Archive for September, 2008

In what appears to be a never-ending cycle of determined effort to ignore the wishes of the American citizenry, who have voiced almost 1000 to 1 that we are NOT in favor of a bailout of irresponsible business dealings, the Senate has now scheduled a vote on the bailout for tomorrow afternoon/evening that only needs 60 votes to win. It has been said that they have enough votes to pass it this time around.

Please call your U.S. Senator on Wednesday and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

Arkansas Senators:

• Mark Pryor (877) 259-9602 (Toll Free from Arkansas)
  D.C. Office (202) 224-2353

• Blance Lincoln 800-352-9364
  D.C. Office (202) 224-4843

In addition, noted financial planner and consultant Dave Ramsey posted an alternative solution to the bailout today on his website. I encourage you to check it out here. You can read his plan here: (more…)

The bailout vote was defeated today in Congress, and it got me fired up. My call mattered! (Well, when added to thousands of others…) Turns out that the calls made to Congress today were 9 to 1 AGAINST the bailout. How does that make you feel about the responsiveness of your Representatives? 

Congressman Mike Ross voted FOR the bailout. He won’t be getting my vote in November. Unfortunately, as I did some checking, he’s running unopposed! What?! The more checking I did, the more my heart sunk.

Apparently for the people of south Arkansas, we are content with business as usual. 99% of candidates for Drew County and our region will be running unopposed this November. I have no room to gripe. My name is not on any ballot either.

I did, however, attempt to run for city council, but was told by County Clerk Lyna Gulledge that as a write-in candidate, I would not be allowed to run. The Secretary of State’s office told me differently. Lyna was supposed to call me back and let me know about some obscure ordinance that the city of Monticello had passed to prevent write-in candidates from running, but she never did. To my shame, I never followed up. 

I think it’s sad that getting involved in local affairs is made so difficult. I asked several folks over the last few months if they had any idea how to “get involved,” and none knew. I would think that our city, country, state, and nation would want more people to get more involved. We desperately need a grassroots movement in this country of common-sense folks. Unfortunately, it’s not well-publicized how to get involved. (I wonder if this is because the folks already involved realize that your involvement would mean their loss of a job…)

So how am I to note vote for Mike Ross? By simply not voting for him. I wish I had a choice. I wish your name was on the ballot. I wish my name was on the ballot. Anyone but his. He has voted with his party 94% of the time. That’s too much for true bipartisan effort and well-balanced leadership.

But as I looked further, I was stunned to realize that in county and city elections, 99% of incumbents are running unopposed. I have no room to gripe. Neither do you. But maybe we’ll learn from this and begin working now to make a difference later.

• Check out this link for 2008 Drew County Elections.
• Here for 2008 Arkansas House elections. Eddie Cheatham is running unopposed.
• Arkansas State Senate Races. Jimmy Jeffress is running unopposed.
• Arkansas U.S. Senator Mark Pryor has no Republican opponent (read here); only a Green Party candidate, Rebekah Kennedy is running against him, and an Independent, Donald Lee Hamrick is also on the ballot. Hmmm.

While I don’t agree with his politics, the Daily Kos ran this article in 2005 about the shame of allowing unopposed races in elections. It’s worth thinking about.

Update (4:29 pm): The bailout was defeated today in the House, 228 to 205. You can read more about Paul’s interview with Beck here, and here is a link to the interview audio itself.

Heard an interview of Ron Paul this a.m. that was astute and stunning in it’s clarity. The bailout means bigger govt, intrusion into the free market.

Just as No Child Left Behind has left schools in standardized shambles, this bailout is no fix.

Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross’ phone is 1-800-223-2220.

“The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of this world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. I want you to be free from the concerns of this life.” 1 Corinthians 7.29-32 (NLT)

In a church full of compromise and spiritual pride as the Corinthian church was, the apostle Paul takes time to answer some questions about marriage – both personal and also our “marriage” with culture. Even in trying to discern the reasons and attitude behind these questions reveals that this was a self-absorbed group of people.

Essentially, Paul keeps bringing it back to Christ. Whether married or not, the bigger purpose for our lives in Christ is Him. What can we do and what are we called to do to serve Him and follow Him in obedience. Paul makes it very clear that some things obviously, although good, could significantly hinder one’s pursuit of Christ and obedience to Him. Things such as…

• A great marriage
• Times of mourning
• Times of celebration
• Significant purchases or ordinary shopping trips

It’s far too easy to become self-consumed with our own plans, marriages, families, houses and stuff. For the Christ-devoted follower, these good things are alarmingly seductive. We can rationalize all we want, but the fact remains that Jesus Himself said, 

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10.37-38)

The follower of Jesus is never given permission to embrace complete comfort and “family-time” to the exclusion of His kingdom. This does not mean that family-time cannot also be “kingdom-time.” But I fear that for far too many Christians, we have embraced our own kingdoms above that of our Messiah and Savior. 

