know all this pain is going to be worth it, she has the discipline to forget the pain....and she has a husband who's idiotic enough to think he's half the person she is.......

quote the IdiOt....nevermore..

OUR FINEST HOUR

History was mad 2 nights ago. America voted for it's first african american president. Though many fundamental's are in an uproar and furious. I have to admit there's a tinge of excitement in my heart. NOT because I voted Pres-elect Obama, or even agree with half of his policies. But for the fact of the matter that this is the church's finest hour. With the moral neglect agenda future President Obama has in store, Christians all around this great country have the opportunity to finally live out the bible.

Romans 13:1-7 says this: EVERYONE must submit himself to the governing authorities, for therei s no authority except that which GOD has established. The authorities that exist have been established by GOD. Consequently he who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has institutied". 

1st Timothy 2 says " I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers and intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone. For kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

I had 15 text messages on Tuesday night all proclaiming that "WE NOW NEED TO PRAY MORE THAN EVER". 

I responded to each saying "SHOULDN'T WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN PRAYING"

                                    Christians calm down, and stop insulting God as if he has no clue what he is doing. Were primed as a church for "OUR FINEST HOUR" when we can pray for a president we don't fully agree with, or hold the same values. We can finally show that we will stand behind scripture that tells us to focus on PRAYER for our leaders.

Going ballistic and showing rage get's us nowhere. Our job now is to pray. Pray whole heartedly that God will bring leaders around President Obama, that will encourage, strengthen and show him the heart of God.

Wanna do something funny to a christian. When they start ranting and raving about how bad things will be, and ask who you voted for? Make a crazy face and tell them you totally forgot to vote! They're reaction is priceless.

HoW's YoUr 30?

There are times in your life when you really feel like your onto something, like you've really grabbed the heart of God. 

"30" is one of those things in my life currently that I feel God can take use as a catalyst for my leadership. Here's where it was born. 

A couple weeks ago, I began pondering what 2009 would look like. How can I get young people to grow consistantly and continually? I realized this. In about 2 and a half months peole will begin pondering in their minds the things they will do in 2009. Some will call them goals, some will deem them new years resolutions. Thin in 3 and 1/2 months (and 10 pounds added onO from now, everyone will have forgotten those "deemed' goals and life will continue, roll on , nad move forward. This produces an endless cycle of inconsistency in our lives, and gives us no strong bar for growth. One night during a quiet time, and in the name of measuring spiritual growth, I had this idea (or vision you could say). What if we were able to get people to continually evaluate their spiritual growth "DURING" THE GROWING PROCESS? (Think looking at yourself in the mirror as a child and "phisically" watching yourself grow). What if we were able to set goals, make commitments to God (LARGE and small) and measure our positive motion (movements towards God) throughout a 30 dayperiod. Roughly 12 times a year, stand up against a wall and mark off our "growth". I presented this to my "Remnant" (leadership Institute) and quickly the phrase "HoW's yOuR 30? (think New York accent "how you doin? but cooler) was born out of their spiritual creativity. What we came together to plan is a 1 year worth of "30's". Every 30 days for the next year we are going to challenge a group of about 150 students to evaluate, re-evaluate, and re-evaluate again their lives all in the name of finding who they are in Christ. The goal will be to be able to have a continual bar as which to gauge themselves by:

Eph 3:17-20 says this: So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

The word dwell comes from the Hebrew word "MISHKAN" which means "to live in". My hopes and prayers are that if we challenge people (especially this generation) to pull out the spiritual measuring tape every 30 days. To truly be honest with themselves and ask "HAVE I GROWN? or am I stunted spiritually?" If were able to monitor growth DURING growth itself, imagine how REAL God becomes to us! 

Make this covenant with God. Share your thoughts and your growth. You can check out what some of the youth are committing to  at 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=26639725265&ref=share

Under the Influence

Moments ago I was sitting in my office, doing what I do on a continual weekly basis. On Friday I have a little ritual to break down my week and I ask myself an honest tough question.

How much have of an influence have I been this week?

Now some weeks it's a very fun question. Other weeks I want to open up the earth and just crawl in. 

I like to think of myself as a leader who daily wants to be "UNDER THE INFLUENCE". When we think of these words, how we tend to think negatively. Mel, Brittany, Nick (btw one of my favorite photo's ever) may jump out into our mind.

But what about JESUS? We know when Christ came, he was severly under the influence. The disciples? obvious (and I won't continue on and on with cheesy christian analogies...you get the point)

    So @ i'm sitting in my office a dad walks in (and this always puts fear in my heart at first). Rob is a great guy. MAJOR ENCOURAGER. He and his wife have pulled me through some tense "moments" by simple e mails, or cards, or just simple smiles and "atta boys". Rob also heads up our mens ministry. As he walked briskly into my office he says to me words that shake me to my core.  He says this. "You know what your doing is influencing the whole church". See Rob is the head of our men's ministry. He's taken our mentorship strategy we've implemented in our "REMNANT" student leadership team, and began adapting it to the men's ministry. He then speaks of our "HOW'S YOUR 30?" covenant program, and how he's intrigued by it for the men. 

Rob blessed me this morning in so many ways. As he was walking out of my office he slyly said "Your making my job easy". When Rob left my office, I knew my "weekly tough question" had been answered.   I was under the influence.....and being an influence.

John Wesley said this.

DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN

BY ALL THE MEANS YOU CAN

IN ALL THE WAYS YOU CAN

IN ALL THE PLACES YOU CAN

TO ALL THE PEOPLE YOU CAN

ALL THE TIMES YOU CAN.