The same God who doesn’t want to see anyone perish but for all to come to repentance would, I think, have difficulty excusing our exclusionary embrace of cultural entertainments, hobbies or family activities if they do not serve to communicate the Gospel or exalt Him in some way.

I cringe every time I read Haggai 1. In it, the prophet takes the people of Israel to task for neglecting what God had clearly commanded in order to focus on their own homes and families. He asks in verse 4, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” He was referring to the temple which the people should have completed by that point, but they had gotten distracted by the building of their own homes. In response, God revealed that much of the struggle they were currently experiencing was His judgement against them. 

After all, Israel was commissioned to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19). The obvious implication is that a priest is a mediator between God and men. Israel was to seek to become the spiritual leaders of the world, leading men to their Creator. But they had embraced their own comfort, families, hobbies, possessions, etc.

In 1 Peter, the apostle there also reminds New Testament believers that they have inherited the commission that God gave to Israel. The church is now “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2.9)

Paul’s words to the Corinthians above urge us to a radical focus. “…should not be absorbed…be free from the concerns of this life.”

His encouragement to us is that life is best enjoyed when it is submitted to Christ in all areas. Our marriages, homes, possessions, times of mourning and celebration are all precious gifts. Yet they are best enjoyed only in the context of Christ. It’s much like a rainbow can only be enjoyed in the context of a passing thundershower, or a sunset enjoyed in the context of coming darkness.

If we’re too absorbed in this life, we may just miss the deepest joys hidden in it for those who seek first His kingdom. When we exalt Christ first, all these other “things” will be added unto us. (Matthew 6.33)

I’m in Arkadelphia listening to the religion faculty teach the book of Exodus to a large group of gathered pastors.

One thought:
Exodus is also story of a nation that has rejected God. Notice Ex 5.2. Pharoah says, “Who is the Lord?”

What follows is judgement on a nation: disasters, disruptions, ecenomic collapse, division, and epidemic health failure.

Hmmmm.

Phillip left a comment recently that said, 

I know I don’t comment much, but I’ll make you a deal. If you post more, then I’ll comment more. Do you know how broken-hearted I am when I am ready for a break so I get online to read a brilliant piece of literature by journeyguy and instead the same post that has been there for days is looking at me?! It’s your fault! You got us addicted! You can’t just post twice a week after all those posts day after day. Journeyguy, journeyguy, wherefore art thou post? At least recommend another blog to fill the void.

It’s so nice to feel loved… I may be having a Sally Fields moment. On the other hand, I have been less prolific here at Notes recently, with no real writing spree in site. It’s probably appropriate to catch you up with what I’m up to.

Around the first of the year, I wrote about some resolutions that I wanted to focus on this year. While I rarely make resolutions that are stickable, this year they were. I began the year knowing that in order to be the husband, father, leader, pastor, businessman, friend that I’m called to be, it was time to quit playing. I wrote then that I wanted to lead, teach, pray, write, and disciple.

Surprising even myself, that’s what I’m been zoning in on all year, like a bee on a clover. Over five years ago, I was distinctly moved by the Lord to become a church planter and start Journey Church. At the beginning of this year, it was as if He said, “I mean it.” I have been bivocational the past five years, and I have a high entrepreneurial streak in me, but I knew that what He meant was to lay down some dreams and visions that I was clinging to and invest completely in leading His people.

So I’ve been trying – imperfectly to be sure – to do that. I’ve been trying to make my schedule more and more purposeful, as well as my relationships and influence. What God is doing in and through His people at our church is simply amazing, and the growth we’ve experienced (and are experiencing) is a significant challenge. So whether the finances are there or not, I know I’ve been called to focus on leading Journey.

To respond fully to this call, I’ve recently notified most of my active design clients that I’ll continue to service them, but that I am no longer taking new work. That was probably one of the hardest decisions to make. Mainly because my family likes to eat. However, it was also a sweet release. So Noble Design is in process of phasing out. I, of course, will still be doing things design-related in support of Carolyn’s work, but after several late-night conversations over the past year with her, we both see that the time has come to transition.

We knew that we’d eventually be here, but we expected it would have happened sooner. I’ve heard stories of church planters being able to start their plant with full support and scratch my head in jealous amazement. That’s not been the case here. Yet what God has taught my family in dependence, joy, character, and perspective far outweighs the comfort of full support. We are truly blessed. We are truly content and more frequently astounded by Christ’s all-sufficient provision, protection and peace.

As I turned loose of design and began to pick up the pen (or tap on the keyboard), I’ve begun working on a book I started several years ago called Jesus and Wal-Mart: The Art of 24/7 Christian Living. I’ve got 2-3 more chapters to complete and then comes the decision of whether to self-publish or find a publisher. I’ve also started writing for a website called AppleiPhoneApps.com which I really enjoy doing because it forces me to say a lot in a small space. (It also allows me to be a Mac geek and get paid a little for it.)

I’ve started a group called JILT – Journey Intensive Leader Training – in which I’m trying to help train, disciple and equip the guys involved for ministry. I’ve been really excited about that. I’m also enjoying the opportunity to meet one-on-one with several different guys for the purpose of spiritual encouragement and discipleship.

Our leadership group at Journey has been meeting every Monday or Tuesday a.m. since the beginning of May to evaluate the previous Sunday and plan ahead. It’s been extremely beneficial for us all, and I’m excited about the future as we further develop leaders for our church, community and mission. It forces me as a leader to be thinking ahead, praying, studying, and networking so that I can be full and prepared to encourage, release and guide the ministry of our church into new waters.

I still stink at prayer (not that I don’t stink in the other areas… it’s just the odor is more recognizable in this area). I love it when I engage in it. Don’t get me wrong – I pray daily, regularly and often hourly. However, I’m talking about focused, extended times of intercessory and impassioned prayer. It is the primary way, I believe, that we can lift up and undergird the work of Christ in our world. I’ve been blessed with several people in our church and elsewhere with whom spontaneity is acceptable. I can call at any given moment in a day – early or late – and say, “Hey, you wanna get together for prayer?” and they’ll show up with as much eagerness as my own. That’s a true blessing.

As I step outside and gaze at the big picture, I see that the Lord has brought great growth to our church numerically this year. It’s humbling. Deeply. The greater view, however, is the evident growth in people. We all can look around and see life transformation, maturity, and love blooming before our eyes in each other. It is all because of Christ’s promise and His intent that now, “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 3.10)

I’m grateful that my parents had a role to play in my love of reading, for as life is so often chaotic, a book is where I often turn to quiet and still my mind – whether it’s for devotional purposes, leadership, entertainment or information. I treat many of the leadership and “church” books I read as if I’ve been given the opportunity to have an appointment with their author. I underline, jot notes and reflections, and chew on them a long time after putting them aside. Reading is the one discipline that enables a leader to get out of his own head and into the heads of others with regularity. It helps provide wisdom and balance. You can always check my reading activities here.

So in response to Phillip’s comment, and I really appreciate it (because if nothing else, I’ve outed a lurker), I’m not giving up blogging, it’s just that the last few weeks have been especially crazy. As Gov. Arnold can say so much better than me, “I’ll be back.”

Tonight at 6:00, a ton of dads, grandfathers, stepdads, uncles and friends of Monticello Intermediate School students filled their cafeteria to laugh, learn and commit to the second year of an incredible program. I’ve had the privilege and blessing its first two years of serving as the “Top Dog” of our illustrious Dog Team.

The Watch DOGS program is a grassroots movement begun by dads in Northwest Arkansas about ten years ago, and it offers fathers and father figures an incredible day of involvement in their child’s life. From early morning dropoff to the final bell ring in the afternoon, a dad will get to patrol hallways, eat lunch with his child, sit in 3-4 classrooms (being available for the teachers), and play on the playground with a mass of kids who think they are a hero.

Hero for a day. And it’s free. 

I claimed the first day of the Watch DOGS (Dads of Great Students) year tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to the excited faces of the kids, the incredible devotion of Monticello teachers and the adoring gaze of my daughter. 

Even tonight, as I was simply calling out door prizes and being the MC of the Pizza Night kickoff, I caught Adelyn beaming at me from the front row, her pizza in hand. It was a sublime moment for this superhero. Being a dad of great students isn’t “ruff.” Here’s hoping my bark is in shape for tomorrow!

This past Sunday was a powerful one at our church. Consider the following as part of the planned schedule:

• Baptist Collegiate Ministry praise band led worship
• 2 reps from the International Mission Board spoke
• I preached in the Life Essentials series – topic: Satan & Sin
• Lunch meeting with the 2 leaders from the IMB and Journey’s leadership team
• Cookout and kickoff of our fall small groups that evening, combined with a baptism (3 kids, 1 adult!)

It was such a wonderful and joyful opportunity for our church and guests to celebrate the presence, power and rule of Jesus Christ. We laughed, cried, and witnessed everything from drumming praise of Joe Matthew to the immersion of Taylor James.

Yet, that was not all the day held for me. After I finished teaching and sharing some announcements, Jeremy took the microphone and said there was one remaining surprise.

Now, I had already begun to wonder what was going on earlier when my best friend and college roommate and his family showed up for worship from Arkadelphia. My parents appeared right as the worship service started. On top of that, David James, the collegiate ministry team leader for Arkansas Baptists also “happened” to be in attendance.

Jeremy invited all of these up to the front and asked for me to return. My gleeful wife was beaming. Something was definitely up, I wisely surmised.

Imagine my stunned response when they presented me with a check – a love offering collected from the church and friends – in the exact amount of what my new-to-me scooter had cost. I was stunned. To top it off, so were they when they had realized that the amount they had collected EXACTLY matched what I’d spent on the scooter. 

I was moved deeply. With their gift, I was able to pay off the scooter yesterday! It was a huge blessing for our family. The depth of love and support that they all showed was deeply humbling. I wondered afterwards why it is so hard to be on the receiving end of someone else’s unreserved appreciation? 

So, this is the second scooter that love brought to us. I am deeply thankful.

First saw this over on Lou’s blog. Too funny. Try it out at www.yearbookyourself.com.

We learned a lot being without power for four days and without phone and internet for five.

• You can watch a movie on your laptop… but when your spouse says, “Why don’t you fix us some popcorn?” you realize that she’s getting sleepy.
• You most likely will never stop flicking on switches when you enter a room – and being momentarily surprised when nothing happens.
• Three icechests are not enough to save a freezer full of food.
• Uno is fun, especially if you cheat.
• Candles can hypnotize you.
• You go to bed a lot earlier.
• The house smells stuffy but with hints of caramel apple, blueberry soufflee, vanilla spice, etc. (think candles).
• Seeing the sunshine again makes one giddy.
• Seeing power trucks work on your street after a four day absence can provoke you to drag living room furniture out onto the front sidewalk. It is high entertainment after a week without TV.

We got our power back on Friday night, and the phone and internet were restored Saturday afternoon – just in time for Sam and I to set our fantasy football lineups for the weekend – although we had actually done our research on the church’s internet before then.

We were grateful last week for the cool weather and the family time that being without power provided us. Even though it was a huge inconvenience, we discovered many hidden blessings in it all. The main one was probably having a gas hot water heater.

We got to visit with neighbors, eat at friends’ houses, play games by candle light, and enjoy a sense of relaxation without high tech. Carolyn couldn’t work all week, and my graphic design was put on hold, so it was simply a week that relationships came first. After all, our true Power Source never went out.

Tree down. Power out.

iPhone works. So blogging is unhindered. Check out journeyguy.swurl.com this week. I’ve got jury duty and will only be microblogging.

Be sure to comment there. It’s cool how comments work on Swurl.

Many of you have followed my Moped Saga. It began last year with the attempt by my family to be a one-car family due to finances (can we say gas prices?). After successfully parking my Nissan for a month without any use, we sold it to some friends. We were given a 1988 Honda Elite 80 scooter, and it became my primary mode of transportation, as well as an endless source of ridicule from folks in the community. That is, until gas went over $3.50/gallon. Then we started seeing other mopeds in town, and folks began to stop and ask me how much gas mileage mine got.

We christened the scooter as “Ghost” and all was well in the world. Well, until a picture of Ryan and I on Ghost showed up on a homosexual website. That pretty much stunk. Ryan is still a little gun shy about mopeds now. He breaks out in a cold sweat every time someone says “scooter.”

Ghost became a welcome addition to the family, and we all enjoyed it. A scooter in a town of our size (about 9000) is a fantastic money saver and a source of endless fun and enjoyment. In spring, it’s truly amazing to drive down city streets and drink in the smell of budding flowers and freshly mown grass. Roadkill aroma is another story.

Then came the unthinkable – Ghost was ripped from our lives one evening as crass crooks thought they needed it more than we did. It was stolen from our carport (and there are three motion-sensor lights back there!). The police came and filed a report, but that was the last anyone around here saw of Ghost.

We tried – hard – to make one-car, eight-legs work around here but just couldn’t do it. I have been researching and looking for a replacement for a while now. I established the Pastor’s Scooter Fund and raised $140 – enough for a wheel. So a bargain was what I was hunting for.

Lo and behold, I found a 2004 Honda Elite 80 in Little Rock at the Kawasaki dealership. It had been traded in on a motorcycle. After some quick questions, I bought the replacement moped sight unseen over the phone. They delivered it Saturday! And it has a windshield! You know how you can tell a happy moped owner? Bugs in his teeth. This will be a welcome addition.

There have been some tune-up issues related to it so far, but we are thrilled and grateful. Hopefully, we can pay it off in the next six months, but we are now much more mobile than we’ve been. I’m so grateful for all the friends who have transported me around town when I’ve been without the vehicle. Tracy, Jeremy and Trey come to mind. TJ has let me borrow his truck several times. And thanks to all the Ghost Hunters… Michael being the new President of Ghost Hunters Anonymous. Thanks, everyone!

Now for the big announcement… the shiny black Honda’s name is…. drumroll please… the Batmoped! We wrestled with “Shadow” as an option, and that may become a nickname, but for now, watch out! The Dark Knight/pastor/graphic designer/Mac Daddy is back on wheels!